1. WHAT IS ONLINE LEARNING?
CUSTOMARILY, ONLINE LEARNING FALLS UNDER THE BROADER CATEGORY OF DISTANCE
EDUCATION. DISTANCE EDUCATION IS DEFINED BY THE UNITED STATES DISTANCE LEARNING
ASSOCIATION AS AN "EDUCATION PROGRAM WHEREBY STUDENTS MAY COMPLETE ALL OR PART OF
AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN A GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION APART FROM THE INSTITUTION
HOSTING THE PROGRAM; THE FINAL AWARD GIVEN IS EQUIVALENT IN STANDARD AND CONTENT TO
AN AWARD PROGRAM COMPLETED ON CAMPUS." TYPICALLY, STUDENTS AND TEACHERS RESIDE IN
DIFFERENT LOCATIONS; A PHYSICAL CLASSROOM IS NOT NECESSARY. THEREFORE THE TEACHING AND
LEARNING PROCESS RELIES ON THE INTERNET AND A PERSONAL COMPUTER.
HTTP://WWW.FROSTBURG.EDU/ONLINE/DISTANCE-LEARNING/WHAT-IS-ONLINE-LEARNING/
2. WHO BENEFITS FROM ONLINE LEARNING?
• EARLY GRADUATES
• AT RISK STUDENTS
• HOMEBOUND
• RURAL DISTRICTS
• ADVANCED STUDIES
3. TEXAS VIRTUAL SCHOOL NETWORK
TXVSN, WHICH LAUNCHED IN 2009, PROVIDES TEXAS STUDENTS AND
SCHOOLS ACCESS TO INTERACTIVE, COLLABORATIVE, INSTRUCTOR-LED
ONLINE COURSES TAUGHT BY STATE CERTIFIED AND APPROPRIATELY
CREDENTIALED TEACHERS. THE TXVSN IS MADE UP OF TWO COMPONENTS:
THE TXVSN STATEWIDE COURSE CATALOG, WHICH PROVIDES
SUPPLEMENTAL ONLINE COURSES TO STUDENTS IN GRADES 8-12, AND THE
TXVSN ONLINE SCHOOLS PROGRAM, WHICH OFFERS FULL-TIME VIRTUAL
INSTRUCTION THROUGH ELIGIBLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO TEXAS PUBLIC
SCHOOL STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-12.
4. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
• THE TXVSN ONLINE SCHOOLS PROGRAM (OLS) OFFERS FULL-TIME VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION
THROUGH ELIGIBLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-12.
INSTRUCTION PROVIDED THROUGH THE TXVSN OLS IS 100 PERCENT VIRTUAL AND STUDENTS
PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT ON CAMPUS
DURING INSTRUCTION.
• WAS ENROLLED IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THIS STATE IN THE PRECEDING SCHOOL YEAR;
• HAS BEEN PLACED IN SUBSTITUTE CARE IN THIS STATE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE STUDENT
WAS ENROLLED IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THIS STATE IN THE PRECEDING YEAR; OR
• IS A DEPENDENT OF A MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY, WAS PREVIOUSLY ENROLLED IN
HIGH SCHOOL IN THIS STATE; AND DOES NOT RESIDE IN THIS STATE DUE TO A MILITARY
DEPLOYMENT OR TRANSFER.
5. TXVSN COURSE CATALOGUE
• VSN STATEWIDE COURSE CATALOG PROVIDES SUPPLEMENTAL ONLINE COURSES FOR HIGH
SCHOOL GRADUATION TO STUDENTS IN GRADES 8-12. THE TXVSN STATEWIDE COURSE
CATALOG OFFERS STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENROLL IN HIGH
SCHOOL, ADVANCED PLACEMENT, AND DUAL CREDIT COURSES PROVIDED BY ELIGIBLE TEXAS
SCHOOL DISTRICTS, OPEN-ENROLLMENT CHARTER SCHOOLS, EDUCATION SERVICE CENTERS,
AND PUBLIC OR PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. TO VIEW COURSES AVAILABLE
THROUGH THE TXVSN STATEWIDE COURSE CATALOG, VISIT THE ONLINE COURSE CATALOG.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TXVSN STATEWIDE COURSE CATALOG, VISIT WWW.TXVSN.ORG.
