Middle School Online Academy Handbook

If you have questions or concerns, please contact:

Full-Time Online:

100% Online Learner, not enrolled in any face-to-face instruction Manheim Central classes. This option offers full-time online learning. Learners complete their coursework from home. There is no cost to the parent or learner. Fully online learners are required to check in virtually on a video conference with a designated staff member.

Part-Time Online:

Based on a learner’s needs and the District and family, middle school learners may have the option for a part-time learning schedule. This option offers a blended option of online and face-to-face instruction. Learners will complete their online work from home. Parents/Guardians are responsible for transporting their child to and from school if the time they are in face-to-face instruction does not coincide with normal district transportation.

Enrollment:

In order to ensure that learners have the best online learning experience possible, it is strongly recommended that learners follow the enrollment process below. Enrollment into MCOA outside of the suggested enrollment period will be reviewed by Administration, MCOA staff, and Student Services to determine steps for a seamless enrollment and transition into MCOA.

Please note: All online learners MUST attend an in-person mandatory orientation and training with the Coordinator for Online Learning.

Enrollment Period:

• Elementary learners may enroll during the summer for the upcoming school year.
• If you wish to have your child return to school face-to-face, a meeting will be held with the school administrator and the Elementary Coordinator for Online Learning to discuss a transition plan.
• Enrollment will occur three days after a transition meeting takes place.

Inactivity Period:

If a learner fails to complete work or log in to their required learning platform for 7 consecutive school days, the administrative team has the right to require a learner return to face-to-face instruction.

A conference will be scheduled with the learner, their parents/guardians, and with an administrator and/or counselor to determine a face-to-face schedule.

Non-Resident Learners, Learner Withdraw/Transfer

Refer to MCSD Board Policy #202 & #208 available via the District’s Policy Manual on the District’s website.

A learner who moves out of the Manheim Central School District has two options for continuing their education.

• Option 1: Parents will need to withdraw the learner from the Manheim Central Online Academy/Manheim Central School District and enroll in the new local school district.
• Option 2: Parents may elect to pay tuition to continue their child’s education at MCSD. Parents must contact both the current school and the future school to make arrangements for the learner to continue with online courses.

To withdraw from Manheim Central Online Academy, a learner must be enrolled in another educational entity. Upon notification of the withdrawal, the district will contact the parent to ensure all appropriate equipment is returned to the school district.

Refer to MCSD Board Policy #204 available via the District’s Policy Manual on the District’s website.

Online attendance is reported for the previous week on the first day of each new school week. Attendance is based on the number of days our face-to-face learners are required to be in class and follows the school/district calendar.

• Example:
  • During a 5-day school week, online learners must log in to their online courses 5 days a week.
  • During a 3-day school week, online learners must log in to their online courses 3 days a week.
• Weekly attendance runs from 12:01 AM Sunday to 11:59 PM Saturday.  You have 7 calendar days to log the number of days school is in session for attendance purposes. 
  • If you fail to log into all classes on a school day, then you will receive an "illegal absence" for that day.
  • Even if you have completed all of your work for the week, you must still log in for the required number of days to ensure accurate attendance records.
  • What does it mean to “log in?”
    • Log into Genius, click on the course, click on a course, click on a course card, and click into an activity for at least 5 minutes.
• Parents shall submit parent excuse notes, doctor excuse notes, and educational travel forms following the district policy as noted on the district website and coordinating school handbook. Excuse notes can be submitted to your child’s coordinating school attendance office:
  • Middle School: MSAttendance@manheimcentral.org
• Learners are required to participate in all school and state-mandated assessments and learning targets. This includes Keystone Exams, PSSA’s, Benchmark Testing, College and Career Readiness Targets, and any additional requirements set forth by the district. Learners/parents will communicate with their School Counselor/Building Administration for further information.

Where do I go to access my classes?

1. Most of our MCOA courses are in our district's LMS, Schoology. Once your schedule is changed in PowerSchool, your courses should appear within 2-24 hours. If you DON’T see your courses, reach out to your school counselor immediately. Third-party courses may take as long as 5 days to complete enrollment through Genius.
2. For third-party courses, we use Genius courseware.
3. Using Chrome as your Internet browser, go to our MCOA Genius Page.

Learners pursuing an online education have expectations and policies to gain the best online learning experience possible. Please be mindful of the following expectations:

1. Parents/guardians and learners MUST attend a mandatory orientation upon enrollment and at the start of each school year. At this meeting, the Coordinator for Online Learning and the School Counselor will review requirements and discuss specifics of the learner’s academic programming. 
2. Follow attendance procedures and expectations.
3. Utilize the online learning facilitators for tutoring and assistance when needed. If you have a problem or question that your online learning facilitator cannot answer, reach out to the Coordinator for Online Learning or School Counselor immediately.
4. Be responsible for having a clear understanding of pacing/number of lessons completed.
5. Log in and complete any diagnostic test.
6. Log in and complete the daily lessons based on the learner’s individual pacing schedule.
7. Maintain contact via email, phone calls, etc. with your learning facilitator.
8. Sign and return all paperwork.
9. Plan to attend state-mandated testing in person. Please contact the Coordinator for Online Learning and/or School Counselor to arrange. (PSSA and Algebra I Keystone)
10. Use appropriate language, common sense, and proper grammar and spelling when sending electronic communication.
11. Follow the school's email and Acceptable Use Policy. No use of any other learner’s login or password is permitted.

