FAQ’s for Online Courses

ALL ONLINE COURSE REQUEST FORMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY APRIL 15TH.  LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE APPROVED.  APRIL 15TH IS THE DEADLINE FOR ALL SUMMER, FALL, AND SPRING ONLINE REQUESTS.

1. Why do we allow students to take online courses?  In July 2012, Senate Bill 289 was passed by Georgia Legislators and signed into law by the Governor. The law sets guidelines and expectations for how districts offer online learning options. This legislation does not require an online course to graduate, but provides an online learning option should a student choose it.

2. Can I take an online class in the summer to get ahead? You may take a class online in the summer to get ahead. Students trying to take graduation requirements in the summer PRIOR to the year they should be taking it will have the class removed from their schedule (for example, World History in the summer between 9th and 10th). Once school gets out, students cannot change their mind and have the course put back on the schedule. Students may NOT take out a graduation requirement to take on online course in the summer AFTER the year they are supposed to take it. (for example, World History in the summer between 10th and 11th). There is a full tuition cost for these classes.

3. Can I take an online class after school (as a seventh class)? You may take a seventh class, but you will be charged full tuition cost for a course outside of the regular school day. Keep in mind that your course load is already heavy with six classes so adding a seventh class may end up being a mistake. All final grades will be posted on your transcript.

4. Can I take an online class during the school day? Can I leave school during my online class?   Students may take a class online during the school day. Students scheduled for a virtual course during the school day are not required to pay for the course.  In instances where students want to take a virtual course during the school day and the course is scheduled for the first or last period of the school day, students may request to take the course at home. Students who take online classes during the day periods 2-5 must remain on campus and report to the virtual learning lab.

5. Can I take an online class for subjects that I did not qualify to get into at NHS (did not meet prerequisite, not the correct grade level, didn’t turn in paperwork, etc)? Yes you may, however, just like taking the course at NHS if you didn’t meet the grade requirements, most students will find the material extremely challenging if they are not prepared. Many students have reported that taking a course online is more difficult than taking it face to face so you may do this at your own risk.

6. What will happen to my NHS Schedule if I take an online course during the school year? It depends on when you take the course. If the course is taken as one of your six classes, it will be placed on your schedule and there will be no charge for the course.  You will report to the virtual lab during the period that the class is scheduled.  Just as a regular class on your schedule, you cannot drop the course if it becomes difficult as it is one of your six permanent classes and will earn a grade on your transcript. If you choose to take a class in addition to the six you are taking at NHS, this class will also be placed on your schedule but as an after school course. You will be responsible for paying the tuition of the course and you have the right to drop the course up until the drop date of the virtual program. Final grades will be posted on your transcript.

7. What will happen to my NHS Schedule if I take an online course in the summer? You may take courses in the summer and must pay the tuition for the courses on your own. If you are taking a course required for graduation in the summer prior to the year you are supposed to take it, we will remove it from your Fall/Spring Schedule.

8. If I take and pass a course online, am I guaranteed a seat in the next course sequentially at NHS? If you are taking a course to be able to get into the next course in sequence or an AP class, we cannot guarantee a spot will be available to get into the course on your NHS schedule in the fall/spring. In this case, you may need to continue the next course online.

9. What if I am struggling in an online class? Can I drop the class? Can I get extra help from NHS teachers? If you are struggling your only source of help is the online teacher or a private tutor. NHS teachers are not available to help with an online class. If you are taking the course as one of your six classes, you cannot drop the class. If you are taking it after school or in the summer, you may drop within the deadline window for GAVS or FVS, but you will not be refunded your money.

10. How does electing to take online classes affect what classes are offered at NHS? The NHS master schedule is created based on the number of requests for each course from NHS students. If, for example, we have 100 rising seniors take Economics online in the summer, we will not have three sections of Economics in school. The more classes taken online, the less we will be offering these sections at NHS.

11. How well do students do at NHS after taking online courses? In many cases, students can receive grades higher then they receive taking a course here at NHS. There are no honors level courses, besides AP, and most courses are condensed into a much shortened time period. An entire course can be taken in 5 or 6 weeks in the summer. Though you may earn a high grade, the jury is still out as to how much you actually learn and retain in such a short time period. Many times a student will do well in a class online only to score poorly in the next class sequentially at NHS.

12. How well do NHS students score on AP exams if they take the AP course online? Over the past 13 years of statistics gathered on AP scores for NHS students, we have had an average of 89% of all students who took their AP classes here with a corresponding exam score a 3 or better on the exam. After compiling data from the 17-18 school year, a full 46% of students who took AP classes online scored a 1 or a 2 on their corresponding AP exam.

13. How do colleges view online classes as opposed to taking a course at NHS? Colleges actively seek out NHS students for the rigor and advanced level of our academics. The more that students take classes online, the less reliable the information on an NHS transcript becomes. Colleges are on high alert for students who are trying to “game” the system, circumvent school policies, or take the easy way out.

14. What is the deadline to apply for an online class? Deadlines for fall and spring vary as the virtual programs usually have 18 week, 16 week, 14 week and 12 week start dates. End dates are the same. Summer usually has a 6 week and a 5 week start date. Please remember that you cannot register or become approved for a course until you meet with a counselor to get a verbal approval and then turn in an off campus course request form (along with other potential forms) to get physical approval.  APRIL 15TH IS THE DEADLINE FOR ALL ONLINE COURSES TO BE REQUESTED, regardless of the online provider deadline.

15. What type of student does well academically in an online class? Students considering a virtual school environment need some basic characteristics to be successful. Students should be able to work and problem solve independently. The most successful online students are computer literate, self-disciplined, and motivated. Students need to be responsible, self-directed and self-motivated learners because they must learn independently while setting their own schedule to meet course requirements.

16. How much time does a typical online class take? The time it takes to complete a Georgia Virtual course will vary depending on the course schedule your child selects. For an 18 week semester, a half unit class generally requires 1.5 to 2 hours of work per day. Assignments are due every other Friday throughout fall and spring semesters. During summer session, the same half unit class would require about 20 hours per week of work with assignments due every weekday.