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Acceptable Use Policy
Internet access is required for students who take courses with Pinnacle Education Virtual School. Internet access offers valuable, diverse, and unique resources to both students and teachers. Access must be used in a responsible, safe, efficient, ethical, and legal manner. The following serves as guidelines as to what is expected of students in our online learning environment.
With access to computers and people from around the world also comes the availability of material that may not be considered to be of educational value in the context of the school setting. Families should be warned that some material obtained via the Internet may contain items that are potentially illegal, defamatory, inaccurate, or offensive. On a global network it is impossible to control all materials and an industrious user may discover controversial information, either by accident or deliberately. We firmly believe that the benefits to students from online access far outweigh the possibility that users may procure material that is not consistent with our educational goals.
All students must read the rules of acceptable use carefully and understand their significance.
- Students are responsible for good behavior on the school computer network, just as they are in a classroom or a school hallway. Always use a computer in a way that shows consideration and respect. You are not to use obscene, profane, threatening, or disrespectful language. These actions are illegal and may result in disciplinary action, up to and including long-term suspension from the Pinnacle Education Virtual School.
- Integrity and authenticity of student work is something that we take very seriously. Do not cut, copy, or plagiarize Internet content or the work of your online classmates. Instructors do utilize technologies that can check for authenticity of student work. Copying the work of others, allowing others to knowingly copy your work, and/or misusing content from the Internet could result in your removal from our courses and/or long-term suspension from the Pinnacle Education Virtual School.
- Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. If you feel you can identify a security problem in the school's computers, network, or Internet connection, notify a system administrator.
- Think about the social consequences of any program you write. Never create harmful computer viruses. These actions are illegal.
Email is not private. Never say anything via email that you wouldn't mind seeing on the school bulletin board, or in the local newspaper.
- Be cautious about email messages from anyone, particularly adults asking you for personal information, attempting to arrange meetings, or engaging in personal contact. Disclose to your teacher or another Pinnacle Education Virtual School employee any message you receive that is inappropriate or makes you feel uncomfortable.
- Any sending of unsolicited email to your online classmates is prohibited. Email with your online classmates should be of a course-related nature only.
- Students must use an email address that is appropriate for an educational environment. Email addresses that use profanity or may otherwise be construed as offensive, shall not be permitted when used for correspondence. Pinnacle Education Virtual School administration reserves the right to determine if student email addresses are inappropriate. Students with inappropriate email addresses will be required to use an alternative email address or will otherwise be forbidden to participate in Pinnacle Education Virtual School courses.
- Protect your password. Keep it secret.
- Pinnacle Education Virtual School assumes no responsibility for any phone charges, line costs or usage fees for connectivity to the Internet.
Users are subject to all local, state, and federal laws. Pinnacle Education Virtual School administrators will cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation related to any illegal activities conducted through Internet access. In the event there is a claim that you have violated this policy, you will be provided with notice of the suspected violation and have an opportunity to present an explanation. Any violations may result in removal from Pinnacle Education Virtual School course(s), as well as other disciplinary or legal action.
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Academic Integrity
Pinnacle Education expects a full commitment to academic integrity from each student. Your signature on your Enrollment Form is your commitment to academic integrity as a student at Pinnacle.
Academic integrity means:
- Your work on each assignment will be completely your own
- Your collaboration with another classmate on any assignment will be pre-approved by your instructor
- You will not practice plagiarism in any form
- You will not allow others to copy your work
- You will not misuse content from the Internet
Plagiarism is defined as follows: copying or using ideas or words (from another person, an online classmate, or an Internet or print source) and presenting them as your own. Please be aware that all instructors utilize a myriad of technologies to check student work for authenticity. If an instructor confirms that a student has plagiarized work in any manner, the student will be subject to consequences determined by PEVS administration and may be removed from the course with a failing grade.