Parents of online learners have a unique opportunity and responsibility to participate in the education of their children. Parents are expected to:

1. Obtain the information needed to log in to monitor learners’ progress.
2. Log in on a weekly basis to monitor learners’ progress and grades.
3. Directly supervise the child’s education at home to ensure pacing and progress.
4. Maintain regular contact with the school by telephone and email.
5. Review the Handbook each year and become familiar with any procedure changes, etc. Sign and return all paperwork.
6. Provide a physical environment conducive to a child's educational needs.
7. Work with their online facilitator, school counselor, and/or Coordinator of Online Learning to ensure successful completion of the curriculum within the allowable time frame.
8. Attend mandatory orientation to meet with their school counselor and Coordinator of Online Learning to sign paperwork.
9. Attend any information sessions offered by the district.
10. Assist their child in complying with all rules, policies, and procedures of the school.
11. Assist their child in submitting all forms, applications, & documents to the school in a timely manner.
12. Instruct their child on the correct procedure for logging in to record daily attendance.
13. Monitor learners’ computer use to ensure that computer equipment and software are used for educational purposes and in accordance with school policy.
14. Assure that all work submitted by their child was completed solely by that learner.
15. Notify the school immediately of any change in the learner’s contact information or academic status.
16. Provide their child with transportation (as needed) to participate in standardized testing or other school activities.
17. Return all instructional materials and equipment to the school as requested.

Refer to MCSD Board Policy #212 and 213 available via the District’s Policy Manual on the District’s website.

1. Each online course's content and assignments are aligned with Pennsylvania’s content standards and/or other nationally accepted content standards. They are written by highly qualified teachers and have been through a rigorous multi-step review process.
2. Each lesson of each online course may contain multiple methods for learners to learn the material. Online courses may have an online textbook that was written specifically to accomplish the lesson objectives. Furthermore, lessons have an assessment to gauge the learner’s understanding of the lesson objectives. Note: Third-party courses may not have all of these features.
3. Learners enrolling as online learners will work with their School Counselor and parent to determine proper placement in courses. The school will place the learner at the appropriate level, taking into consideration previous grades, courses taken, earned credit,  academic performance, assessment tests, and other factors as needed.
4. Each learner will have an online facilitator who will monitor the learner’s progress and provide tutoring opportunities to help the learner master the lesson objectives.
5. Learners and parents have continual access to learner grades online and the online transcript. Grades will be synced into PowerSchool by 3:10 PM each Wednesday.

The number of lessons that a learner must complete per day will depend on many factors. Middle School Online Learners should follow the daily pacing schedule as determined by each course and learning facilitator.  Each course is expected to have clearly communicated due dates. Learners who do not meet due dates will have a “zero” placed in the gradebook. NOTE: Courses may vary in length, and therefore a learner may need to adjust their pacing.

Academic Monitoring:

To ensure that learners continue to move forward in their academic progress, the district has established the following procedures for learners who fall behind in pacing/lesson completion.

• Grades will be maintained in PowerSchool. Learning facilitators will sync grades on a weekly basis in PowerSchool by 3:10 PM each Wednesday.
• Online Facilitators are expected to communicate with learners and families consistently. Learners and their families are expected to check their school-affiliated email and Schoology messaging accounts. If necessary, parent conferences will be scheduled with the building principal and/or K-12 Online Administrator.
• Learners and their families are expected to communicate concerns/questions with the online facilitator in a timely manner. The MCMS Learner Handbook applies in terms of making up missed coursework and assessments.
• Learner Progress will be monitored at the midpoint and end of each marking period. The purpose of the review dates will be to monitor learner progress and determine next steps.
• Third-Party Course Progress Monitoring: Most third-party courses have one part per marking period. It is essential that learners follow the pacing guide and complete parts by due dates communicated by the course facilitator.
• As needed, a parent conference will be scheduled for learners who continue to fail in the online learning setting. The purpose of this meeting will be to review learner progress and determine next steps.

NOTE: These steps may vary by learner based on individual need.

Learners are assessed on a multitude of criteria, such as assessments, quizzes, essays, tests, and forum discussions. Learners and parents have immediate and continuous access to grades by logging into the system. Grades for assessments and tests will be posted within Genius each Wednesday by 3:05 PM. When the learning facilitator provides feedback, learners should follow their feedback and resubmit assignments when necessary.

Learners struggling academically need to do the following with their parent:

1. Contact their learning facilitator for help/guidance.
2. Reach out to the Coordinator(s) for Online
3. Contact the Administrator of Online Learning.

If all of the above options have been completed and the learner continues to have academic needs, we may need to reassess the value of continuing with the Manheim Central Online Academy with the learner and parents.

Refer to MCSD Board Policy #113 available via the District’s Policy Manual on the District’s website.

