District staff presented the Derby virtual school (eAcademy) handbook to the Board of Education on Aug. 18 and described the handbook as structured to meet state requirements for hours, instructional modes and attendance-check procedures.
Staff said the handbook calls for specific check-ins and support plans when teachers determine virtual students are not progressing, rather than immediately removing students from the program. The handbook requires parents to sign logs documenting off‑screen activities — for example, reading a novel or completing a lab — to meet the district’s 6.5-hour daily expectation when work is not recorded in the online learning platform.
Officials said the district conducts orientation for both students and parents to explain attendance documentation, program expectations and the hybrid option that allows families to combine virtual and in-person elements. Staff noted a forthcoming KSDE (Kansas State Department of Education) enrollment-count meeting to confirm that logs and attendance procedures meet state reporting requirements.
Board members asked whether student records and course enrollments are integrated with Skyward and how attendance checks transfer between middle and high school when students change programs. Staff said Skyward contains the course enrollments and grades and that attendance tracking for virtual students is handled differently but the district is working on integration and clear transition records for students moving between in-person and virtual settings.
The board asked how the district monitors students who are not logging in; staff described a system of prompting parents, placing students on intensive check-in plans and, when appropriate, requiring daily check-ins until students reestablish consistent participation. Staff said the eAcademy team has developed individualized completion plans that set goals and completion rates for enrolled students.