The 2020-2021 school year has introduced millions of students to a new way of learning. Online school is normalized in many Florida households, due to the Florida Virtual School Program (FLVS). With FLVS, students can learn whenever, wherever and however they desire, and many NHS students are now using FLVS to their advantage in order to succeed academically. 

FLVS offers a full-time program and a flexible program. The full-time program has a fixed schedule from August to June, while the flexible program can be started at any time during the school year.

“The teachers and format of FLVS make learning less confusing,” freshman Cole Perkins said. “I also like how none of the assignments have a due date, so I don’t have to work when I don’t want to.”

109 high school courses are available on FLVS, ranging from different languages to meteorology. The variety of classes available makes it a great education resource for everybody.

“My favorite part about FLVS is helping students feel happier and healthier,” FLVS HOPE teacher Lora Jeter said. “Students usually spend 1-2 hours per week on my course.”

While the structure of every FLVS course is different, they all follow the same basics regarding the workload. There are usually 30-40 assignments per segment, and the course you choose will have either one or two segments. FLVS courses also consist of 2-4 discussion-based assessments (DBA) per segment, which are phone/video calls with your teacher. Discussion-based assessments help students show knowledge of the course to their teacher in a one-on-one setting.

“The DBA’s help me figure out what I need to study for the module tests,” freshman Abby Byrd said. “I can go through FLVS at my own pace, and don’t have to worry about falling behind.”