School-Provided Virtual Instruction: Attendance Tracking and Other Requirements  
 
[NOTE: These practices are required for virtual or hybrid instruction in any setting, including at an existing brick-and-mortar school that offers virtual or hybrid instruction, in standalone virtual schools, and in individual virtual classes. The State Department of Education advises seeking stakeholder input on the "Instruction, Curriculum, and Attendance Requirements" part of this policy.] 
 
Instruction, Curriculum, and Attendance Requirements 
 
When providing students with virtual instruction (including IDLA), RISE Charter School shall take the following measures to comply with Idaho Code and to ensure this instruction is of high quality. RISE Charter School shall:  
 

1. Ensure the School’s virtual instruction upholds the same academic quality and rigor as in-person instruction.  
      
2. Use academic measures determined by the Executive Director or their designee to ensure students are consistently meeting established learning goals. 
      
3. Obtain accreditation for any stand-alone virtual school that provides instruction to students in grades 9-12 as required by law.  
      
4. Use a learning management system to deliver courses. This system may be used to track student attendance through such measures as login data and participation data.  
      
5. Ensure that all content and curriculum are aligned with Idaho Content Standards and the School’s approved curriculum. 
      

6. Ensure that teachers are consistently available to: 
       

   a.  Communicate with students about the academic and other class requirements; 
    

   b.  Guide students through course material;  
    

   c.  Provide individualized learning methods and assistance as needed; and  
    

   d.  Assess student work, including the work of students with special learning needs; 
      

7. Clearly define the roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations for educators delivering virtual or hybrid instruction. Educators must understand that existing School policy is applicable as well as requirements of state and federal laws and regulations including but not limited to, Child Find, FERPA, mandatory reporting, the Code of Ethics for Idaho Professional Educators, and the Parental Rights Act. 
    
8. The Board directs the Executive Director or their designee to develop, implement, and annually review a professional development plan aligned with Policy 2470: Self-Directed Learner and tailored to the virtual school environment (i.e., IDLA). 
    

The plan shall provide training in: 
 

• Implementation of self-directed learning principles in an online setting; 
• Effective virtual instructional practices, including meaningful teacher-to-student interaction; 
• Monitoring student progress and verifying attendance through coursework completion in accordance with Policy 2470; 
• Use of data to identify and support students in need of intervention; and 
• Effective use of digital learning platforms and communication tools. 

9. Ensure that virtual school students receive appropriate teacher-to-student interaction, including timely and frequent feedback on student progress by following the procedures outlined in Policy 2470 - Self-Directed Learner. This includes implementing the methods and practices detailed in the policy to provide structured guidance, regular check-ins, and documented feedback to support student learning. 
      
10. Verify student attendance of virtual instruction not provided at a Charter School site by: 
     
    Tracking the percentage of coursework completed by the student, in accordance with the rules, procedures, and attendance requirements outlined in Policy 2470 – Self-Directed Learner. 

Attendance of virtual instruction provided at a Charter School site will be tracked with the School’s system for tracking attendance of traditional on-site courses. 
 

11. Create a Plan to provide technical support: 
     
    The plan will include utilization of the KSD Technical Department to ensure student devices and learning platforms function properly so students can successfully complete online coursework and participate in asynchronous classes.   

12. Create opportunities for virtual students to interact with other RISE Charter School students. 

13.  Formally and systematically evaluate the effectiveness of virtual instruction. 
     
14. Create a plan for ensuring all students have equal access to instruction. The plan shall include the provision of necessary hardware, software, and internet connectivity required for participation in online coursework and use of remote testing, proctoring, and administration procedures for state-required assessments. 
       

These requirements shall apply regardless of whether the virtual instruction is:  
 

1. Provided as part of a hybrid instruction model or through a program of virtual-only education; or  

2. Provided at a School building, at the student’s home or in another location, or at a combination of these. 

The Board directs the Executive Director to ensure each of the above is completed and to promulgate procedures when required to implement the practices listed above.  
 
RISE Charter School shall document that all requirements outlined in this policy have been met and shall provide such documentation to the State Department of Education upon request. 
    

RISE Charter School retains the authority to hire, oversee, and evaluate all teachers delivering instruction in its virtual education program. Every person who is employed as a teacher in a virtual education program provided for in this section shall hold a certificate and have the endorsements required by state law and administrative rule for the classes they teach. 
 
Financial and Organizational Management 
 
Neither the School nor any of its educational services providers may provide state funds directly to students' parents/guardians. State funds may be used as supplemental learning funds used to enhance educational services or resources and to cover educational costs for students learning outside traditional classrooms and learning at home. Such funds may only be used for the following eligible education expenses:  
 

1. Computer hardware, internet access, or other technological devices or services used primarily to meet a student's educational needs and provided the expenses for internet access are eligible for reimbursement; 
2. Textbooks, curricula, or other instructional materials, including educational software and applications; 
3. Fees for national standardized assessments, advanced placement examinations, exams related to college or university admissions, or industry-recognized certification exams; 
4. Therapies, including but not limited to occupational, behavioral, physical, speech-language, and audiology therapies, or other services or therapies that have been approved by the State Board of Education; and 
5. Other educational expenses and services approved by the State Board of Education. 

These funds shall only be expended through direct order by the virtual school. 
 
The School shall retain proof of Idaho residency for all students enrolled in a Charter School virtual education program.  
 
Any contract or amendment to a contract between the School and an educational services provider that relates to providing virtual learning to students requires the approval of the Board of Directors. 
 
Any virtual education program and educational services provider that the School contracts with shall establish policies on conflicts of interest for individuals who are employed by both the School and the educational services provider. These policies shall include mechanisms for accountability and oversight. 
 
The School shall make available to the State Board of Education any financial agreement they've entered into that will require an educational service provider to assume a virtual school’s financial risk when the virtual school lacks sufficient residual funds to pay the educational service provider. If there is such an agreement, the educational service provider shall make its audited financial statements available unless they already make these statements publicly available for compliance with other federal or state laws. 
 
Any educational services provider the School contracts with that receives public funds from the School for a virtual education program shall provide a written disclosure of services and costs in its contract. The disclosure shall:  
 

1. Identify the specific services provided to the School; 
2. Identify the cost of each service or category of service and the method used to calculate this cost; and 
3. Show a clear relationship between the public funds received and the services provided. 

 
Policy History: 

Adopted on: March 16, 2026 

Revised on: September 21, 2026 

Reviewed on: