Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) will offer a limited virtual option for students entering kindergarten through Grade 8 this school year. The option is limited to 50 students per grade level across the school system. Parents must apply for consideration for their child. Students who meet the program criteria will be placed into a lottery system for acceptance into the 50 spaces per grade level.
CCPS will have a waitlist per grade level, if needed. Waitlisted students will be accepted for open seats using the same lottery system if space is available. The application opens 8 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 17, and closes 8 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 24. Click here to apply.
Earlier this month, CCPS staff began to evaluate alternative learning options for students. Approval of the virtual program by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is pending.
Accepted students will be placed in grade-level classes with their peers from across CCPS. Staff will review applications and notify accepted families by Aug. 27. Certificated teachers from the Proximity Learning [online] Educational Institution will teach all classes.
Accepted students will start virtual learning on Monday, Aug. 30, and participate for the first semester of the school year (Aug. 30 to Jan. 22). During the first week of classes, students will participate in virtual orientations and classes with CCPS teachers. Students will also need to participate in required assessments.
Assessments may be done virtually or during a limited visit to their home school. Proximity Learning teachers will start with each class on Sept. 7.
Upon acceptance, parents must consent to their child’s participation for the entire program. CCPS reserves the right to remove a student from the program at any time, for any reason. CCPS will re-evaluate the virtual program in January 2022 for the second semester of the school year.
An application does not guarantee approval. Parents of students with documented medical conditions should contact the CCPS Office of Home and Hospital Instruction at 301-932-6610 to inquire about alternative learning options.
The virtual schedule will include minimum MSDE curriculum requirements. Superintendent of Schools Maria Navarro supports a complete return to in-person learning for all students but wants to provide a virtual option for families.
“We want to provide families with an option if they have concerns about their child returning to school in person. This virtual option will provide a limited scope of classes for students that meet state requirements. CCPS educators, including myself, believe students learn best at school, in the classroom and face-to-face with teachers. In-person learning also provides students with access to on-site mental health supports, extended-learning opportunities and learning interventions,” Navarro said.
Program criteria
CCPS has priority consideration for student acceptance into the limited virtual instruction program and will have a waitlist for full grade-level virtual classes. Applications will be reviewed for priority consideration using the following criteria:
• Child is currently enrolled as a CCPS student.
• Students must have 15 or fewer absences during the 2020-21 school year.
• Students must have reliable daily internet access.
• For students in kindergarten through Grade 5, a responsible adult/caregiver must be present during instruction.
• Students entering kindergarten through Grade 3 must have no Needs Improvement (NI) on the fourth quarter report card from the 2020-21 school year.
• Students entering Grades 4-8 must not have a D or F grade on the fourth-quarter report card from the 2020-21 school year; and
• Students may apply whether or not they have an IEP, 504 plan, receive English Language (EL) or other specialized services.
Accepted students will attend online classes five days a week, for up to seven hours a day. Virtual classes will be taught by Proximity Learning teachers. CCPS has a contract with Proximity Learning and teachers are licensed to teach in Maryland. Students may have different teachers for different subjects. Proximity Learning instruction uses an online learning platform called Canvas and teachers host classes through Zoom. Students and parents will receive online log-in information for the Canvas platform direct from Proximity Learning.
Elementary school program
• Accepted elementary students will receive instruction in the following subjects: reading, writing, math, social studies, science, physical education and health, and art.
• Virtual elementary students will not receive instruction in special areas such as music, band, chorus or orchestra. Classes will also be grade-level instruction. No gifted or enrichment courses will be offered.
• Students will be required to come to their zoned elementary school in-person for assessments. Parents must transport their child to the school for assessments.
• Elementary virtual students will not be eligible to participate in extracurricular activities. This may include robotics, Destination Imagination, school math team, chess club, book club, Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement, etc.
• Teachers will load grades into the Canvas learning platform. Grades will be loaded into ParentVue and StudentVue at the end of the first- and second-marking periods.
• Related services for virtual elementary students will be provided by staff at their zoned elementary school. This includes counseling services, and other related services.
• There is no virtual option for prekindergarten since state law requires a child first enroll in school in kindergarten.
Middle school program
• Accepted middle-school students will receive instruction in the following subjects: English/language arts, writing, math, social studies, science, physical education and health, and art.
• Virtual middle-school students will not receive instruction in special areas such as music, band, chorus or orchestra. Classes will also be grade-level instruction. No gifted or enrichment courses will be offered.
• Students will be required to come to their zoned middle school in-person for assessments. Parents must transport their child to the school for assessments.
• Teachers will load grades into the Canvas learning platform. Grades will be loaded into ParentVue and StudentVue at the end of the first- and second-marking periods.
• Related services for virtual middle school students will be provided by staff at their zoned middle school. This includes counseling services, and other related services.
Parents with questions about the program should email [email protected].
