Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) is a pioneer in online learning through our Virtual Prince William (VPW) program. VPW provides a world-class online learning experience, with accelerated courses taught by highly skilled and certified PWCS teachers. Virtual Prince William offers students the opportunity to take classes online to:
Complete graduation requirements
Recover credits
Balance academic and extracurricular opportunities
These online courses are delivered via Canvas, PWCS’ learning management system, and coursework is completed outside school hours. Students and teachers communicate within the learning management system and via PWCS email accounts. VPW courses are NCAA-approved as nontraditional courses.
VPW courses are fully asynchronous (self-guided). Students are expected to be able to work independently and collaborate with their teachers and peers. Asynchronous instruction is designed for students to complete coursework independently at a designated pace. While students have some flexibility to choose when they complete asynchronous tasks, they must adhere to course pacing, schedule, due dates, and deadlines.
Courses offered in any given school year are dependent on student enrollment and the availability of qualified and appropriately endorsed instructional staff. View VPW course offerings and schedule.
The Virtual Prince William (VPW) is a program designed to expand access to challenging curricula through the delivery of high-quality online courses.
The VPW offers courses for full credit in three terms per year: fall, spring, and summer. Students attend an online orientation and then work from any location with internet access to complete their assignments and take their assessments online. Students must take a mid-semester benchmark exam, SOL (if applicable), and final exams online.
The VPW uses highly-qualified PWCS teachers. Video assignments and exams are also included in the course and students are required to have the following:
Reliable internet access
A laptop, desktop computer, or iPad
Microphone/speakers or headset
Browser-enabled webcam
VPW courses are not self-paced, self-directed courses. They are based on a published schedule and require consistent interaction with the instructor and peers. Students can work ahead as long as they are meeting the set deadlines and must meet together at a pre-established date and time for high-stakes exams such as benchmark, final, and SOL.
Online learning courses tend to be very work-intensive, and since there are no bells or hall monitors to begin and end classes, students involved in online courses must have a strong desire to learn and achieve. Most students who have taken a course from the VPW have commented that online courses are excellent but require at least as much time as a traditional classroom course, if not more.
Vision
The vision of Virtual Prince William is to create and educate lifelong, self-motivated learners using quality, asynchronous online learning.
Mission
Virtual Prince William offers online learning that provides freedom and flexibility, empowering students to achieve their educational goals in balance with the demands of their personal lives, and the opportunity to drive their learning to become responsible, contributing global citizens.
Governing Regulation
View the Prince William County Public Schools regulation for Virtual Prince William:
