Q What will the Michigan Virtual School do for my school?
A Expand your curriculum; save money and resources; improve technology skills of staff and students; and show the community your commitment to providing up-to-date learning options. You can also have greater flexibility and more solutions to accommodate individual students’ scheduling and learning needs. 

Q Is my school competing with MVS?
A No. MVS works in partnership with schools. We provide online learning options that supplement, not replace, what is currently being offered at the school. And MVS does not directly grant credit or diplomas to students, since credit is granted by your school.

Q Will MVS courses meet our curriculum standards?
A Yes. We develop courses in partnership with Michigan teachers that meet the Michigan Curriculum Framework and national standards. We also license courses and content that we know meet state standards. 

Q Is there a fee, and if so, who pays?
A Yes, most MVS products and services have a fee and, generally, schools pay (although some costs may be passed along to parents). Visit Additional Course Information for pricing. 

Q How do we start?
A Follow these steps:

1. Contact MVS at mvhs@mivu.org to initiate your account or self-register your school with the school registration form. You'll receive a confirmation call and get your password and login.
2. Create additional administrator, counselor and mentor accounts, if needed — online. As the account initiator or main contact, you will automatically be assigned all of the enrollment system roles.  
3. Register students and enroll them in MVS courses, including assigning mentors (during enrollment periods) — online.  If you've "pre-purchased" seats, enrollments will first be subtracted from those seats.  Otherwise, you'll specify payment arrangements at the time of each enrollment. 

Q Do I have to register my school, mentors, counselors and students each semester?
A You only need to set up accounts once for your school, mentors, counselors or students; you may update the profiles as needed. This can occur at any time, not just the beginning of a new semester. 

Q What are mentors?
A According to Michigan Department of Education (PDF) guidelines, a student taking a virtual course must have an onsite mentor who is “available to the pupil for assistance and to monitor the pupil’s progress in the virtual course. The onsite mentor must be a certificated teacher employed by the school district. The onsite mentor would be responsible for reviewing any final exam or project that would indicate the pupil’s success in the course. The course and the onsite mentor will appear on the pupil’s class schedule.” 

Q What is the age limit for MVS students?
A Students taking courses through MVS must be no older than 20.

Q What if I need to withdraw a student from a course?
A Schools may withdraw a student from an MVS course at any time, consistent with your own withdrawal policy. Enrollers do this easily in the MVS online enrollment system. If the drop is received within 10 business days of the student or course start date, the school will be credited one course seat if the enrollment used a prepaid seat, or refunded the price of the course minus a $25 administrative fee if the enrollment was paid for individually. Enrollments that are withdrawn more than 10 business days from the student or course start date will be considered to have “used” one course seat and are not eligible for refund or credit.

MVS recognizes that some withdrawals are unavoidable, but many are due to communication or technical issues we can help resolve — if we know about them. Before resorting to withdrawal, contact the MVS Help Desk at mivuhelp@mivu.org or 888.889.2840, to see if the problem can be resolved. 

Q Must a student have access to a computer outside of the school to take an MVS course?
A No, but it is recommended. Even if the student has a period during the school day and a place at school where they access their online course, students will most likely need to log on outside of school hours. Students who are the most successful in MVS courses have both dedicated time during the school day and access after school hours to complete their course. 

Q What kind of help is available if the student is having trouble in any MVS course?
A If the trouble is technical and related to the computer set-up at the school, your school’s designated technical support person is the place to start. If the trouble is technical and related to the course, the student or his/her mentor should contact the MVS Help Desk at 888.889.2840, or by email at mivuhelp@mivu.org. If the student is having trouble with course content, they should contact their online instructor. If the student is struggling with the course in general (not related to content), they should contact their mentor. 

Q What are the technical requirements for MVS offerings?
A A fast, reliable Internet connection is one of the basic requirements for taking Michigan Virtual School courses.

Q Who teaches MVS courses?
A Licensed teachers who are certified in the course’s content area and who have received additional training in online instruction teach MVS courses.

Q What happens when a student “attends class” in a virtual course?
A First, the student receives an ID and password  from the on-site mentor. Students then go to the Student Login page and click on the appropriate link to reach their login area. Students interact with their online teacher on a regular basis. Course content is delivered through text, video, graphics and other Internet resources, combined with activities, projects and lessons the student may do off-line. Some courses may include group projects as well as independent work and performances. Teachers and students may interact via email, message boards, chat rooms, instant messaging, fax, telephone and/or regular mail. Tests are only one variety of learning assessments that are built into courses to ensure that students master course content. 

