Planning and Policies

Asynchronous vs. Synchronous Learning

Students will be offered Asynchronous and Synchronous Learning experiences. Synchronous Learning refers to real-time, instructor-led sessions where students participate at the same time. Asynchronous Learning allows students to access and engage with course material at their own pace, without the need for real-time participation. All students are encouraged to attend Synchronous experiences in addition to their Asynchronous work. Students who fall below a 65 in any course may be required to attend Synchronous meetings. 

(If approved by the NCAA Eligibility Center, college bound athletes will be required to attend two synchronous sessions weekly.)

Dual Enrollment

Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit allows eligible high school students to enroll in college classes concurrently with high school classes to receive both high school and college credit. Students are responsible for all fees, tuition, transportation, and other related expenses for dual enrollment. The student must be in the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade and the student must have a “B” average overall in high school core courses.  The student must have written approval of the principal prior to college registration. The student must meet the entrance requirements established by the participating college/post-secondary institution. Students must successfully pass three semester credit hours at the post-secondary level in the same or related subject. Dual enrollment courses are offered by many post-secondary institutions. Calhoun Community College, Wallace State Community College, University of Alabama, Auburn University, University of North Alabama, and University of Alabama/Huntsville are just a few of the colleges and universities that have dual enrollment agreements. Must get the school’s approval to be awarded high school credit. Renaissance Virtual School will be offering a few dual credit courses with Renaissance Virtual teachers. These courses will be in partnership with Calhoun Community College. 

Limestone County Career Technical Center

Each program at the Limestone County Career and Technical Center has a series of three to six courses.  Students need to register for introductory courses and will be placed in appropriate courses during summer scheduling under the advisement of the Limestone County Career and Technical School Administration. All Career Tech classes require a Renaissance V counselor’s approval. It is also the responsibility of the student to let the Renaissance V counselor know if a change is made to their LCCTC schedule as it could possibly affect graduation requirements and eligibility. Please note that LCCTC courses usually begin before Athens City Schools as the LCCTC follows the Limestone County Schools Calendar. LCCTC courses are a minimum semester commitment and may require students to meet up to 5 days a week on the LCCTC campus. Transportation to and from the LCCTC is the student's responsibility.  The only course available to freshmen is JROTC. Other programs are available to sophomores with the exception of health science which is a junior and senior program. Be advised that a few programs have applications and interviews required before approval. To find out more about the Career Technical Center and the programs offered, visit their website https://www.careertechnical.org/o/ctc.

ACCESS Distance Learning

ACCESS provides students with additional educational opportunities by offering a wide range of course options that are not available through Renaissance V. Courses are taught by certified teachers through an online course module where assignments, online texts, and messages are posted. In general, to be successful in an ACCESS course, you will need to be an independent learner, a good manager of time, and an effective communicator. ACCESS courses may start earlier than typical Renaissance V courses. ACCESS typically follows the Madison City Schools Calendar. ACCESS is run by the Alabama State Department of Education. Students may view a course listing, course description, etc. online at https://accessdl.state.al.us/courses. ACCESS courses should be requested through your counselor.  Students must make appointments with the ACCESS facilitator to schedule tests and all tests must be taken at a Renaissance V location. Please do not sign up for ACCESS courses unless you are fully committed to finishing the rigorous course. 

Schedule Changes

Extreme care must be exercised in the selection of courses. To provide the greatest probability for students to receive requested courses, students are given an opportunity to review the Renaissance V Curriculum Guide and complete PowerSchool Student Registration. A $10 fee will be assessed for a course change unless there has been an administrative error. The fee must be paid online before the changes will be made to the schedule. All requests for changes will be done in writing by the parent through a course change form. Click here for the form. Once a schedule is assigned, students commit to course completion as defined in the student schedule. 

Early Completion

Students have the option of completing their coursework early. To qualify students must have a minimum of 18 total credits that meet the required coursework by the end of the junior year as well as attain a “College and Career Readiness Indicator” (see below) prior to exiting early. Students participating in early completion are only allowed to participate in their graduation ceremonies, senior awards breakfast, and prom. No student who completes in December will be allowed to participate in any other extracurricular activity after completion of their coursework. Students must meet with their counselor to plan for this option. Early completion forms signed by the student and parent are required prior to the Fall semester of their senior year. This form must be given to the guidance counselor. Click here for the form. Students must also complete the FAFSA and Civics Test requirements before exiting in December. 

College and Career Readiness Indicators

To be considered “College and Career Ready” by the Alabama State Department of Education, a high school student must meet one of the following criteria: 

• Make a qualifying score on the AP exam (score of 3, 4, or 5)
• Make a benchmark score in at least one area of the ACT with Writing Exam (English -18,  Reading - 22, Math -  22  Science - 23)
• Receive dual enrollment credit from a college or post-secondary institution
• Enlist in the military (enlistment documentation on file)
• Make a benchmark score on the WorkKeys Exam (Silver or above; 4 or above on all three 
• subtests)
• Receive a CTE Career Readiness Indicator Credential
• Receive completer status through the CTE pathway (3 courses under the same CTE  program)

ACT with Writing

All students enrolled in grade 11 will take the ACT with Writing. Scores from this test may be used for college admission.

