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F A Q

General Questions and Answers

School structure and operations:

What will the schedules look like at Innovations Academy?

  • K - 5th-grade students will be on a traditional year, trimester schedule
  • 6 - 8th-grade students will be on a traditional year, semester schedule
  • 9 - 12th-grade students will be on a modified block schedule.  Please see HERE for the bell schedule.

How will students be engaged in this environment?

Student engagement will be monitored in two ways: live, daily instruction, and independent work. The expectation is that cameras will be turned on in order to interact with their teacher and classmates.  Teachers will track daily engagement during live sessions, as well as completion of assigned lessons.  For independent work, this would be monitored just like homework in the traditional setting.  

How many students will be in each class?

Class rosters will match District-wide teacher-to-student ratios.

Will there be any in-person opportunities for socialization, field trips, etc..?

Yes, we have events such as Space Cave hang outs, classroom lab days, and school-wide events. 

Will there be materials to pick up? How will that look?

Yes, students will receive physical materials dictated by the courses in which they enrolled.  In this case, your students curricular materials will arrive about a week after your child starts with Innovations.  They will be shipped to the school office for pick up.

Some elementary classes host montly packet-pick events as well.

How is the Virtual Academy different from Distance Learning? 

Distance Learning was a crisis response to a national pandemic. Innovations Academy is a new school, designed to offer an additional learning option. Students will have a similar structure to their day as they do in a traditional setting. However, their learning environment will be primarily virtual with daily teacher interaction. In-person social activities and field trips will be made available throughout the year. It is important for students and parents to understand that the day-to-day educational experience will be very similar to what students now experience with distance learning. If the current modality of distance learning is working well for your students, the Innovation Academy will likely be a good fit for them.      

How is Innovations Academy different from the Homeschool Charter School and Walnutwood Independent Studies? Haven’t we always had a virtual option? 

FCUSD has never offered a virtual school. Innovations Academy is not the same as Distance Learning and is different from the alternative learning options we offer in our homeschool charter and independent study programs. A description of our alternative learning options is below:

  • Homeschool Charter (K-8):   In this option, the parent/guardian is considered the student's primary teacher and delivers daily instruction to their student(s) with guidance from a credentialed teacher. Students and parents meet with the credentialed teacher every 10 days. The curriculum can be adjusted to meet the individual needs of each student.
  • Walnutwood Independent Studies (9-12):  In this option, the student meets with a teacher for 45 minutes once a week, and then works independently the rest of the week. 
  • Innovations Academy (K-12): This option is made available to students who want daily instruction from credentialed teachers through an online platform.  Students are required to attend live sessions for attendance and to receive daily instruction on academic content.  They will be required to submit/complete assignments by specified due dates, but have flexibility throughout the day on when they complete their independent assignments.  

Enrollment:

Will I be able to enroll my student after the deadline? 

We accept enrollment all year long.  For high school students, our counselor will review your child's transcripts to ensure that we are able to offer the correct courses that are needed for graduation.  

After Innovations completes state testing (March 2023), students will need to verify that they have completed state testing at their current school, prior to enrollment. 

If I enroll in the virtual academy, can I transfer to my school of residence mid-year? 

Transfer applications will be made available at the grading periods. All FCUSD school transfers are dependent on availability at the desired school site. It is also important for parents & students to realize where they are in the curriculum may be different than where their traditional home school is in the curriculum. So transfers, even at the grading periods, might prove challenging for students. 

If my student is in a traditional school and needs to go on independent study for a limited time, can they attend Innovations Academy during that time frame?

No. Innovations Academy is a separate school that operates just like traditional schools, only virtually. Rostered students will have teacher and classroom assignments that have been balanced according to state guidelines. Students needing independent study would need to register through our independent study program at Walnutwood High School. 

Instruction and Academic Supports:

Will teachers be from current FCUSD schools?

Yes

Will there be A - G courses for high school students?  

Yes, A - G courses will be available.

Will there be support for students who need help with meeting grade-level standards?

Yes. interventions and other supports will be available to students.

Will Innovations Academy offer any in-person support for academic or SEL interventions?

Yes. While the vast majority of interaction will be virtual there are opportunities for in-person interaction to support academic and social-emotional learning.

What services will be provided for students in special education?

Special Education at Innovations Academy will include Resource/Learning Support, i.e. specialized academic instruction in a pull-out/push-in model and related services (i.e., speech). 

Students requiring more intensive services, including self-contained classes and other programs, will have offers of FAPE provided through the District’s continuum of services at our physical locations.