Q How much time should a student expect to spend in an online class?
A About seven to 10 hours a week, much the same as on a regular course, with about one hour of class and one-half to one hour of homework each night. Much of the coursework will be done off-line. 

Q How does MVS know the student who submits work is the one who did it?
A Just as in regular classes, teachers are usually able to recognize the quality of work a student typically produces, and schools can request that final exams be proctored. Students have a disincentive to cheat in that they will ultimately be accountable for what they have learned by the time they take the final course exam. Moreover, students are informed when they enroll about our policies on student conduct and academic honesty.

Q How is a final grade determined?
A Students complete all course work within the allotted timeframe and receive their final point score from their online instructor. The mentor translates the point score into a course grade, according to your school policy. 

Q What about credit?
A Your school awards credit for MVS courses (MVS does not directly grant credit) and it should appear on a student’s transcript. How much credit to grant is a local school decision, but generally, MVS courses are designed to be worth one-half credit per semester.

Q How do MVS AP courses compare to in-seat courses?
A MVS AP courses are challenging and designed to be very similar in difficulty to in-seat AP courses. These are essentially college-level courses and will require most students to spend about 10 hours a week on the coursework, much of which will be done off-line. 

Q What type of student does best in MVS AP courses?
A Students have greater freedom and schedule flexibility in an AP online course than in a traditional classroom, so they must be ready to assume more responsibility for their own progress and exhibit a high level of discipline and drive. They also must have superior writing skills since writing assignments focus on developing the ability to critically analyze and discuss issues in coherent and well-written paragraphs.

Q Do MVS AP teachers have office hours?
A Teachers will answer email and return telephone calls daily, and at their own discretion may establish regular times to be online. 

Q Do MVS AP courses have prerequisites?
A Many do. The specific course prerequisites are included in the individual course descriptions. 

Q Do MVS AP courses use textbooks?
A Yes. For some courses, a text is required; for others, it’s recommended. Some courses require or recommended other materials, as well. Texts and materials will be detailed in the Course Catalog.

Q Does an MVS AP course purchase include payment for students to take the corresponding AP Exam?
A No, because MVS does not administer the AP Exam. For students to take AP Exams, your school makes arrangements with The College Board and the Educational Testing Service.

Q Is the AP Exam Review only available to or right for students who have taken/are taking MVS AP courses online?
A No. Of course, students who have already taken or are currently taking an AP course, either online or in-seat, will probably get the most from AP Exam Review. 

Q What kind of help is available to us if the student is having trouble with AP Exam Review?
A If the trouble is technical and related to the computer set-up at the school, your designated technical support person is the place to start.  If not, you or the student can start with the MVS Help Desk at mivuhelp@mivu.org or 888.889.2840. 

Q How many days does a student have to complete a Flex course? 
A Students have up to 90 days from the course’s start date  to complete all coursework. If the student enrolls after the start date, he or she will have less than 90 days to complete the course. Students can complete the course in less than 90 days, depending on how fast they do the work.

Q What if a student needs more time?
A Under certain circumstances, an extension may be granted at the discretion of the online instructor in consultation with MVS.

Q How can a student learn a world language over the Internet?
A MVS World Languages courses require the student’s computer to be equipped with both a microphone and speakers or headphones. In addition to text and visual instruction, the student will hear the language spoken through their speakers (headphones) and will submit spoken word assignments through their microphone (via an audio file) to their instructor. 

Q What materials/resources are required?
A All students should have access to headphones, and some World Languages courses require microphones. See individual course descriptions in the Course Catalog for specific information. 

Q How much time should students expect to spend taking an MVS World Languages course?
A Students are expected to log in daily and complete assignments by the dates outlined in the course syllabus. This typically requires at least one to two hours of work per day per class taken online. 

Q What materials are required for MVS  semester-length courses?
A Most MVS semester-length courses require a textbook, and sometimes additional multimedia materials. All specifics are provided to the enrolling institution prior to enrollment. 

Q How do MVS  semester-length courses compare with face-to-face courses?
A Students who have already taken online courses have told us that the online courses were as rigorous as their face-to-face school courses. We are confident that the material covered online is as complete and challenging as any school's current curriculum. Remember, all courses at the Michigan Virtual School are designed with state and national standards and benchmarks. 

