INFORMATIONAL

 The Virginia Department of Education's Virginia Satellite Educational Network (VSEN)
is pleased to announce student credit course offerings for Virginia students for the 
2000-2001 school year. Comprehensive, credit courses offered through VSEN will be 
broadcast live daily on C-Band, analog satellite GE2.  

Courses for 2000-2001 include Japanese I, II and III; Latin I, II, III; Advanced 
Placement Calculus; Advanced Placement Statistics; Advanced Placement English, 
Advanced Placement United States History, and Advanced Placement Government. Staff 
development offerings in mathematics, technology, foreign languages, and other 
disciplines will be announced in the fall. 

VSEN courses are designed to offer educational opportunities to schools where there 
are too few students to justify hiring a full-time teacher, or a qualified teacher 
is unavailable. Courses are broadcast live daily to schools equipped with satellite 
dishes or through cable systems. All VSEN teachers are certified Virginia teachers 
and all courses meet criteria outlined in the Virginia Standards of Learning. Each 
student receives a high degree of individual attention from VSEN teachers via 800 
telephone lines, fax, and the Internet.

The Department of Education will continue to support schools with satellite 
equipment repair assistance. In the event of the failure of satellite receive 
equipment at a school with students enrolled in credit courses or staff development 
courses, the Department of Education will reimburse the school division for repairs 
made to the satellite system.

As your schools prepare course catalogs, please consider including VSEN courses. 
Registration information and course descriptions are available on the Internet as 
part of the Department of Education's Home Page at:
http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Technology/VSEN/. A registration kit will be mailed 
directly to schools and school board offices next week.

For more information on VSEN course offerings or access please call Greg Weisiger, 
VSEN administrator, at (804) 692-0335.

JLD/GW/emt