Mehlville School District

MOCAP
The Missouri Course Access Program (MOCAP) is designed to expand the range of courses and opportunities offered to students by increasing access to online learning.

The enrollment window for the first semester of each school year shall be open on May 1st of the previous school year. 

Senate Bill 603 (2018) and House Bill 1606 (2018) created new requirements for local school districts related to virtual education and access to these courses. The Mehlville District has developed a system in order to be in compliance with these new laws. Beginning in January 2019, any student in kindergarten through 12th grade enrolled in the Mehlville School District can opt to take a course virtually through Mehlville School District or through the Missouri Course Access Program (MOCAP) organized through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).  More information on the Missouri Course Access Program can be found at: https://mocap.mo.gov/.

Virtual Education Information & Requirements 

Student Skills Necessary for Success in Virtual Courses: 

• Demonstrated time-management skills that indicate the student is capable of submitting assignment and completing course requirements without reminders.
• Demonstrated persistence in overcoming obstacles and willingness to seek assistance when needed.
• Demonstrated verbal or written communication skills that would allow the student to succeed in an environment where the instructor may not provide nonverbal cues to support the student’s understanding.
• Student has the necessary computer or technical skills to succeed in a virtual course.
• Student has access to technology resources to participate in a virtual course.
• Student’s previous success/struggles in virtual coursework.

A student or parent/guardian must receive district approval before the student may enroll in virtual courses provided by or paid for by the district or through MOCAP. Enrollment in courses offered through MOCAP may be denied only if the principal or designee, in consultation with the student's parents/guardians and relevant staff, determines that it is not in the student's best educational interest to enroll in the course. The principal or designee will consider available opportunities for in-person instruction and the student's prior participation in virtual courses when making this decision.

District Legal Notice
Because virtual instruction can be an effective education option for some students, the Mehlville School District offers students in Grades K-12 with district-provided and district-sponsored virtual courses through district staff or by contracting for those services as part of the district-sponsored curriculum. In addition, eligible students may enroll in virtual courses offered through the Missouri Course Access Program (MOCAP). The district will accept all grades and credits earned through district-sponsored virtual instruction and MOCAP.  

The district will pay the costs of a virtual course only if the district has first approved the student's enrollment in the course as described in this policy. Board Policy IGCD – Virtual Instruction Students are eligible to enroll in MOCAP approved virtual courses if they have attended the previous semester in the Mehlville School District or other Missouri public/charter schools and have enrolled during the defined enrollment period. The enrollment period is defined as any time prior to the start of the semester or by the Friday of the first full week of the start of the semester.

Even if a student or his or her parents/guardians pay the costs for a virtual course, the student or parents/guardians should meet with the principal or designee prior to enrollment to ensure that the course is consistent with the student's academic and personal goals.

The district is not required to provide students access to or pay for courses beyond the equivalent of full-time enrollment. The district will provide supervision for students who take virtual courses in district facilities, but will not provide supervision for students taking virtual courses offsite.

Students taking courses virtually are subject to district policies, procedures and rules applicable to students enrolled in traditional courses including, but not limited to, the district's discipline code and prohibitions on academic dishonesty, discrimination, harassment, bullying and cyberbullying.