FAQs

It’s safe to say that education has changed more than a little since the day of the one room school house. With personal computers and Internet accessibility, WVL students are able to learn in a very different kind of classroom – their own homes. WVL virtual education offers every student:

• personalized learning to meet the needs of every child
• the use of the most modern materials, technology, and teaching methods
• a supportive learning environment with lots of interaction with teachers and other students, both online and off.

Online learning is a wonderful alternative to a traditional brick and mortar education. WVL combines 21st century technology, personalized instruction and interactive curriculum with highly qualified teachers. We are dedicated to the success of each of our students. Every student receives one-on-one support, personalized learning, extensive course options, socialization, a laptop, and partial internet reimbursement after being with us a full year.

Students of Wisconsin Virtual Learning can do school anytime, anywhere. This flexibility is definitely an advantage to our school. Time that may be wasted in transitioning during the day at a Brick and Mortar school, is spent on learning. Students often can finish a day’s worth of coursework with time to spare; this allows them to pursue other interests such as sports, music, or the arts. High school students can even explore occupations and try out jobs during hours that most high school students aren’t available. Additionally, the flexibility that WVL offers is extremely important for some of our students with medical conditions and special needs. These students can build in time for appointments or necessary breaks so that learning will not be lost due to these conditions.

Additionally, in our very competitive, high-tech world, students of Wisconsin Virtual Learning have a step up on other students that miss out on taking online courses. The popularity of online learning in the college environment continues to grow and our students already have the skills needed to manage their time and do well in an online environment.

Wisconsin Virtual Leaning offers three different pathway opportunities. The first, the virtual pathway, offers students live classes that meet at a specific date and time each week. Out of the three pathways, this allows for the most teacher support. Students attend class to learn and interact with their classmates. The second is the independent pathway. If it is determined that this pathway is the best fit for the child, the student works through the curriculum at their own pace with teacher support during office hours or study hall. This is a great option for highly motivated students that may want to move through the curriculum at a faster pace than their classmates. Lastly, the blended pathway, allows students to combine both the virtual and independent pathway. For example, a student may need more support in math and language arts so he or she could take those two classes virtually. That same student could then take science and social studies independently so he or she could move through those courses at a faster pace. 

Our student learning advocate (SLA) position also makes our school unique. Each family is assigned their own student learning advocate and that person becomes the family’s primary contact at our school. The SLA will help with everything a family needs from organizing their day to looking up forgotten passwords and helping them track the progress of their child. New families have told us that their SLA was their lifeline during the first year as they learned the ins and outs of virtual education. 

A wide array of students find success in our school because of our different pathways, courses, curriculum, and of course, excellent teachers. Many students find school more motivating when they are allowed to take control of their learning by adjusting their pace to allow for more time to cover difficult topics or less time to cover content that can be mastered easily. It gives both the student and the family more freedom and we see both prosper from this type of education. Since school is done more efficiently, students aren’t going to school for upwards of eight hours and then coming home with 1-3 more hours of homework to complete. Families that would really like more quality time with their children, and are not satisfied with their child’s current education, should definitely check out Wisconsin Virtual Learning!

“What about socialization?” is one of the most popular questions we receive from parents regarding online learning. WVL offers a huge variety of opportunities for our students to socialize and get to know each other, both in person and online. It is refreshing to hear students discuss and connect with each other based on their thoughts and ideas, not based on their age, how they dress, or who their other friends are. This type of online socialization is fostered during live classes, special events, online clubs, and supervised chat groups. Similar opportunities are offered to the parents as well. Additionally, WVL offers outings and have many active parents across the state that organize face-to-face events in their area. Our families do an excellent job of making sure their children still get the personal skills they need by taking part in these and other opportunities through their local park and recreation department, church, YMCA, or social groups.

Depending on the age and learning program developed for each student, there is a team of educators and teachers who will support each student: 

• Student Learning Advocate: one per family with WVL students. 
• The SLA is the primary family contact that ensures that students are progressing academically and also participating in school activities. 
• Teacher Facilitator: the teacher for each independent class 
• Virtual Classroom Instructors: state-certified teachers who hold regularly scheduled online classes 
• School Counselor: traditional support role 
• Special Education Staff: traditional support role 
• Parent/ Guardian/ Learning Coach: parent involvement is one of the factors that has a great impact on the student success rate. 

WVL uses a variety of online curriculum providers in order to tailor the educational program to the personalized learning needs of each and every student. In addition, our learning management system gives teachers the ability to customize lessons and assessments, similar to what teachers do in traditional classrooms.

No, from our K4 program on up to high school, there are variety of offline learning activities. As our students progress through the grade levels they spend progressively less time away from their computers.

Yes, depending on the grade-level and curriculum used by the student, books and other offline materials are an integral part of WVL programs. As a rule, there are more materials for students in the elementary grade levels and less for the high school courses.

WVL students have a safety net under them we call the Pyramid of Interventions. Students who do fall behind on their studies will be supported by a large team of WVL educators who will provide the support necessary to get the student back on track. WVL teachers see student success as the only option.