General Information

How will the online school be different from traditional public schools? Gwinnett Online Campus courses are similar to traditional courses in the following ways: there are lessons, homework, due dates, class discussions, tests, scheduled online CLASS time (live class time), and teachers available to students throughout the duration of the course. The difference is that these activities occur over the internet and students may complete course work during the time of day that best fits their schedules, except for scheduled CLASS sessions and face-to-face requirements. Students are required to log in to class daily and will need a computer and reliable internet access in order to complete their online course work.

What curriculum will Gwinnett Online Campus teach? Gwinnett Online Campus follows the Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) curriculum for elementary, middle, and high school.

Are there required face-to-face meetings or classes? At the beginning of the semester, students may be expected to attend an orientation to discuss the unique learning experience at Gwinnett Online Campus. During this orientation, students will be taught various online tools such as; how to navigate Desire2Learn (D2L), our learning management system, how to communicate with teachers, and how to attend online CLASS sessions. Parents may also attend several important meetings during these days that will explain promotion requirements, district and state testing requirements, and how to support their student with online learning.

During the school year, students in grades 4-12 will be encouraged to attend virtual class sessions weekly. Students in grades k-3 may be asked to come to campus in small groups with their teacher. All students will also attend testing on campus throughout the year. 

AP courses require material pickup at the beginning of the term. Finally, all District Developed Assessments (DDAs), final exams, Georgia End of Course exams (EOCs), and state and local standardized tests are administered in person at the Gwinnett Online Campus facility.

Each online high school course will also have scheduled online CLASS time that students are expected to attend. CLASS schedules will be available the first day of class and are conducted using our online classroom.

All final exams, accountability testing and retest opportunities are face to face at Gwinnett Online Campus.

Will Gwinnett Online Campus serve all students? What about students who have special needs? All special education students in Gwinnett County Public Schools are provided a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. All placement decisions are made based on individual student need by the student’s IEP team. The district will be responsible for assuring that appropriate services are provided to all students with an IEP.

Where will face-to-face meetings take place? Will transportation be provided? All face-to-face course requirements will be held at the Gwinnett Online Campus facility. Transportation is not provided.

How will the school system measure the effectiveness of the online school? Gwinnett Online Campus will be expected to meet all indicators of achievement as well as district and state performance expectations that are outlined for any GCPS School.

How do I know if an online education is the right fit for my child? It is important to determine if a student is well-suited for an online learning environment. The following are characteristics of good online learners:

• They organize their work and time effectively.
• They have a study area available that provides reliable internet access.
• They have a parent/guardian who supports them as they learn and who is an active participant in the online learning environment.
• They are self-directed, completing assignments in a more flexible setting with less direct supervision.
• They have a high comfort level with computers and are able to work with a number of programs effectively.
• They use email, an internet browser, and a wide range of software.
• They are inquisitive and ask many questions of themselves and others and know how to find the answers.
• They are comfortable as an independent learner.
• They are able to stay on task.
• They are proficient in asking for help when it is needed and communicate with their teachers in an online environment, through email, text, and phone calls. 

Will students have to take required county and state tests and meet all graduation/promotion requirements? Yes. Full-time GOC students are expected to meet the same graduation/promotion requirements as all Gwinnett County Public School students.

What happens if my child enrolls in GOC as a full-time student and he or she does not do well in the online setting? Can he or she transfer back to his or her traditional school? Gwinnett Online Campus is committed to helping its students succeed academically. If, however, a student decides to transfer back to his or her previous school, it is recommended that the transfer take place at the end of a semester.

Will there be any extracurricular activities for Gwinnett Online Campus? Can students participate in extracurricular activities at the high school they previously attended if they enroll full-time at Gwinnett Online Campus? There are numerous Rich Experiences and on-campus events scheduled for online students. Clubs and activities are based on student interest and available sponsors. According to new board policy, Gwinnett Online Campus students may participate in GHSA extracurricular activities as a member of the school team for the school in which they would ordinarily attend within the policies of the Board beginning in the fall of 2022-23. Parents must make contact with the zoned school's Director of Athletics to begin the process for participation.

How will students and teachers communicate/build relationships? Teachers at Gwinnett Online Campus implement a number of strategies to help students succeed in the virtual learning environment. They are also fully trained in the Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Quality Plus Teaching Strategies and participate in regular professional development to continue delivering high quality instruction. Virtual meetings also give students and teachers the chance to interact and build strong student/teacher relationships. In addition, all teachers are available by phone and email on a daily basis (Monday – Friday). Teachers also provide timely grade updates and direct feedback to students and parents through the course gradebook, the course tools, and the Gwinnett County Public Schools Parent Portal.

What kind of interaction will be available for parents of online students? At my child's traditional school, I can schedule a teacher conference... will that be available at the online school? Conferences may be scheduled using conference calls, virtual classroom software, or in person at the Gwinnett Online Campus offices.

