US History A
Course Description:
In US History A, you will learn about the process of historical inquiry, review the events and principles behind the founding of the United States, and then apply historical inquiry to analyze societal issues, trends, and events from the Civil War through the Great Depression. You’ll explore timelines to gain an understanding of how events link to each other, and you’ll analyze historical documents for a firsthand sense of how events unfolded. You’ll also gather evidence from relevant documents and historical texts in order to develop credible explanations of events in US history. You’ll then use that evidence to evaluate change and continuity over time by writing essays and creating presentations about broad periods of historical development.
Course Details:
| Course Title (District): |
US History A |
| Course Title (NCES SCED) : |
U.S. History—Comprehensive |
| Course Provider : |
City of Harper Woods Schools |
| Content Provided By : |
My Virtual Academy |
| Online Instructor Provided By : |
City of Harper Woods Schools |
| Standards Addressed : |
Michigan Merit Curriculum, Common Core State Standards |
| Academic Terms : |
Semester, Trimester, Open Entry / Open Exit, Accelerated |
| NCES SCED Code : 04101 |
| Subject Area : |
Social Sciences and History |
| Course Identifier : |
U.S. History—Comprehensive |
| Course Level : |
High School (Secondary) |
| Available Credit : |
0.5 |
| Sequence : |
1 of 2 |
|
How To Enroll:
Students and Parents: It is important to work closely with your local school counselor or
registrar to follow the school's enrollment procedures. By clicking the "Start Registration
Request" button below, you will be able to notify the school of your interest in registering for
the online course. However, it is the responsibility of the district or school to review the
registration request and approve or deny the request. Please make a note to follow up with
your school after submitting a registration request.
Start Registration Request
Additional Course Information:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 800-297-2119
Additional Cost: $0.0
Additional Cost Description: None
At the end of this course students will be able to:
Build the skills of historical inquiry, including gathering sources and analyzing documents.
Solidify an understanding of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States.
Review the events leading to the Civil War and the primary battles and events of the war.
Explore the effects of the Civil War and the difficult process of Reconstruction that followed.
Analyze the changes in US society due to the Industrial Revolution and rapid immigration in
the late 1800s.
Develop an understanding of the populist and progressive social and political movements of
the early twentieth century.
Examine the imperialist actions and tendencies of the United States after the Civil War.
Analyze the role of the United States in World War I.
Explore the rapid economic expansion of the United States after World War I and the social
issues that evolved in that framework.
Examine how the United States and the world fell into the Great Depression, and analyze
President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal response.
iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Courses
| Certification |
Rating
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Comments |
| Course instructors, whether faceto-face or virtual, are certificated and “highly qualified.” The online course teacher possesses a teaching credential from a state-licensing agency and is “highly qualified” as defined under ESEA. |
Fully Met
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| Accessing Course Effectiveness |
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Comments |
| The course provider uses multiple ways of assessing course effectiveness. |
Fully Met
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| The course is evaluated using a continuous improvement cycle for effectiveness and the findings used as a basis for improvement. |
Fully Met
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The course is evaluated for effectiveness by provider and software developer continuously. |
| Course Updates |
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Comments |
| The course is updated periodically to ensure that the content is current. |
Fully Met
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| Instructor and Student Support |
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Comments |
| Professional development about the online course delivery system is offered by the provider to assure effective use of the courseware and various instructional media available. |
Fully Met
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| The course provider offers technical support and course management assistance to students, the course instructor, and the school coordinator. |
Fully Met
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Support is available from the course provider as well as the school. |
| Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, have been provided professional development in the behavioral, social, and when necessary, emotional, aspects of the learning environment. |
Fully Met
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All staff attend ongoing professional development sessions throughout the year to remain current with students and families needs. |
| Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, receive instructor professional development, which includes the support and use of a variety of communication modes to stimulate student engagement online. |
Fully Met
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| The provider assures that course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, are provided support, as needed, to ensure their effectiveness and success in meeting the needs of online students. |
Fully Met
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| Students are offered an orientation for taking an online course before starting the coursework. |
Fully Met
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| Academic Content Standards and Assessments |
Rating
