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What is the day like for the FLVS Fulltime Program?

As part of the FLVS Fulltime program students log in to a virtual classroom led by a teacher instruction on class materials.  Students can run schedules from 9:00 am to 10:45 am three times a week with homework assigned for the days in-between.  (Currently due to the mass demand from Covid 19 -these schedules are rotating and alternating.)  

 

You would have to check with the teacher for each class for clarifications of meeting times and assignments for the current FLVS Fulltime program. 

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Do I still need to send a letter of intent to the county?

Yes, to participate as a homeschooled student you would still send a letter of intent to your county.  Once your receive your documentation you can proceed to choose which option is best for your student and sign them up to the FLVS program.  In the option to school choice you would enter, "homeschooled".  FLVS will require a copy of your approved intent letter faxed or uploaded to their document section when you enroll to the school and they will take at least a week to verify your child's participation as a homeschooler.  Give them at least two weeks and then try giving them a call if you have any issues.  Once approved you can move to the course selection to choose your child's classes.

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How Can I enroll in the FLVS Flex Program?

To enroll in the FLEX program you can follow the link here FLVS FLEX Enroll.

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How can I enroll in the FLVS Fulltime program?

To enroll in the FLEX Fulltime you can follow the link here FLVS Fulltime.

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How do I select my child's courses?

Homeschool  parents can select the classes they wish their child to participate in from the course core courses.  FLVS recommends that students do not take more than four classes at one time due to the demanding course work.  In our experience there is considerable research, video lessons, presentations and collaborations the students participate in as part  of their work that can create a very demanding schedule.  Carefully evaluate your child's time and resources with their personal capabilities.  The objective is for your child to learn well not cram information they will struggle through.  You will have to evaluate the ability of your child and decide what is the right course work and classes for your student.  Review the course selection here: FLVS Flex Courses.

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Choosing a class for FLEX or fulltime?

When you are choosing your course selection the prompts will give you the option to choose which semesters you could like to take for each class.  We recommend you choose sections one and two at the same time as it guarantees the same teacher and completion fluidly from one segment to the other.  You can always drop a second section if you choose to but getting assigned once they complete the first one can be trickier and takes time.  You will also have to decide which program your child will participate in at this time choosing full-time  or flex.  Be sure  you know which on you will be taking because getting them to change it after its chosen its going to a take a troubleshooting phone call and delays.

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Is FLVS an accredited school?

Yes, FVLS was founded in 1997 as is accredited by Cognia offering 190 courses to students around the world.

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What is the day like for the FLVS FLEX Program?

Students attending the FLEX program can log in and out throughout the day and are typically assigned to turn in at least 3 assignments per course. Students work at their own pace throughout the week and may submit assignments at any time during the week. They will be required to make monthly contact calls to each teacher and a discussion based evaluation per module. They have tons of material to read and videos help assistant.

 

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Pros and Cons of FLVS?

There are a few cons to this type of learning. The child must be self motivated to keep up with their pace work, there is a lot of online reading, quite a bit of online research, gap in the lesson for some assignments, mixed with higher grade level materials pushing the child to a higher standard (example Algebra mixed with concepts of Geometry, Algb. 2 and some Trig) and occasional mistakes in the quizzes just to name a few.

 

Some of these can make the child frustrated if they are not prepared for this type of learning or you are not ready to assist. Teachers are friendly and very willing to help your child through the process, however at times there could be a disconnect on how they approach your child. My son did well in FLVS but needed a lot of personal guidance from me.  That meant I was still teaching due to the many gaps in the courses.  Any time he sat with a teacher it was a five minute rushed lesson that often was not as productive as I had hoped, unfortunately.  The issue seems to be  in learning the lingo well prior to a tutor lesson with an instructor.  That can  really depend on the teacher and understanding of the child.  Especially if a lesson was one page with lots of language that really didn't develop the students understanding of the material.  Once the teacher  begins using unfamiliar terminology the whole message is lost and pointless.  Saddly, this is something in our years we found often throughout the courses.  Added to this was information topics that were not covered on the direct lessons or videos provided in the course but would be found on exams.  FLVS does work diligently to improve their content through the years but a good portion of the information is found in external links from other sources such as Khan Academy.  At times there may be a video pertinent to the lesson from Khan Academy but not featured through FLVS section which many times creates a gap in the learning.  So unless you are proactive to have your child eat up all the material from Khan Academy they are getting gap learning.  Extremely frustrating and far more time consuming than the lessons project.  We made it a habit to look up content outside of FLVS to get full understanding on a subject before my  children attempted their quizzes.  This of course meant leaving FLVS course materials and searching sites like Khan Academy or google searches to learn about the full process of a particular lesson that FLVS was teaching in the course.  This process usually  meant using the lesson header to search online  for the different ways to reproduce a problem before returning to the lesson to continue on.   