Q What will the Michigan Virtual School do for my school?
A Expand your curriculum; save money and resources; improve technology skills of staff and students; and show the community your commitment to providing up-to-date learning options. You can also have greater flexibility and more solutions to accommodate individual students’ scheduling and learning needs. 

Q Is my school competing with MVS?
A No. MVS works in partnership with schools. We provide online learning options that supplement, not replace, what is currently being offered at the school. And MVS does not directly grant credit or diplomas to students, since credit is granted by your school.

Q Will MVS courses meet our curriculum standards?
A Yes. We develop courses in partnership with Michigan teachers that meet the Michigan Curriculum Framework and national standards. We also license courses and content that we know meet state standards. 

Q Is there a fee, and if so, who pays?
A Yes, most MVS products and services have a fee and, generally, schools pay (although some costs may be passed along to parents). Visit Additional Course Information for pricing. 

Q How do we start?
A Follow these steps:

1. Contact MVS at mvhs@mivu.org to initiate your account or self-register your school with the school registration form. You'll receive a confirmation call and get your password and login.
2. Create additional administrator, counselor and mentor accounts, if needed — online. As the account initiator or main contact, you will automatically be assigned all of the enrollment system roles.  
3. Register students and enroll them in MVS courses, including assigning mentors (during enrollment periods) — online.  If you've "pre-purchased" seats, enrollments will first be subtracted from those seats.  Otherwise, you'll specify payment arrangements at the time of each enrollment. 

Q Do I have to register my school, mentors, counselors and students each semester?
A You only need to set up accounts once for your school, mentors, counselors or students; you may update the profiles as needed. This can occur at any time, not just the beginning of a new semester. 

Q What are mentors?
A According to Michigan Department of Education (PDF) guidelines, a student taking a virtual course must have an onsite mentor who is “available to the pupil for assistance and to monitor the pupil’s progress in the virtual course. The onsite mentor must be a certificated teacher employed by the school district. The onsite mentor would be responsible for reviewing any final exam or project that would indicate the pupil’s success in the course. The course and the onsite mentor will appear on the pupil’s class schedule.” 

Q What is the age limit for MVS students?
A Students taking courses through MVS must be no older than 20.

Q What if I need to withdraw a student from a course?
A Schools may withdraw a student from an MVS course at any time, consistent with your own withdrawal policy. Enrollers do this easily in the MVS online enrollment system. If the drop is received within 10 business days of the student or course start date, the school will be credited one course seat if the enrollment used a prepaid seat, or refunded the price of the course minus a $25 administrative fee if the enrollment was paid for individually. Enrollments that are withdrawn more than 10 business days from the student or course start date will be considered to have “used” one course seat and are not eligible for refund or credit.

MVS recognizes that some withdrawals are unavoidable, but many are due to communication or technical issues we can help resolve — if we know about them. Before resorting to withdrawal, contact the MVS Help Desk at mivuhelp@mivu.org or 888.889.2840, to see if the problem can be resolved. 

Q Must a student have access to a computer outside of the school to take an MVS course?
A No, but it is recommended. Even if the student has a period during the school day and a place at school where they access their online course, students will most likely need to log on outside of school hours. Students who are the most successful in MVS courses have both dedicated time during the school day and access after school hours to complete their course. 

Q What kind of help is available if the student is having trouble in any MVS course?
A If the trouble is technical and related to the computer set-up at the school, your school’s designated technical support person is the place to start. If the trouble is technical and related to the course, the student or his/her mentor should contact the MVS Help Desk at 888.889.2840, or by email at mivuhelp@mivu.org. If the student is having trouble with course content, they should contact their online instructor. If the student is struggling with the course in general (not related to content), they should contact their mentor. 

Q What are the technical requirements for MVS offerings?
A A fast, reliable Internet connection is one of the basic requirements for taking Michigan Virtual School courses.

Q Who teaches MVS courses?
A Licensed teachers who are certified in the course’s content area and who have received additional training in online instruction teach MVS courses.

Q What happens when a student “attends class” in a virtual course?
A First, the student receives an ID and password  from the on-site mentor. Students then go to the Student Login page and click on the appropriate link to reach their login area. Students interact with their online teacher on a regular basis. Course content is delivered through text, video, graphics and other Internet resources, combined with activities, projects and lessons the student may do off-line. Some courses may include group projects as well as independent work and performances. Teachers and students may interact via email, message boards, chat rooms, instant messaging, fax, telephone and/or regular mail. Tests are only one variety of learning assessments that are built into courses to ensure that students master course content. 