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Comments |
| The goals and objectives clearly state what the participants will know or be able to do at the end of the course. The goals and objectives are measurable in multiple ways. |
Fully Met
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Syllabus provided to students upon enrollment with standard alignment and there is a unit overview at the beginning of each unit. |
| The course content and assignments are aligned with the state’s content standards, Common Core curriculum, or other accepted content standards set for Advanced Placement® courses, technology, computer science, or other courses whose content is not included in the state standards. |
Fully Met
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| The course content and assignments are of sufficient rigor, depth and breadth to teach the standards being addressed. |
Fully Met
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| Information literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum. |
Fully Met
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The course is equipped with video transcripts |
| Multiple learning resources and materials to increase student success are available to students before the course begins. |
Fully Met
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Assignments, videos, quizzes, etc. |
| Course Overview and Introduction |
Rating
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Comments |
| Clear, complete course overview and syllabus are included in the course. |
Fully Met
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Syllabus provided to students upon enrollment. Units have specific objectives. |
| Course requirements are consistent with course goals, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. |
Fully Met
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| Information is provided to students, parents and mentors on how to communicate with the online instructor and course provider. |
Fully Met
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Syllabus is provided to students, parents, and mentor. |
| Legal and Acceptable Use Policies |
Rating
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Comments |
| The course reflects multi-cultural education, and the content is accurate, current and free of bias or advertising. |
Fully Met
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| Expectations for academic integrity, use of copyrighted materials, plagiarism and netiquette (Internet etiquette) regarding lesson activities, discussions, and e-mail communications are clearly stated. |
Fully Met
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All policies are signed at enrollment. |
| Privacy policies are clearly stated. |
Fully Met
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| Instructor Resources |
Rating
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Comments |
| Online instructor resources and notes are included. |
Fully Met
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Resources are available for students in the software program and teachers upload notes in individual assignments. |
| Assessment and assignment answers and explanations are included. |
Fully Met
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| Instructional and Audience Analysis |
Rating
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Comments |
| Course design reflects a clear understanding of all students’ needs and incorporates varied ways to learn and master the curriculum. |
Fully Met
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There are a variety of materials to expose students to content. |
| Course, Unit and Lesson Design |
Rating
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Comments |
| The course is organized by units and lessons that fall into a logical sequence. Each unit and lesson includes an overview describing objectives, activities, assignments, assessments, and resources to provide multiple learning opportunities for students to master the content. |
Fully Met
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Each unit has an overview of objectives to be mastered by the student. |
| Instructional Strategies and Activities |
Rating
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Comments |
| The course instruction includes activities that engage students in active learning. |
Fully Met
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Written response and discussion questions allow students to be actively engaged. |
| The course and course instructor provide students with multiple learning paths, based on student needs that engage students in a variety of ways. |
Fully Met
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| The course provides opportunities for students to engage in higher-order thinking, critical reasoning activities and thinking in increasingly complex ways. |
Fully Met
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| The course provides options for the instructor to adapt learning activities to accommodate students’ needs. |
Fully Met
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Instructor can upload enrichment activities as needed. |
| Readability levels, written language assignments and mathematical requirements are appropriate for the course content and grade-level expectations. |
Fully Met
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| Communication and Interaction |
Rating
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Comments |
| The course design provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student interaction, including opportunities for timely and frequent feedback about student progress. |
Fully Met
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Students can interact with their instructor via phone, email or text. |
| The course design includes explicit communication/activities (both before and during the first week of the course) that confirms whether students are engaged and are progressing through the course. The instructor will follow program guidelines to address non-responsive students. |
Fully Met
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Students and parents are contacted multiple times per week by their instructor and can also reach out to their instructor as well. |
