FREE VIRTUAL EDUCATION IS AVAILABLE IN MISSOURI TODAY

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WOULD YOUR CHILD BENEFIT FROM VIRTUAL EDUCATION?

Virtual education offers families the chance to get their education from the comfort of their home or even through their phone anywhere in the world.

Thanks to a 2018 law, Missouri families have growing access to virtual education through both the MOCAP program and the Missouri Online Summer Institute.

MOCAP provides students access to single virtual courses or full-time virtual programs through their home school district or charter school at no cost to the family.

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LEARN HOW TO ENROLL YOUR CHILD AND HELP IMPROVE ACCESS TO VIRTUAL EDUCATION

For students with the right amount of dedication, self-discipline, and family support, the new concept of a virtual school offers a wide variety of benefits:

Self-paced learning - Virtual schools allow students to learn at their own pace, advancing through subject matter as quickly or as slowly as their competency over the subject matter allows.
Eliminates barriers - Virtual education can provide students in rural or urban areas access to more unique and higher-level courses than those offered through their home districts.
Instant feedback - Digital learning provides parents and teachers immediate, real-time data on how well a student is understanding the subject matter, allowing for quick interventions when a student is struggling.
Real-world experience - Learning through a digital platform prepares students for online classes in college and the increasingly Internet-based business world.

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Is virtual education free for all students in Missouri

Any student who is a resident in the state of Missouri qualifies for free virtual education.
What is MOCAP

MOCAP stands for the Missouri Course Access and Virtual School Program. It allows all Missouri students to attend part-time or full-time virtual school paid for using your child's state education funding. You can learn more on the official MOCAP website.
What is a virtual vendor or provider?

Vendors/providers are organizations that provide virtual education programs and courses. There are currently 18 vendors in Missouri. Of those 18 vendors, eight have partnered with Missouri school districts or institutions of higher learning to provide full-time virtual education programs at no cost to families. The other 10 programs are more focused on providing individual virtual courses, although it is possible to create a full-time virtual program using some of them in conjunction with your local school district.
How do I choose a program?

There are many different types of programs serving a range of different grades. Some providers offer live online instruction and some offer self-paced courses and others a combination of the two. There are other factors such as whether or not they provide technology and other learning materials, clubs, dual credit, and AP classes. See here for more information on the variety of options available.
What paperwork is required to enroll in a virtual education program or course?

Guardian ID, report card, transcripts, child’s birth certificate (some providers allow other proof of DOB). Other forms may include: District Approval Form, Enrollment Verification Form, Family Income Form (some vendors supply materials and technology to families who qualify for free and reduced lunch)
What is "private" vs "public" pay?

“Private” pay means you are responsible for payment to the virtual provider. There are a wider range of courses available to private pay families and they are available to non-public school students. “Public” pay are the courses paid for by your local school district or the state and are approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as official MOCAP programs or courses. Make sure when you are researching providers that you are viewing the public pay courses. You can download a list of all official MOCAP courses and programs here.
Does a student have to maintain residence in Missouri while enrolled in a full-time in MOCAP?

Yes. The host district is responsible for ensuring the student maintains Missouri residency
Does a student have to request full-time MOCAP enrollment through the district of residence?

No. A student who wants to enroll full-time in a MOCAP program should notify their district of residence of their intent to enroll in a full-time virtual program but is not required to seek the approval of the resident district. The student must be first enrolled in their district of residence in order to be eligible for MOCAP enrollment.
Does a full-time virtual student who was accepted by a full-time virtual provider need to go through a disenrollment process from their resident district?

Yes. Once a student has been accepted by a full-time virtual provider, the resident district or charter school must disenroll the student from its district, and the student will then be enrolled by the host district.
If a student with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) seeks to enroll as a full-time MOCAP student, what happens next?

The student’s IEP team must meet to decide enrollment. If the team decides that enrollment is appropriate, the student’s MOCAP request may be approved. Next, the MOCAP provider (host district) will review the enrollment request and approve or deny it. Then, if the MOCAP provider approves the request, the host district will request a copy of the most recent evaluation report and current IEP from the resident district in accordance with the IDEA in-state transfer process. The full-time MOCAP virtual-provider shall serve as the student’s building under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B. The host district will claim any such students for attendance purposes; as a result, the host district will be responsible for providing IDEA Part B services to the students. The student’s IEP governs their ESP; if their ESP includes services that cannot be provided through virtual methods, the provider should pay the district for the services
Will a student who is participating in a full-time MOCAP program receive a diploma from the host district or from the resident district?

The diploma will be awarded by the host district.
MOCAP

MOCAP stands for the Missouri Course Access and Virtual School Program.
Vendor

Organizations that provide virtual education. There are currently 10 vendors in Missouri
DESE

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, our Missouri department of education.
Host District

The public school district, charter school, or higher education institution that enrolls the student in the online provider’s program.
District of Residence

The public school district or charter school the student would attend if receiving classes in-person and that would receive state aid for the student.
Live instruction

Students log in at specific times for classes where they get face-to-face instruction from their teacher. Some live instruction includes student participation and interaction
Self-paced learning

Students can create their own schedule and go at their own pace. This can include pre-recorded instruction from teachers. With all vendors there are still teachers that can be reached and that oversee the learning
Blended learning

A combination of live and self-paced instruction
ILP

Individualized Learning Plan - “Students taking more than two MOCAP courses must have an individualized learning plan maintained in the LEA’s student records.”
LEA

Local Education Agency - your local public school district

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NEED HELP?

Let us know if you have any issues and we will be happy to reach out and see how we can help!