Section 21f
The State of Michigan, under Section 21f of the State School Aid Act, has launched the choice for parents to request that their student(s), in grades 5-12, be enrolled in no more than two (2) online courses in place of a currently scheduled course. Mancelona Public Schools supports online learning, and as a District, we pride ourselves on the use of technology to support learning. We have a solid history of meaningful and deep learning that takes place within classrooms across the district staffed by effective and highly qualified teachers. In Mancelona classrooms, student performance is noteworthy and impressive in terms accomplishments and achievement. Therefore, we encourage parents to consider carefully if a 100% online course is ideal for their child given the fact that in online environments students will be forfeiting the face-to-face teacher classroom instruction and support from which they are experiencing success.
Parents should carefully consider the unique qualities of their child when investigating if an online class is right for him/her. These factors include:
- Can your student create and maintain a study schedule without face-to-face interaction of a teacher?
- Can your student self-advocate to seek help within a virtual setting?
- Does your student possess the independent study habits needed to complete an entire course online without direct supervision?
- Does your student have the reading, writing, math, and computer literacy skills to succeed in a class that is completely online? Additional information is contained with the Parent Guide to Online Learning http://media.mivu.org/institute/pdf/parent_guide_2013.pdf.
- It is important to note that this option is limited to online classes that are listed within the state online course catalog that will be available beginning in Spring 2014 at https://micourses.org. While all of these classes have been reviewed from each sponsoring local district, these courses may not necessarily meet the rigor of courses for Mancelona Public Schools from a credit or graduation requirement perspective and are, therefore, subject to administrative approval. Additionally, availability of courses is not guaranteed. Courses may have a class size limit and, should that limit be exceeded, students will be placed into the course on a lottery basis.
- Additionally, the NCAA may/may not recognize any core content courses offered from Section 21f options.
Should you request that your child participate in the online class experience please note the following:
- The highly qualified teacher providing content for the course will only be available remotely via email or possibly phone and may not be a Mancelona Public School teacher.
- Students will work independently outside of the traditional classroom setting and will not be present with their current teacher or classmates during that subject.
- Students may be expected to take their online class either first hour or last hour at the discretion of the school dependent on staffing and scheduling.
- If approved, both parent and student must agree to the 21f Online Learning Course Contract.
Parents should use the Online Class Enrollment Form below. Deadlines for requesting enrollment in this program for the 2016-17 school year and beyond will be consistent with the established Mancelona Public Schools course selection timelines. For the upcoming school year, requests at the building level must be submitted to the counselor for consideration by June 17 preceding the upcoming year. These deadlines are important as online enrollment impacts staffing and schedule considerations.
Should you have any additional questions about online learning opportunities or would like to further discuss the online option, please contact your child’s counselor or building-level principal.
Sincerely,
Dr. Tina Frollo
Superintendent