| The course provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student and student-student interaction to foster mastery and application of the material. |
Fully Met
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Teacher-student interaction is available. Student to student interaction consists of daily posts, colloboration and discussion boards. |
| Resources and Materials |
Rating
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Comments |
| Students have access to resources that enrich the course content. |
Fully Met
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| Evaluation Strategies |
Rating
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Comments |
| Student evaluation strategies are consistent with course goals and objectives, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. |
Fully Met
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| The course structure includes adequate and appropriate methods and procedures to assess students’ mastery of content. |
Fully Met
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| Feedback |
Rating
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Comments |
| Ongoing, varied, and frequent assessments are conducted throughout the course to inform instruction. |
Fully Met
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| Assessment strategies and tools make the student continuously aware of his/her progress in class and mastery of the content. |
Fully Met
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Student can view their progress within the program and through communication with the instructor. |
| Assessment Resources and Materials |
Rating
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Comments |
| Assessment materials provide the instructor with the flexibility to assess students in a variety of ways. |
Fully Met
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Short answer, quizzes and mastery tests allow instructors to assess students understanding. |
| Grading rubrics are provided to the instructor and may be shared with students. |
Fully Met
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| The grading policy and practices are easy to understand. |
Fully Met
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| Course Architecture |
Rating
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Comments |
| The course architecture permits the online instructor to add content, activities and assessments to extend learning opportunities. |
Fully Met
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Teachers are able to add projects, outside links, etc. to course materials. |
| The course accommodates multiple school calendars; e.g., block, 4X4 and traditional schedules. |
Fully Met
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| User Interface |
Rating
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Comments |
| Clear and consistent navigation is present throughout the course. |
Fully Met
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| Rich media are provided in multiple formats for ease of use and access in order to address diverse student needs. |
Fully Met
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| Technology Requirements and Interoperability |
Rating
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Comments |
| All technology requirements (including hardware, browser, software, etc...) are specified. |
Fully Met
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| Prerequisite skills in the use of technology are identified. |
Fully Met
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| The course uses content-specific tools and software appropriately. |
Fully Met
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| The course is designed to meet internationally recognized interoperability standards. |
Fully Met
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| Copyright and licensing status, including permission to share where applicable, is clearly stated and easily found. |
Fully Met
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| Accessibility |
Rating
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Comments |
| Course materials and activities are designed to provide appropriate access to all students. The course, developed with universal design principles in mind, conforms to the U.S. Section 504 and Section 508 provisions for electronic and information technology as well as the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility guidelines (WCAg 2.0). |
Fully Met
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| Data Security |
Rating
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Comments |
| Student information remains confidential, as required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). |
Fully Met
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Student work is kept confidential within the school database system and courseware. |
Review Conducted By: My Virtual Academy
Date of Review:
07/24/2017
NSQ National Standards for Quality Online Courses: Fourth Edition (2025)
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Rating
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Comments |
| F5: Courses utilize emerging technologies that can enhance the learning experience, prioritizing learners and outcomes. |
Fully Met
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| F1: All technologies and tools included for use as part of the course ensure that learner privacy is protected in accordance with the Acceptable Use Policy and applicable law. |
Fully Met
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| F2: The course tools further the learning objectives and course competencies. |
Fully Met
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| F3: The course technology allows for customization and personalization. |
Fully Met
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Teachers are able to add in projects, outside links, and alternate assignments to the course material to individualize the course. |
| F4: The course operates within a platform to score and record assessments and calculate earned course points or grades. |
Fully Met