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Participation Requirements
Only through continuous communication can students be successful in an online course. According to the Arizona Revised Statutes, under which funding is provided for this program, students must complete a minimum of twenty (20) hours per week on academic tasks related to their PEVS coursework. It is essential that the student and instructor and/or school staff maintain regular contact. To ensure that our students are aware of this commitment, and maintaining adequate academic progress the process below will be followed:
Submission of Weekly Time Sheet:
- A time sheet indicating the amount of time spent on academic tasks by the student must be submitted weekly.
- Arizona law stipulates that a student must complete at least twenty (20) hours per week on all academic tasks in order to remain in good standing.
- The student, if older than 18, or the parent/guardian if the student is under 18, is responsible for submitting this weekly time sheet.
- An academic week starts on Monday and ends on Friday. Timesheets are accessible online at the www.pin-ed.com web site after 5:00 PM every Friday. If a student chooses to complete academic work on Saturday and/or Sunday, the timesheet must be submitted by noon on Monday.
Failure to Submit Weekly Time Sheets:
In the event that a student, parent/guardian, fails to submit the required time sheet by noon on Monday, an email reminder will be sent by a PEVS staff member, requesting that the time sheet be submitted.
If the online timesheet is not submitted by Tuesday at 12:00 noon, the student will be denied access to his/her courses effective immediately.
To regain access to the courses, all delinquent timesheets must be submitted and their case manager contacted to grant the student access to the online courses.
In the event that a parent/guardian fails to submit the required time sheet for two consecutive weeks, the student will be withdrawn from the virtual program; back to the last date of verifiable participation and all academic work will be removed from the system.
If the student decides to return to the virtual school after being withdrawn, the student must reenroll in the virtual program and restart all courses.
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Progress Requirements
Students are required to display adequate academic progress while enrolled in Pinnacle Education. Since course sections have maximum limits, it is imperative that students proceed in a consistent manner, and do not preclude other students from enrolling. The following process will be employed when students fail to make adequate academic progress:
Adequate Progress:
- Every student must demonstrate adequate weekly progress.
- Adequate weekly progress requires that a student complete a minimum of five (5) lessons (including the activity corresponding for each lesson) within a period of seven (7) consecutive days.
Failure to Maintain Adequate Weekly Progress:
- If a student fails to maintain adequate weekly progress, the student and parent(s) will be contacted by the case manager (via phone or email), notifying them of the student's unacceptable pace for submitting assignments.
- If the student does not respond by completing the minimum lesson requirements within fourteen (14) days of the initial e-mail, PEVS will assume that the student does not intend to remain in the course, and the student will be administratively dropped from the course for failure to meet the minimum academic requirements. All academic work will be removed from the system. This may also result in the student receiving a failing grade for this course. This failing grade would then be part of the student's permanent transcript.
- If the student decides to return to the virtual school, the student must reenroll in the virtual program and restart all courses.
I understand that for each online course there are a minimum number of assignments that must be completed each week. Failure to submit the minimum number of assignments on a weekly basis will result in my removal from the course and may result in a failing grade being assigned to my academic transcript.
Grades
An official final grade report will be mailed to the student and his/her school upon completion of the course.
Right to Privacy
Pinnacle Education Virtual School will abide by the student privacy guidelines set forth by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The following persons have access to student records:
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PEVS Board of Directors members
Executive Director and administrative team
Professional staff of the school (teachers, guidance counselor, the General Counsel)
Appropriate administrative support staff members
Other professionals who have a legitimate educational or legal interest in student records as designated by the Executive Director.
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Pinnacle Education Virtual School will provide an academic transcript to the student's primary school of record upon completion of their online course(s), or at any time upon the request of the primary school and/or student's legal guardian.
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Right to Privacy
No member of the PEVS staff is authorized to release student information without the written request of the student's legal guardian or without the approval of the PEVS Executive Director.
The names of PEVS students, their images, and their course work will not be published on our website or in video without student and guardian written consent. All PEVS students are provided a unique password that will allow them to access their online courses. It is the responsibility of the student to keep his/her password in confidence.
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