How It Works
How Online Middle School Works
Who can attend?
The Volunteer State Virtual Academy (VSVA) middle school program serves students in grades 6–8 who reside in Tennessee.
What are the costs?
Because VSVA is part of the public school system, it’s tuition-free. We provide licensed teachers and instructional materials.* Students and families are responsible for providing some common household materials (such as printer ink and paper). Our enrollment consultants can help address your technology and computer questions and needs.
What’s my role as a parent?
In middle school, students become more independent and take on more responsibility and ownership of their work. Parents continue to serve as their child’s Learning Coaches to support their success. As a Learning Coach, you will
- Help your child stay on track
- Monitor completion of lessons and assessments
- Communicate challenges with your child’s teacher as needed
Working With Your Teacher
Students work with their teachers and other classmates during “Class Connect” sessions. In Class Connect sessions, students:
- Receive live instruction from teachers
- Interact with classmates
- Ask questions and receive real-time support
Students can interact with their teachers and classmates by:
- Typing in the chat
- Speaking over their microphone
- Typing and drawing with online whiteboard features
- Joining small group breakouts to work on projects or receive targeted instruction
Expectations for Completing Schoolwork
The following expectations are in place for middle schoolers to ensure students are progressing academically:
- Students must earn a passing grade of 60% or above on assignments.
- Students must meet the assigned due dates of lessons and assessments.
- Students must attend live, teacher-led “Class Connect” sessions.
- Students must complete online lessons and can work on these any time of day.
Attending Class Connect sessions and completing coursework according to the assigned pacing schedule will help your student be successful.
In addition to regular classroom instruction, teachers offer support or small group sessions to assist student learning.
Time Commitment
Middle school students are expected to spend between 4 to 7 hours on schoolwork per school day. Most of the school day is spent online, with some opportunities for offline work.
Middle School
- 6.5 hours daily
- Mostly online work
Email is the primary form of communication between the school and families. Learning Coaches and students are required to check and respond to emails daily.
State Testing
Families enrolling at VSVA must be willing to participate in all required areas of the program.
A Day in the Life of Online Students
Want to learn more about the daily life of an online middle school student? Meet Connor!
*Course materials vary by course. Please check with school staff to see what offline course materials are provided.