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Rating
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Comments |
| G1: The course uses multiple methods and sources of input for assessing course effectiveness. |
Fully Met
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| G2: The course is regularly reviewed to ensure that the course is current and relevant. |
Fully Met
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MVA reviews all courses annually to ensure each is relevant and meets all state standards. |
| G3: The course is updated on a continuous improvement cycle for effectiveness based on the findings from ongoing reviews. |
Fully Met
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Edmentum reviews each course annually to ensure effectiveness based on their ongoing reviews. |
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Rating
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Comments |
| A1: A course overview and syllabus are included in the course. |
Fully Met
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Syllabus provided to students upon enrollment with standard alignment. |
| A2: Minimum computer skills and digital literacy skills expected of the learner are clearly stated. |
Fully Met
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| A3: The instructor’s biographical information and information on how to communicate with the instructor are provided. |
Fully Met
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Email is sent to students, parents, and mentor which includes email and a telephone number to reach the online instructor and course provider. |
| A4: Learner expectations and policies are clearly stated and readily accessible within the introductory material of the course. |
Fully Met
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Syllabus and course goals are provided to students upon enrollment in course |
| A5: Minimum technology requirements for the course are clearly stated, and information on how to obtain the technologies is provided. |
Fully Met
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| A6: Grading policies and practices are clearly defined in accordance with course content learning expectations. |
Fully Met
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Students are able to see a progress report in Edmentum 24/7. |
| A7: The course instructions articulate or link to a clear description of the technical support offered and how to obtain it. |
Fully Met
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We tell students to let us know if they are having issues, and if we can troubleshoot, we do, and if we need to send it one to Edmentum, we do. |
| A8: Learners are offered an orientation prior to the start of the course. |
Fully Met
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Students are provided with an orientation for every course. |
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Rating
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Comments |
| B1: The course objectives or competencies are measurable and clearly state what the learner will be able to demonstrate as a result of successfully completing the course. |
Fully Met
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Syllabus and course goals are provided to students upon enrollment in course |
| B2: Where applicable, the course content is aligned with accepted state and/or other accepted content standards. |
Fully Met
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All courses are aligned to state standards. |
| B3: Digital literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum. |
Fully Met
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| B4: Supplemental learning resources and related instructional materials are available to support and enrich learning and are aligned with the content delivered. |
Fully Met
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Resources are available for students in the software program and teachers can upload notes in individual assignments. |
| B5: The course content and supporting materials reflect different perspectives and provide non-stereotypical forms of representation. |
Fully Met
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| B6: The course materials (e.g., textbooks, primary source documents, Open Education Resources “[OER])” that support course content standards are accurate and current. |
Fully Met
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Edmentum reviews and updates course curriculum annually to remain current and accurate to state standards. |
| B7: The course is free of adult content and avoids unnecessary advertisements. |
Fully Met
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Courses are age appropriate and free of advertisements. |
| B8: Copyright and licensing status for any third-party content is appropriately cited and easily found. |
Fully Met
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| B9: Documentation and other support materials are available to support effective online course facilitation. |
Fully Met
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Yes, in each tutorial there is a folder that has guided notes and often other materials, like a glossary to support student understanding. |
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Rating
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Comments |
| C1: The course design includes activities that guide learners toward promoting ownership of their learning and self-monitoring. |
Fully Met
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Courses are self-paced which allows students to spend more time on difficult material. This allows the student to take the lead in their education. |
| C2: The course’s content and learning activities promote the achievement of the stated learning objectives or competencies. |
Fully Met
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The course syllabus outlines the courses goals and stated learning objectives to ensure all state standards are being met. |
| C3: The course is organized by units and lessons arranged in a logical sequence. |
Fully Met
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The content of the course builds upon itself as the student moves through the course. |
