For Multidivision Online Providers

A multidivision online provider is:

a private or nonprofit organization that enters into a contract with a local school board to provide online courses or programs through that school board to students who reside in Virginia both within and outside the geographical boundaries of that school division
a private or nonprofit organization that enters into contracts with multiple local school boards to provide online courses or programs to students in grades K through 12 through those school boards
a local school board that provides online courses or programs to students who reside in Virginia but outside the geographical boundaries of that school division

A multidivision online provider is not:

a local school board's online learning program in which fewer than 10 percent of the students enrolled reside outside the geographical boundaries of that school division
multiple local school boards that establish joint online courses or programs in which fewer than 10 percent of the students enrolled reside outside the geographical boundaries of those school divisions
local school boards that provide online learning courses or programs for their students through an arrangement with a public or private institution of higher education
local school boards providing online courses or programs through a private or nonprofit organization that has been approved as a multidivision online provider

Multidivision online providers supply online courses, or virtual courses, to K-12 students. Providers may offer only one course or may offer a full array of courses as a virtual school. Instruction in a virtual course is delivered primarily by a teacher who is in a different physical setting from the student, though local mentors may support student learning.

Accreditation

Multidivision online providers must be accredited by an agency approved by the Virginia Board of Education. The following agencies are approved to accredit virtual learning programs.

AdvancEd (formerly Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA), North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI))
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary Schools and Commission on Secondary Schools
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) (formerly Northwest Association of Accredited Schools)
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE)

Application for Approval as a Multidivision Online Provider

Information on the 2013-2014 Provider Application Process – which opens on January 2, 2013, is available including application forms and the Criteria for Approval of Multidivision Online Providers.
Approved Multidivision Online Providers
Questions regarding the multidivision online provider application process should be directed to Mark R. Saunders, Educational Technology Specialist.

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