The Manheim Central Online Academy is required under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) to ensure educational services to learners with disabilities. Learners with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or 504 plans will be accommodated within the courseware. The Manheim Central Online Academy will work with the parent and learner to ensure proper procedures are followed and achieve the desired outcomes. Communication between the learner’s School Counselor and online learning facilitators will ensure the learner receives the proper modifications outlined in the IEP or 504 plans. If a learner requiring special education services enrolls in Manheim Central Online Academy, a team meeting should be held to determine potential revisions to accommodations.

Technical Support

1. Online learners will report all issues that they are having with the computer or courseware to the Technology Specialist in their building. Reported issues must include the learner’s name, school district, courses that are affected, and any other details that will assist the technicians in resolving the problem.
   1. Email the Manheim Central Tech Team at helpdesk@manheimcentral.org or call the tech help desk at 717-664-1865. 
2. Technical Support will be provided to online learners, but is limited in scope to the computer system and software provided under the full-time online program. Technical Support cannot and will not be provided on local area networks in the home, computers not given to the learner by the online program, or to any learners/families not enrolled in the online program.
3. The online program will provide a learner with a laptop, virus protection software, Internet filtering software, and the appropriate software needed to support the learner’s curriculum. This equipment remains the property of Manheim Central School District and must be returned upon termination of the learner’s online learning.
4. All use of the Internet and computer technology must be related to or in support of the educational goals of the learner. Use of the Internet and computer technology for any illegal or non-educational activity, including but not limited to profit purposes, lobbying, gambling, advertising, transmitting offensive materials, hate mail, discriminatory remarks, or obtaining or housing obscene or pornographic material, is strictly forbidden.
5. Use of the online program technology or the Internet for fraudulent or illegal copying, communication,  taking, or modification of material in violation of all applicable laws is prohibited. Such action or the unlawful use of copyrighted software is not permitted and will be referred to law enforcement.
6. Learners, parents, or any third parties not participating in the full-time and part-time online program are strictly forbidden from installing any software or additional hardware on the provided computers,  nor shall anyone remove installed software or hardware from that computer.
7. The school reserves the right to deny a learner’s access to equipment and/or internet reimbursement to prevent further unauthorized activity. Learners denied such access must return any issued equipment.
8. If Internet access is a concern, please communicate with a counselor who can assist in resources for obtaining internet access. 

Computer Set-Up

1. Technical support staff will be available to assist the learner/parent with activation of the computer system. 
2. The learner/parent should report any malfunction of computer hardware as soon as possible. Staff will discuss the specifics with the learner/parent to determine whether the problem is hardware-specific or software-related and will choose a plan of action.
3. DSL or Cable Internet connection is the recommended Internet connection speed, while a 56Kbps  modem connection is the minimum recommended. Slower dial-up connections, while feasible, are not recommended.

Lost/Damaged Property

1. The learner/parent must notify the school within three days of the occurrence or discovery of any theft, damage, destruction, or other loss of any school-owned computer equipment. The learner/parent may be responsible for any costs associated with repairing or replacing lost, stolen, or damaged equipment while in the learner’s possession.
2. Families/learners are generally financially responsible for their equipment. In most circumstances, where there has been loss or damage, parents will file a claim with their homeowner’s insurance carrier. The school will assist with this process by submitting all information related to the cost and value of the equipment. The family/learner must immediately forward copies of the police report, fire report,  insurance claim, and any other applicable reports to the learner’s School Counselor or the Coordinator for Online Learning, who will then forward the information to the appropriate personnel.
3. If the equipment is damaged by the learner, all payments made by the family will be used to replace the damaged equipment. All equipment that is damaged or replaced is the property of  MCSD and will not be issued to the family.
4. Replacement Equipment: MCSD will arrange for replacement equipment only after:
   1. Copies of all applicable reports and claims have been received.
   2. Appropriate arrangements have been made by the family/learner to compensate the school for the loss.
   3. The family/learner signs a revised agreement that reflects the issuance of new equipment.
      1. The damaged equipment is returned, if applicable.

Refer to MCSD Board Policy #216 available via the District’s Policy Manual on the District’s website.

A cumulative file will be maintained for the learner while enrolled in the Manheim Central Online Academy. This record shall contain only verified information of educational importance and may be used only for the benefit, promotion, or welfare of the learner. All material in each learner’s file shall be confidential and access thereto strictly limited to personnel at the local school, LLVS, and parents.

Full-time online learners are encouraged to participate in school-sponsored activities. Learners must comply with all Manheim Central policies and not be on disciplinary action. Learners wishing to attend field trips or social activities must first notify their building principal and make proper arrangements with the Manheim Central School District. Once arrangements and permission are granted, learners/parents will then notify their online learning facilitator of their excused absence. Learners are responsible for completing missed work during the field trip or social activity.

Full-time online learners should remember that they are members of the Manheim Central School District and therefore should dress appropriately. Manheim Central dress code policy will be enforced, and any learner found in violation of the dress code policy will not be allowed to participate in the field trip or social activity. Learners should also be aware that when they attend a Manheim Central-related function, they are representing their local school and community. They should conduct themselves in an appropriate manner at all times, as their conduct is a direct reflection on themselves, their families, and their school.