• About Katy Virtual School

    History​
    The Katy ISD Virtual School is built upon the online courses the District has offered since 2010.  The program was expanded in 2014 to include a greater variety ofKaty Virtual School logo courses. Each course is developed by Katy ISD  to adhere to the Katy ISD curriculum which includes the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

    Developing Courses
    ​Katy ISD teachers are chosen as experts in their field to work with the appropriate secondary curriculum coordinator and the eLearning team to develop a challenging online course that aligns with national standards for online learning.  Parents and students can be assured that the courses in the Katy ISD Virtual School offer the same curriculum and rigor found in our face-to-face classes. 

    Pacing and Calendar
    ​​KVS courses follow the same school year schedule for the fall and spring semester.  Students begin and end their courses just like their regular face-to-face courses.  During the summer, KVS operates on a June - August calendar with two distinct semesters.  Each course provides pacing that supports the student moving through the content and assessments during the summer semester.  Students are expected to work weekly on their course. Visit the KatyOnline calendar​ f​or information on course start and end dates. 

    ​Who are our teachers?
    ​​All KVS teachers are current​ ​Katy ISD teachers who hold Texas ​​Educator certification for the course.   In addition, all KVS teachers have completed a Virtual Instructor Certification Program through Texas A&M or the Katy ISD Online Instructor Certification.  Teachers of AP courses and GT students also must be approved teachers for those specialties.  

    ​What is a learning management system?
    ​A learning management system is an online solution that hosts each course providing methods for sharing resources, including rich media, engaging in interactive online sessions, modules for each Unit Plan, assessments, communication tools, and e-port​folios. In addition, most courses provide access to the online textbook associated with the course.  The District has chosen a product that meets the demanding criteria for our courses, but yet is intuitive for students and teachers. 

    How does a student learn to use the learning management system?
    The best resource for learning how to use it is Canvas Student Guides.  Each Katy Virtual School course has an introductory module with helpful information on how to use Canvas. 

    How does a student get help using the learning management system?
    ​​While the teacher can provide the most direct assistance, students can also gain help in using the learning management system in two ways:

    • Canvas Student Guides
    • While logged in to the Katy Virtual School course in Canvas, the student can select HELP in the bottom left and "Report a Problem".