Will full-time Gwinnett Online Campus students be required to check in everyday online? Students are given a course schedule to follow and due dates that must be met. However, students may certainly work ahead in their courses. Student success is performance-based and is measured by whether or not a student is current in his or her courses and is showing mastery of the course content.

What happens if you miss too many classes? Online learning is production oriented. If a student misses due dates, he/she will not do well in his or her course(s). If a student misses due dates and is considered truant, he/she may be withdrawn from the online school per Gwinnett County Public Schools’ policy.

Will the school have counselors to help advise and offer support to students? Yes, Gwinnett Online Campus has a counselor on staff who will serve as the students’ academic advisor. Gwinnett Online Campus is dedicated to helping each of our students to be successful.

Will this school be accredited? All schools in the district, including Gwinnett Online Campus, are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement.

Is Gwinnett Online Campus a form of home schooling? Gwinnett Online Campus is not a home school program or independent study.

How will credits be determined for students who were previously home schooled or who attended non-accredited schools? Placement of students in grades k – 8 will be made based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, curriculum evaluation, student age, assessment performance, etc. High school students will be required to achieve a 70% or higher on tests that determine the student’s mastery of past courses he or she has taken. In addition, prior to grade promotion or graduation, all students who transfer to Gwinnett Online Campus will be required to meet all elementary, middle, and/or high school promotion and graduation requirements, including earning passing scores on all required district and state assessments

Can full-time students in Gwinnett Online Campus be enrolled in another GCPS school? A student cannot be enrolled as a full-time student at two Gwinnett County high schools. However, Gwinnett Online Campus students can be concurrently enrolled in Maxwell High School of Technology or the technical education program at Grayson High as part of the student’s coursework toward a diploma. A student would be expected to attend one of the two locations for half a day and take the remainder of his or her coursework online.

Will students be restricted to the classes they can take in their grade level or will they be able to take upper level classes--dual enrollment? Students may take an extra course during each semester, mini-semester, or summer session on a tuition basis. It is recommended that students work closely with their counselor before signing up to take additional courses. Once a student finishes all graduation requirements, he or she may explore postsecondary learning options.

Will Advanced Placement classes be offered? Yes, a complete course list is available on our website. Gwinnett Online Campus offers classes at the college preparatory, honors, gifted and Advanced Placement levels.

For 7th period and summer sessions, Gwinnett Online Campus has used a shortened semester system. Will that be the way classes are organized for full-time students who attend? Gwinnett Online Campus will operate on a semester system. Semesters will be eighteen weeks long, and will start in August, and January. Students will take six classes every semester.

Will diplomas be issued from Gwinnett Online Campus? Yes. Full-time students who successfully complete all Gwinnett County Public Schools and state of Georgia graduation requirements will earn a diploma from Gwinnett Online Campus. A formal graduation ceremony is held the week after courses end in December and May.

Will the diploma from the online school be accepted for college admission? Yes, the diploma from Gwinnett Online Campus will be accepted just as the diploma of any other Gwinnett County public high school is accepted. All schools in the district—including Gwinnett Online Campus-- are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement.

Will Gwinnett Online Campus still offer 7th period classes and credit recovery to students enrolled in other Gwinnett high schools or will that be done away with now that it will be a school serving full-time students of its own? All existing Gwinnett Online Campus services will remain in place. Students from other Gwinnett County Public Schools may continue to take online courses as a part of their school day, outside their school day on a tuition basis, and in online summer school.

Will my child's class options be limited by the availability of teachers to teach certain subjects online? Will fine arts classes, technical education, and other electives be available? Gwinnett Online Campus offers many career and technical education, foreign language, and other academic electives. Please see https://www.gcpsk12.org/gwinnettonline for a complete listing of courses offered to full-time students. In addition, Gwinnett Online Campus students will have the opportunity to participate in Maxwell High School of Technology and the Grayson High School Technical Education Program.

Will students taking 7th period classes be in the same class with full-time students? It is likely that full-time students, concurrently enrolled FTE students, and tuition students could all be in the same class.

Will this be an option for homebound students or must students be there for a full semester unit? Homebound students who take online courses typically remain enrolled at their home school, but take online courses as a concurrently enrolled FTE student. Each homebound situation is unique and is handled independently.

Can a student attend the online school and graduate early? Students may take advantage of the opportunity to take additional classes on a tuition basis each semester or mini-semester and in summer school. It is possible for students to graduate early if they have met all graduation requirements prior to their scheduled graduation date.

Can a student participate in Dual Enrollment? Gwinnett Online Campus offers the opportunity for students to take courses at local area colleges. This program is a dual enrollment program for students to attend a post-secondary institution full-time during their junior and/or senior year of high school and receive high school credit and college credit simultaneously while attending college classes on the college campus.