| C4: The course content is appropriate to the reading level of the intended learners. |
Fully Met
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The course includes a translator, dictionary and read to me function to engage learners at their reading level. |
| C5: The course design includes introductory assignments or activities to engage learners within the first week of the course. |
Fully Met
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| C6: The course provides learners with multiple learning paths as appropriate, based on learner needs, that engage learners in a variety of ways. |
Fully Met
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Multiple learning resources and materials such as individual assignments, videos, quizzes and discussions are included to increase individual student success. |
| C7: The course provides regular opportunities for learner-learner interaction. |
Fully Met
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| C8: The course design provides opportunities for learner-instructor interaction, including opportunities for regular feedback about learner progress. |
Fully Met
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| C9: Course instructional materials and resources present content in an effective, engaging, and appropriate manner. |
Fully Met
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Rating
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Comments |
| D1: Learner assessments align with stated course, unit, or lesson-level objectives or competencies. |
Fully Met
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Yes, mastery tests, unit post tests, and unit activities align with stated objectives and competencies. |
| D2: Valid course assessments measure learner progress toward understanding of content. |
Fully Met
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Short Mastery Tests are given after each Tutorial. Unit tests provide an assessment of the entire unit and there are discussions and check ins along the way prior to the final exam. |
| D3: Assessment practices provide frequent and varied opportunities for self-monitoring and reflection of learning. |
Fully Met
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| D4: Assessment materials provide the learner with the flexibility to demonstrate their understanding in a variety of ways. |
Fully Met
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| D5: Rubrics that clearly define expectations for varied levels of proficiency are created and shared with learners. |
Fully Met
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All course projects and discussions have a clearly stated rubric to allow students to understand expectations prior to completing the assignment. |
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Rating
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Comments |
| E1: Course navigation is logical, consistent, and efficient from the learner’s point of view. |
Fully Met
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| E2: The course design facilitates readability. |
Fully Met
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The course syllabus and course outline page provide the student an outline of the entire course at all times. This allows the student to track their individual progress 24/7. |
| E3: The course provides accessible course materials and activities to meet the variable needs of learners, following Universal Design for Learning principles. |
Fully Met
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| E4: Multimedia in the course is easy to use. |
Fully Met
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Videos are either embedded or hyperlinked to - so access is very simple. |
| E5: Vendor accessibility statements are provided for all technologies required in the course. |
Fully Met
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Review Conducted By: My Virtual Academy
Date of Review:
07/25/2025
Unit 1: The Historical Process
Unit 2: The Foundation of the United States
Unit 3: A Union in Crisis
Unit 4: The Rise of a Modern Nation
Unit 5: From War to Recovery
| Term Type |
Enrollment Opens |
Enrollment Ends |
Random Draw Date |
Enrollment Drop Date |
Course Starts |
Course Ends |
# of Seats |
Course Fee |
Potential Additional Costs |
|
Open Entry / Open Exit |
12/03/2024 |
04/01/2025 |
|
|
|
|
500 |
$400 |
$0 |
|
Open Entry / Open Exit |
04/02/2025 |
12/01/2025 |
|
|
|
|
500 |
$400 |
$0 |
| Drop Policy |
Completion Policy |
Term Type |
Enrollment Opens |
Enrollment Ends |
|
Must pass course with D- (60%) or higher. |
Open Entry / Open Exit |
12/03/2024 |
04/01/2025 |
|
Must pass course with D- (60%) or higher. |
Open Entry / Open Exit |
04/02/2025 |
12/01/2025 |
In order to be successful in our program, it is important for the student to remain in constant communication with the online instructor. The online instructor will be communicating with the student 1-2 times per week. Communication between the student and online instructor will be phone, email, texting, and/or discussion boards. Online instructors provide families with their weekly office hours and My Virtual Academy is open Monday – Thursday from 8 AM – 8 PM, Friday from 8 AM – 4 PM and Saturday from 8AM – 2 PM with staff available to answer questions/concerns. Messages received after hours will be returned the next school day. Parents/Guardians/Students will have access to the curriculum and gradebook 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
My Virtual Academy Tech Support is available Monday - Thursday, 8 AM - 8 PM, Friday 8 AM - 4 PM, and Saturday 8 AM - 2PM.
Browser:
Edge (latest), Internet Explorer® 11, Chrome (latest), Firefox (latest), and Safari (latest).
Plug-Ins:
Adobe Flash®, Java, Office compatible software. For a small percentage of our legacy content, you may need the following plug-ins: Shockwave® and/or Plato® Xtras.
Pop-Up Blockers:
How to turn off pop-up blockers
Mobile Browser Support:
We support the following tablet configurations:
OS - Android; Browser- Chrome (Latest version)
OS - iOS; Browser - Safari (Latest version)
Please note, voice recorder for World Languages works with Flash.
