Policies

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

Each student enrolled in an online course will adhere to the academic integrity policy outlined below. Any violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action and may jeopardize the student's continuation in the course and the awarding of academic credit.

What is Academic Integrity?

Academic integrity is a concept used to address the many facets of authenticity within a student's work. A student who upholds a high standard of academic integrity maintains that all work turned in is his or her own and is based on the knowledge he or she has acquired.

The technology age has brought fast access to any and all information on the web. Because of this, educational institutions must be increasingly vigilant in maintaining accountability measures which ensure academic integrity.

It is important that as you take courses online, you are equipped to utilize technology appropriately. The Internet can be a powerful research tool. The key is to know how to use it and what is appropriate.

Academic Integrity means...

Your work on each assignment is completely your own
Your collaboration with another classmate on any assignment must be pre-approved by your instructor
You will not practice plagiarism in any form
You will not allow others to copy your work
You will not misuse content from the Internet

Plagiarism is mentioned above. What is plagiarism exactly?

Plagiarism is copying or using ideas or words from another person, an online classmate, or an Internet or print source and presenting them as your own.

Some examples of plagiarism:

Buying a paper from a research service or term paper mill
Turning in another student's work without that student's knowledge
Turning in a paper someone else has written for you
Copying a paper from a source text without proper acknowledgment
Copying materials from a source text, supplying proper documentation, but leaving out quotation marks
Paraphrasing materials from any resource without appropriate documentation
Turning in a paper from a "free term paper" website

Student Code of Conduct/Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

Internet access is required for students who take courses with Marion Virtual School. Internet access offers valuable, diverse, and unique resources to both students and teachers. Access must be used in a responsible, safe, efficient, ethical, and legal manner. The following guidelines cover what is expected of students in our online learning environment.

All students must read the rules of netiquette carefully and understand their significance.
Students are responsible for good behavior on the school computer network, just as they are in a classroom or a school hallway. Always use a computer in a way that shows consideration and respect. You are not to use obscene, profane, threatening, or disrespectful language. These actions are illegal (f.s. 847.001 Obscene Literature; Profanity).
Integrity and authenticity of student work is something that we take very seriously at MVS. Do not cut, copy, or plagiarize Internet content or the work of your online classmates. MVS instructors do utilize technologies that can check for authenticity of student work. Copying the work of others, allowing others to knowingly copy your work, and/or misusing content from the Internet could result in your removal from our courses.
Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. If you feel you can identify a security problem in the school's computers, network, or Internet connection, notify a system administrator.
Think about the social consequences of any publicly accessible online community forum or other program you interact with. EMAIL IS NOT PRIVATE. Never say anything online or via email that you would not want posted on the school bulletin board, or published in the local newspaper. MVS does not endorse or recommend publicly accessible online community forums such as myspace.com and facebook.com.
Be cautious about email messages from anyone, particularly adults asking you for personal information, attempting to arrange meetings, or engaging in personal contact. Disclose to your teacher or other Florida Virtual School employee any message you receive that is inappropriate or makes you feel uncomfortable.
Any sending of unsolicited email to your online classmates is prohibited. Email with your online classmates should be of a course-related nature only.
Students must use an email address that is appropriate for an educational environment. Email addresses that use profanity or may otherwise be construed as offensive, will not be permitted for any FLVS correspondence. MVS/FLVS administration reserves the right to determine if student email addresses are inappropriate. Students with inappropriate email addresses will be required to use an alternative email address or will otherwise be forbidden to participate in MVS courses.
Protect your password. Keep it secret.
Passwords are visible to MVS/FLVS administrators and should be appropriate to an educational setting.
Marion Virtual School assumes no responsibility for any phone charges, line costs or usage fees for connectivity to the Internet.
Remember that you are required to adhere to the Code of Ethics of the educational profession in Florida.
Users are subject to all local, state, and federal laws. Marion Virtual School administrators will cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation related to any illegal activities conducted through Internet access. In the event there is a claim that you have violated this policy, you will be provided with notice of the suspected violation and have an opportunity to present an explanation. Any violations may result in removal from MVS/FLVS course(s), as well as other disciplinary or legal action.

With access to computers and people from around the world also comes the availability of material that may not be considered appropriate in the school setting. Families should be warned that some material obtained via the Internet may contain items that are potentially illegal, defamatory, inaccurate, or offensive. On a global network it is impossible to control all materials and an industrious user may discover controversial information, either by accident or deliberately. We firmly believe that the benefits to students from online access far outweigh the possibility that users may procure material that is not consistent with our educational goals.

MVS Science Courses

There are many potential hazards in a science laboratory. However, in general, accidents caused by these hazards can be avoided if the student is familiar with laboratory techniques and a few simple and basic rules are followed. Most of the materials you will be working with in an MVS science course are ones that can be found in the home. However, even these items can cause harm if mishandled.

