Homeschool and Exceptional Learners

It is the responsibility of the parent to disclose any information about a student’s IEP, 504, or MLL plans to VirtualSC at the time of enrollment.  Accommodations can be provided in the classes, but services such as Speech/OT/PT are provided by the student’s home district or Home School Association.

Students with lapsed documentation for an IEP, 504, or MLL plan will be referred to their Home School Association or home district to seek an updated or current plan. Plans must be current for VirtualSC to offer accommodations. Parents are encouraged to review information about Child Find and consulting with their home district to determine steps for updating lapsed documentation.

VirtualSC and Homeschool Students with IEPs

VirtualSC, a program of the South Carolina Department of Education, is an academic option for students to take courses bearing high school credit. This includes students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP),  provided that online courses are an appropriate instructional delivery method for the individual student.

Before enrolling a student with a disability into one or more VirtualSC courses, the student’s IEP team must consider if online instructional delivery methods are appropriate for the student. The student’s IEP team should also determine whether or not the student’s accommodations can be provided through virtual learning.  For example, preferential seating close to the instructor or frequent redirections from the instructor are not appropriate accommodations for an online learning environment. It is highly recommended that the IEP team determine what accommodations would be suitable for an online learning environment and denote online accommodations clearly in the accommodations portion of the IEP.

Due to virtual learning design, an IEP with the accommodation of extended time should have clear guidelines for implementation, preferably using an exemplar VirtualSC course pacing guide. 

Before the first day of class, the parent or sponsor is required to upload a current copy of the student’s accommodations portion of the IEP into the VirtualSC Dashboard. Because VSC is providing virtual instruction to the student, VSC and the SCDE have a legitimate educational interest and the authority to access the student’s educational records without parental consent, according to the IDEA and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Unless otherwise indicated, VirtualSC does not require access to the entire document, needing only the information on the accommodations portion of the plan.

For guidance about uploading this information, please contact Jennifer Wagner-Diehl -  jwagner-diehl@ed.sc.gov

To ensure the student’s confidentiality according to the IDEA and FERPA, VSC staff will only share the student’s accommodation information with the student’s teacher(s). VSC staff will correspond with only the parent or those the parent has approved in writing to receive student updates. Each uploaded document will be reviewed. VSC staff and/or faculty may contact the student’s sponsor or parent to discuss relevant information regarding the student (including the provision of accommodations or the need for amendment/clarification).

Questions about our IEP Policy? Click here or contact our Exceptional Learners Specialist, Liz Crouse -  secrouse@ed.sc.gov

Questions about special education in South Carolina? Please contact the SCDE, Office of Special Education Services.

VirtualSC and Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act Of 1973 for Homeschool

Section 504 prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities. A student with a disability is one who (a) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, (b) has a record of such impairment, or (c) is regarded as having such impairment.  Students may qualify for a plan disabled under Section 504 even though they do not require services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  Due process rights of students with disabilities and their parents under Section 504 will be enforced.

All individuals who are disabled under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are also considered to be disabled and therefore protected under Section 504. VirtualSC will provide reasonable accommodations to students following the student’s 504 Plan developed by a knowledgeable team with familiarity with the student, their evaluation results, and available accommodations.

It is highly recommended that the 504 team determine what accommodations would be suitable for an online learning environment and clearly denote online accommodations in the 504.

Due to virtual learning design, a 504 plan with the accommodation of extended time should have clear guidelines for implementation, preferably using an exemplar VirtualSC course pacing guide. 

To ensure the student’s confidentiality, according to FERPA, VSC staff will only share the student’s accommodation information with the student’s teacher(s). VSC staff will correspond with only the parent or those the parent has approved in writing to receive student updates. Each uploaded document will be reviewed. VSC staff and/or faculty may contact the student’s sponsor or parent to discuss relevant information regarding the student (including the provision of accommodations or the need for amendment/clarification).

Before the first day of class, the parent or sponsor is required to upload a copy of the student’s accommodations portion of their current 504 plan into the VirtualSC Dashboard. Because VSC is providing virtual education to the student, VSC and the SCDE have a legitimate educational interest and the authority to access the student’s educational records without parental consent, according to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

For guidance about uploading this information, please contact Jennifer Wagner-Diehl -  jwagner-diehl@ed.sc.gov

Questions about our 504 Policy? Click here or contact our Exceptional Learners Specialist, Liz Crouse -  secrouse@ed.sc.gov

Questions about special education in South Carolina? Please contact the SCDE, Office of Special Education Services.

Virtual SC and ELL students

VirtualSC (VSC) is an option for students who are learning English and who wish to take high school credit courses, provided online courses are an appropriate placement for them.  Accommodations that supplement the English language instruction will be provided to the student as appropriate in high school coursework, as outlined in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and ESEA Title III. 

To ensure the student’s confidentiality, according to FERPA, VSC staff will only share the student’s accommodation information with the student’s teacher(s). VSC staff will correspond with only the parent or those the parent has approved in writing to receive student updates. Each uploaded document will be reviewed. VSC staff and/or faculty may contact the student’s sponsor or parent to discuss relevant information regarding the student (including the provision of accommodations or the need for amendment/clarification).

Before the first day of class, the sponsor school district is required to upload a copy of the student’s accommodations portion of their current ELL plan into the VirtualSC Dashboard. (Click here for instructions on how to upload accommodations documents.) Because VSC is providing virtual education to the student, VSC and the SCDE have a legitimate educational interest and the authority to access the student’s educational records without parental consent, according to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and ESEA Title III.

For guidance about uploading this information, please contact Jennifer Wagner-Diehl -  jwagner-diehl@ed.sc.gov

Questions about our ELL Policy? Click here or contact our Exceptional Learners Specialist, Liz Crouse -  secrouse@ed.sc.gov

Questions about special education in South Carolina? Please contact the SCDE, ESEA Title III.