About Katy ISD Virtual Courses

History
The innovative virtual courses are built upon the online courses the District has offered since 2010. The program has continued to expand to include a greater variety of 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 collaborate with the appropriate secondary curriculum coordinators and the Instructional Technology team to develop a challenging online course that aligns with national standards for online learning. Parents and students can be assured that the virtual courses offer the same curriculum and rigor found in our face-to-face classes.

Pacing and Calendar
Virtual 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, virtual courses are offered in two distinct semesters. Each course provides pacing that supports the student moving through the content and assessments.

Who are our teachers?

All virtual teachers are current Katy ISD teachers who have completed training in online learning. 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-portfolios. 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 virtual course in Canvas, the student can select HELP in the bottom left and "Report a Problem".