The safest way to handle chemicals is to treat them all with care. There is no substitute for good technique in eliminating accidents. By clicking ‘I Agree’, you agree to read and abide by the safety rules and procedures in your MVS science course. By approving the course, the parent/guardian agrees to supervise the science experiments presented in the course. If you have additional questions, please contact your MVS science teacher.

Right to Privacy

Marion Virtual School will abide by the student privacy guidelines set forth by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The following persons have access to student records:

FLVS Board of Trustee members.
Executive Director and administrative team.
Professional staff of the school (franchise managers, teachers, guidance counselors).
Appropriate administrative support staff members.
Other professionals who have a legitimate educational or legal interest in student records as designated by the Executive Director.

Marion Virtual School will provide an academic transcript to the student's primary school of record upon completion of their online course(s), or at any time upon the request of the primary school and/or student's legal guardian.

The names of MVS students, their images, and their course work will not be published on our website or in video without student and guardian consent.

All MVS students are provided a unique password that will allow them to access their online courses. It is the responsibility of the student to keep his/her password in confidence.

Student Contact and Drop Policy

Only through continuous communication can students be successful in an online course. Within each course the instructor outlines the weekly minimum work requirements. It is essential that the student and instructor maintain regular contact. To ensure that our students are aware of this commitment, the four-part process below will be followed:

If the student does not submit the expected number of assignment(s) within a period of seven (7) consecutive days, the student and parent(s) will receive a phone call from the instructor. During the call, the student, parents, and teacher will work to resolve any issues that prevent the student from submitting an acceptable number of assignments each week.
If the student does not respond to the phone call by submitting assignments within seven (7) days or does not continue to submit an acceptable number of assignments each week, the instructor will send an email to the student/parent(s) to remind them of the importance of submitting work and detailing the withdrawal process.
If the student does not respond by submitting assignments within fourteen (14) days of the initial phone call, MVS will assume that the student does not intend to remain in the course, and the student will be administratively dropped from the course.
An official final grade report will be emailed to the student and his/her school upon completion of the course and the return of the course materials to Marion Virtual School.

I acknowledge that during the first 28 days of being activated into my MVS course I may drop the course without penalty. I understand that for each online course there are a minimum number of assignments that must be completed each week. Failure to submit the minimum number of assignments on a weekly basis will result in my removal from the course and may result in a failing grade being assigned to my academic transcript. If I drop the course after completing 50% of the class requirements and fail to take the final exam, Marion Virtual School will issue an "F" for my final grade.

MVS Final Exam Philosophy

MVS Final Exam Policies:

Each course must have a comprehensive final exam that allows students to demonstrate the competencies outlined in the Sunshine State Standards and/or other applicable course standards. The final exam must account for a minimum of 10% of the final course grade but no more than 25%. All students will take a final exam at the end of the course. Exams will be delivered in a manner that validates learning and is in the best interest of the student. Students who do not successfully pass the final exam should be placed on a schedule of remediation targeting their areas of weakness. They shall be given additional opportunities to pass a final assessment. The type of re-examination that the student is provided may be the same as the original or changed based on the judgment of the teacher and needs of the student. If a student refuses to re-take the final assessment, the teacher's supervisor must be consulted prior to issuing the final grade. Exempting a student from taking some form of final course assessment must be cleared by the teacher’s supervisor. A final grade should be entered into the student's academic record only after they have successfully passed the final exam. MVS instructors should consult with their immediate supervisor, Instructional Leader, and Guidance Counselor before any student is issued a final grade of "F".

Types of Final Exams:

A Teacher-Directed Final Assessment (TDFA) is the exam of choice and should comprise the vast majority of all exams given throughout MVS. TDFAs are teacher-administered and teacher- directed. They may be given at any time upon completion of the course. It is suggested that these exams be placed into the MVS course management system as either online or offline assessments so they are part of the student’s record and grade. Teacher-Directed Final Assessments may be in the form of a traditional final exam delivered online or face-to-face with the MVS teacher. They may also be given orally, or through an end-of-course project/portfolio review.

An Exceptional Final Assessment should only be used under documented circumstances. Marion Virtual School recognizes that there are times when a face-to-face exam may be required due to exceptional circumstances. Such circumstances may include but are not limited to:

Overwhelming evidence that the student is not the original author of submitted course work and there is supportive evidence to substantiate such a claim.
Circumstances wherein parents or guardians request a face-to-face final exam. This request is subject to instructor’s review and subsequent approval or disapproval.
The student not being able to adequately verbally communicate to the instructor the contents of online course work submissions used to validate student comprehension.

Regardless of the type of final exam that is given, it is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that the exam is both a reliable and valid instrument to assess student learning and that the exam, both in design and delivery, is provided in a manner that ensures a high degree of student authenticity of work. Any change in how final exams are designed or delivered must have the approval of the MVS/FLVS Director of Curriculum and Instruction and the Instructional Leader.