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One other area that we found quite frustrating was in the description of common core instruction and progressive grade instruction within a course.  Teachers will tell you that the material is state standards and no longer common core, however that transition has not been made complete and there elements within many courses that cross platforms in the instruction levels and create new ways of formulas that are more complex that have been in the past prior to common core. Be prepared to learn a new way  of doing math.  This is also true of the progression of many of the classes.  A perfect example would be the Algebra course class that  introduces a brief section in elementary review before it begins working on prism space formula without  a proper instruction and extremely difficult questions in the quiz that were not covered in the lesson or videos.  As the class progress it jumps subject progressively including concepts of geometry, algebra 2 and trig.  When discussing this with the instructors again I was directed on how it satisfied state standards.  Well  honestly my son needed to learn Algebra in algebra, not geometry, Alg 2 or Trig.  Standards are basic in their description and left to teachers of platforms to design.  I appreciate the level of progression but it really isn't fair to a student that really should be mastering entry level Algebra I.  Through our experience with homeschoolers across Florida we have heard thousands of parents who's children struggled through this process believing it was their student with the issue.  While there may be those who do struggle or succeed regardless, it is our personal experience and what we have heard from countless families that FLVS needs some work into these areas to further improve the programs success.

 

My children are both honor students pulling straight A's throughout their FLVS experience but it came at a heavy time cost.  There has been a lot of gnashing of teeth through the years.

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However, FLVS is competitive and prepares the child for independent studies, online research and standardized testing.  I can say that despite the pitfalls I would  do it again to ensure they are reaching as far as their minds can push them.

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Full Time students may still be considered homeschooled but works with the county and will log in daily to a teacher who will give lessons and assign homework. Things are changing due to Covid response so check with the school to see what their current patter for this semester will be.  

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Since they are accredited does FLVS graduate my student or give me a diploma?

No, your child is a homeschool student and you are primary educator for your child.  FLVS provides the curriculum instruction but you are essentially your own school.  You will be responsible to send a letter of completion to the county when you are ready to graduate your homeschooler.  We offer a section on our site where you can learn more about the transcript process, scholarships, and college readiness.

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Does FLVS have an official transcript?

Yes, in the dashboard you will find an official and unofficial transcript with your students courses and grade completions.  It may feel reassuring but it is not necessary for many schools to have this information. In today's  environment many homeschoolers are quite successful in proving their abilities through mastery of entrance exams, essays, SAT scores and other admission requirements for secondary schools.  Focus on getting a well rounded education that helps them thrive in their community.  Provide opportunities for exploration and learning outside the box where they  might discover hidden interests and talents and utilize basic education as the building block of raising a well adjusted individual.

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What if my student is college bound?

The best way to formulate a schedule of courses would  be to seek out the higher education instution your child may be interested in.  Personally I would begin looking at that when they go to enter middle school and not high school.  Look broadly at wide markets of opportunity and not narrowly.  Compare what a college may be looking for.  Do they want to see three years of language in high school, algebra 2, chemistry?  It really is pointless in  my opinion to cram classes that a student may have no interest in at all.  Yes we want to give them the best exposure for higher opportunities but what we really should also be looking at  is where they can thrive, what suits their interests, what is fulfilling. 

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As your child grows and you apply your schooling you will learn and discover these things about your own children.  Nurish it and feed into what makes them thrive.  You may not have a scientist but an artist or enterprenuer.  Perhaps you have a politician, doctor, theater performer.  Part of your journey will be the discovery of who your child is and can be.

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What if I want to drop out of a class?

FLVS has a safe withdraw period for your child to try each class.  They allow for two week grace period at which time they will conduct a welcome call with you and your child to see if you understand the course expectations and are still interested in taking the class.  Past that point you can always withdraw your child with a withdraw grade.  Yes, the grade will remain as part of the official transcript with FLVS but your child is a homeschooler and you are the school.  You create you own transcripts and d o not have to include what you choose not too.  If it not failure to find a better avenue that suits the needs of your student.  At times they may make exceptions for extensions so check with your students teacher and counselor before making the decision to cut a class.  If you truly have doubts don't be afraid to clock them  out with confidence and find a more suitable program for your child's progress.

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