6. TXVSN ONLINE SCHOOLS PROGRAM (OLS)
• THE TEXAS VIRTUAL SCHOOL NETWORK ONLINE SCHOOLS PROGRAM (TXVSN OLS) IS THE
COMPONENT OF THE TEXAS VIRTUAL SCHOOL NETWORK THAT PROVIDES FULL-TIME VIRTUAL
INSTRUCTION TO ELIGIBLE TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-12 THROUGH
APPROVED PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OPEN-ENROLLMENT CHARTER SCHOOLS. THESE ONLINE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OFFER 100-PERCENT VIRTUAL INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS TO STUDENTS WHO
ARE NOT PHYSICALLY PRESENT ON CAMPUS DURING INSTRUCTION.
• COURSES COMPRISING THE TXVSN OLS PROGRAM ARE REVIEWED TO ENSURE THEY MEET THE
STATE CURRICULUM STANDARDS, KNOWN AS THE TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
(TEKS), AND NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR QUALITY ONLINE COURSES. TEACHERS ARE REQUIRED TO
BE TEXAS-CERTIFIED IN THE CONTENT AREA AND AT THE GRADE LEVEL THEY ARE TEACHING AND
MUST BE TRAINED IN BEST PRACTICES IN DELIVERING ONLINE INSTRUCTION.
7. TXVSN OLS COURSES
• COURSES COMPRISING THE FULL-TIME VIRTUAL TXVSN OLS INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM ARE
PROVIDED BY TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OPEN-ENROLLMENT CHARTER SCHOOLS
THAT MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. COURSES ARE REVIEWED THROUGH THE COURSE
REVIEW PROCESS TO ENSURE THEY MEET THE TEKS AND OTHER QUALITY STANDARDS SET BY
THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION.
8. TXVSN OLS STUDENTS
• STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-12 WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND PUBLIC SCHOOL IN TEXAS AND
MEET THE OTHER ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS OF THE TXVSN OLS PROGRAM MAY ENROLL IN
THE FULL-TIME VIRTUAL INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM PROVIDED THROUGH AN ELIGIBLE DISTRICT
OR OPEN-ENROLLMENT CHARTER SCHOOL PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM.
• TEC, SECTION 30A.107, ALLOWS STUDENTS WHO RESIDE IN TEXAS BUT WHO ARE NOT
ENROLLED IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THIS STATE TO ENROLL IN NO MORE THAN TWO COURSES
OFFERED THROUGH THE STATE VIRTUAL SCHOOL NETWORK PER SEMESTER.
9. TXVSN OLS TEACHERS
TXVSN OLS PROGRAM TEACHERS ARE REQUIRED TO BE TEXAS-CERTIFIED IN THE CONTENT AREA
AND AT THE GRADE LEVEL THEY ARE TEACHING. THEY MUST MEET THE TXVSN OLS PROGRAM
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR TEACHING ONLINE BASED ON MASTERY OF
THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR K-12 ONLINE LEARNING (INACOL) NATIONAL
STANDARDS FOR QUALITY ONLINE TEACHING. TEA-APPROVED TRAINING IS OFFERED BY A
NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROVIDERS FOR NEW AND EXPERIENCED ONLINE
TEACHERS.
11. HIGH SCHOOL COURSES OFFERED ONLINE
THE SPRING SEMESTER FOR 2014 OFFERS 133 COURSES FOR HIGH SCHOOL. SOME OF THE
COURSES AVAILABLE ARE:
DIGITAL FORENSICS, MANY AP CLASSES, PERSONAL FITNESS CLASS, DRIVERS EDUCATION, EARTH
AND SPACE SCIENCE, AND MANY OTHERS CAN BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING LINK:
HTTPS://WWW.MYTXVSN.ORG/COURSECATALOG.ASPX