WorkKeys 

Transfer Students

Students who transfer to Athens City Schools must complete all state-mandated minimum graduation requirements and any additional local graduation requirements. Transfer students who have a weighted transcript are asked to provide the registrar with the grading policy from the former school(s), so that the transcript may be entered seamlessly. Students transferring in the district from one ACS school to another ACS school must wait until the end of the nine week period to request a transfer. It is the responsibility of the parent to ensure the receiving school is accepting new students before withdrawing from Renaissance V. 

Graduation Participation

The goal of Renaissance Virtual  is to prepare all students for college and/or career pathways utilizing individualized four-year high school plans built for each student based on the results from academic and career interest assessments and middle school coursework.  Students must be enrolled full-time at Renaissance Virtual.  Students should take a math, English, science, and social studies course each year.  Students may not take a lower-level course than one already completed. Renaissance Virtual is a non-ranking school and does not formally recognize a Valedictorian or Salutatorian. In addition, cords of any kind will not be allowed to be worn to the commencement ceremony. Students may wear their honor cords to the Senior Awards Day Ceremony. Renaissance Virtual conforms to U.S. and Alabama Laws, ALSDE Administrative Code, and ACS Policies.  Renaissance Virtual  administrative team will be happy to meet with parents and students on the importance of following Renaissance V requirements.

Graduation Requirements

In order to receive a Renaissance V High School Diploma, all students are expected to 

• Complete the required 24 credits as listed.
• Take and pass the Civics Exam, as per the ALSDE, earning a grade of 60 or higher. If A failing score is received on the first attempt, the student is required to retake the exam a second time.
• Complete the FAFSA application or FAFSA Nonparticipation  Form.
• Students are required to participate in the state-administered Workkeys Testing during their senior year. 
• Beginning the 2024-2025 school year, all students shall complete a multiple-choice financial literacy assessment.
• Beginning the 2025-2026 school year, students are required to earn one or more of the Alabama State Department of Education approved College and Career Readiness Indicators (CCRI) before graduation.

Endorsements

Students may enhance their academic experience by pursuing two additional diploma endorsements: Career Technical and/or Advanced Academic. To receive a Career Technical Endorsement students will need to complete three credits in a sequenced program of CTE study. To receive an Advanced Academic Endorsement, students must complete Algebra II w/Statistics or higher, two credits in the same foreign language, and one credit of AP or Dual Enrollment coursework or 4 honors courses. Students may earn both the Advanced Academic and the Career Technical Endorsements concurrently.

Grading Scale

Grade Point Average (GPA) Scale

Students electing to participate in rigorous courses such as Honors, Dual Enrollment, or Advanced Placement (AP) are given additional weight.  The weighting of the GPA is designed to encourage students to enroll in more advanced courses. The grades for approved advanced courses will be weighted as follows: A dual enrollment grade on the college transcript is not weighted. The weighted GPA is recorded on the student’s high school report card and transcript.

• PLTW (Project Lead the Way) courses and 3rd/4th levels of foreign languages are considered the equivalent of an honors course with weight added.  
• The weighted grade is used in calculating the Grade Point Average.
• Renaissance V is a non-ranking school and does not recognize Valedictorian or Salutatorian

Grading Explained

Final grades are solely determined by the grade earned at the end of a course. Renaissance V  believes that students can achieve mastery at various times throughout the duration of a course. Therefore, quarterly grades are viewed as a snapshot of students’ progress at that given time. Grades from each quarter are not “averaged” together at the end of the course.  Instead, students maintain a running and ongoing “progress grade.”  

Credit Recovery

In accordance with Alabama State Department of Education guidelines, Renaissance V offers students who have received failing grades in any core courses that are required for graduation an opportunity to recover the lost credit through a standards-based approach that targets specific knowledge and skill deficits instead of requiring the student to repeat the entire course.  Such students must meet eligibility requirements to apply, and the credit recovery program is operated under board-approved and established guidelines.  Instruction is delivered through computer-based instructional software and may also include targeted instruction supervised and managed by a teacher certified in secondary education. Students who complete their individualized remediation plans by demonstrating minimal proficiency in all required standards will receive a grade of 70 for the recovered course credit.  For students who fail to complete the remediation plan by demonstrating minimal proficiency in all required standards, there will be no grade change and no recovered credit for the failed course. It should be noted that Credit Recovery courses will not be accepted through the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Truancy

Students who have unexcused absences from their scheduled in-person sessions and/or who are not on pace with their online coursework by more than 10 days during a semester could be considered truant.  An attendance officer shall be notified of truant students.   Suspension of current driver's licenses/learner's permits for students 16 years and older who withdraw or who fall into a truant category, may be reported by the school authorities to the Department of Public Safety. The Department of Public Safety shall notify such persons that their driver's licenses/learner's permits will be suspended on the 30th day following notification unless re-enrollment occurs or one of the other conditions is documented. Students and/or parents/custodians should contact their school principal for additional information before making an application to the Department of Public Safety for a driver's license/learner's permit.