May 25, 2021 – Most Duval Homeroom families responding to a survey indicate they plan to return to on-campus learning, but those who desire to continue online will have new options for the 2021-22 school year.
Elementary school students
Elementary school students will have a choice of two programs; both will be offered through the district’s Duval Virtual Instruction Academy (DVIA).
The first is DVIA’s normal asynchronous model of instruction that does not require class attendance at a set time each day. Each class has a teacher, but lessons are computer-based. Students can complete lessons on their own schedule. Online meetings or check-ins may be required, and the school offers face-to-face support. However, there are generally no scheduled class meetings.
The second option for elementary school students will be a new DVIA program called DVIA HomeRoom, a transition from the HomeRoom instructional experience students have known since the onset of the pandemic. This program does include a daily routine of class meetings through Microsoft Teams and will look like the Duval HomeRoom model that students have experienced during the 2020-2021 school year.
All students in DVIA HomeRoom will be enrolled in one school under the DVIA umbrella of services. This consolidation will create efficiency and reduce the number of schedule changes for both teachers and students throughout the year. All students will be required to keep their computer cameras on during instructional time.
Middle and high school students
Middle and high school students will also have the option to enroll in DVIA’s asynchronous program. Because secondary student course requirements are so varied, it is not possible to provide all the courses needed in both the synchronous and asynchronous platforms.
Through DVIA, middle and high school students can pursue a broad online curriculum for diverse academic goals. The program promotes skills in responsibility, organization, and intrinsic motivation. DVIA students have access to a full-service guidance department for counseling in postsecondary readiness, career planning, and scholarship eligibility. The school even holds its own commencement ceremony for graduating seniors.
Before making your choice
Parents and students should be aware of some important factors while considering an online option for the 2021-22 school year. If a family chooses a DVIA option, students will no longer be assigned to their home school. They will be assigned to DVIA.
This means that students in choice or magnet programs would need to reapply and be accepted to return to their respective program in a future year. Also, DVIA students will be required to go to a specific site for any testing that is not authorized for administering in an at-home, non-secure format.
How to apply
Current Duval HomeRoom families are receiving this information in their district FOCUS system accounts. So that the district can adequately plan staffing and transition smoothly into the new school year, families are asked to express their enrollment intent by the last day of school this year, Thursday, June 3, through a form available in that system. These parents are also receiving contact information for any additional questions on their options.
About 19,000 students are currently learning through Duval HomeRoom, which will not be an option for full-time instruction next year.