Q How much time should a student expect to spend in an online class?
A About seven to 10 hours a week, much the same as on a regular course, with about one hour of class and one-half to one hour of homework each night. Much of the coursework will be done off-line. 

Q How does MVS know the student who submits work is the one who did it?
A Just as in regular classes, teachers are usually able to recognize the quality of work a student typically produces, and schools can request that final exams be proctored. Students have a disincentive to cheat in that they will ultimately be accountable for what they have learned by the time they take the final course exam. Moreover, students are informed when they enroll about our policies on student conduct and academic honesty.

Q How is a final grade determined?
A Students complete all course work within the allotted timeframe and receive their final point score from their online instructor. The mentor translates the point score into a course grade, according to your school policy. 

Q What about credit?
A Your school awards credit for MVS courses (MVS does not directly grant credit) and it should appear on a student’s transcript. How much credit to grant is a local school decision, but generally, MVS courses are designed to be worth one-half credit per semester.

Q How do MVS AP courses compare to in-seat courses?
A MVS AP courses are challenging and designed to be very similar in difficulty to in-seat AP courses. These are essentially college-level courses and will require most students to spend about 10 hours a week on the coursework, much of which will be done off-line. 

Q What type of student does best in MVS AP courses?
A Students have greater freedom and schedule flexibility in an AP online course than in a traditional classroom, so they must be ready to assume more responsibility for their own progress and exhibit a high level of discipline and drive. They also must have superior writing skills since writing assignments focus on developing the ability to critically analyze and discuss issues in coherent and well-written paragraphs.

Q Do MVS AP teachers have office hours?
A Teachers will answer email and return telephone calls daily, and at their own discretion may establish regular times to be online. 

Q Do MVS AP courses have prerequisites?
A Many do. The specific course prerequisites are included in the individual course descriptions. 

Q Do MVS AP courses use textbooks?
A Yes. For some courses, a text is required; for others, it’s recommended. Some courses require or recommended other materials, as well. Texts and materials will be detailed in the Course Catalog.

Q Does an MVS AP course purchase include payment for students to take the corresponding AP Exam?
A No, because MVS does not administer the AP Exam. For students to take AP Exams, your school makes arrangements with The College Board and the Educational Testing Service.

Q Is the AP Exam Review only available to or right for students who have taken/are taking MVS AP courses online?
A No. Of course, students who have already taken or are currently taking an AP course, either online or in-seat, will probably get the most from AP Exam Review. 

Q What kind of help is available to us if the student is having trouble with AP Exam Review?
A If the trouble is technical and related to the computer set-up at the school, your designated technical support person is the place to start.  If not, you or the student can start with the MVS Help Desk at mivuhelp@mivu.org or 888.889.2840. 

Q How many days does a student have to complete a Flex course? 
A Students have up to 90 days from the course’s start date  to complete all coursework. If the student enrolls after the start date, he or she will have less than 90 days to complete the course. Students can complete the course in less than 90 days, depending on how fast they do the work.

Q What if a student needs more time?
A Under certain circumstances, an extension may be granted at the discretion of the online instructor in consultation with MVS.

Q How can a student learn a world language over the Internet?
A MVS World Languages courses require the student’s computer to be equipped with both a microphone and speakers or headphones. In addition to text and visual instruction, the student will hear the language spoken through their speakers (headphones) and will submit spoken word assignments through their microphone (via an audio file) to their instructor. 

Q What materials/resources are required?
A All students should have access to headphones, and some World Languages courses require microphones. See individual course descriptions in the Course Catalog for specific information. 

Q How much time should students expect to spend taking an MVS World Languages course?
A Students are expected to log in daily and complete assignments by the dates outlined in the course syllabus. This typically requires at least one to two hours of work per day per class taken online. 

Q What materials are required for MVS  semester-length courses?
A Most MVS semester-length courses require a textbook, and sometimes additional multimedia materials. All specifics are provided to the enrolling institution prior to enrollment. 

Q How do MVS  semester-length courses compare with face-to-face courses?
A Students who have already taken online courses have told us that the online courses were as rigorous as their face-to-face school courses. We are confident that the material covered online is as complete and challenging as any school's current curriculum. Remember, all courses at the Michigan Virtual School are designed with state and national standards and benchmarks.