Current Students

Contact Roxanne Bynum at 253-571-2095 or rbynum@tacoma.k12.wa.us

Getting Logged Into Edgenuity

EDGENUITY STUDENT LOGIN
To log into Edgenuity, your username will be your TPS email address: studentID@tps10.org (example: 1234567@tps10.org)
Password: contact your PACE coach for your password

Understanding Progress Reports and Grading in Edgenuity

Click HERE to see a handy one-pager on how to understand how Edgenuity reports grades.

For further help, please contact your student's PACE Coach.

TOL has one middle school and two high school counselors available to help you! They can connect you to resources, help you navigate online school, connect you to the next steps after high school, and just listen. Look for an email from your counselor shortly after school starts asking you to schedule a 1-to-1 meeting with them.

Click here for our counseling team’s website

Tacoma Online students can attend dances at other schools as the guest of a student at that school when that school allows guests. All TPS schools have an application form to attend as a guest when allowed. Have the student at that school get the form from that school and fill out their portion. Fill out your portion and email to Paul Eliot (peliot@tacoma.k12.wa.us) for his signature. When complete, the student at that school should turn it in and wait for approval. Then that student can purchase the tickets. At no point should the Tacoma Online student be on campus of the other high school during the school day. The student at that school should be handling all of the paperwork.

TOL Students are eligible to play sports at their neighborhood school only. To get signed up, contact the athletic director at your neighborhood school.

Yes. All testing requirements will be delivered to our Tacoma Online students in the same format as all Tacoma students.

Tacoma Online's office is located at 

912 Broadway
Tacoma, WA 98402

Parking Access Map

Students enrolled in Tacoma Online must complete the entire semester of learning (trimester at Elementary). At the end of that time, if a parent wants to return their student to an in-person school, Tacoma Online staff will support the student and family in the transfer/enrollment process. Please note, students may not be able to return their previously assigned school in the middle of a school year as enrollment will be based on space availability. 

Email: First, check your email for communication from your student’s teacher. K-5 teachers will email the primary address on file to introduce themselves and give you more information. This communication from your K-5 teacher will include information about first day meetings and how to log in.  

Launch: TOL students will engage in Launch activities the first few days of school. Learning coaches are encouraged to engage and learn alongside students.

Teams: Students should log in to their district computer and Office 365. Student login username is their student number @tps10.org. Example: 1234567@tps10.org. Once logged in to Office 365, students should open Teams. Shortly before school starts, their class team will appear. This is where students will access live meetings.  

Flexible: TOL K-5 schedules will be different than in-person school schedules. At K-5, each class will have a whole group, community PACE meeting at 9AM daily. Each student will schedule one 15-minute meeting with their PACE coach. Aside from these regularly scheduled meetings, your student’s day will vary based on teacher recommendations and the learner experience your family selects. You can expect there to be approximately 30 hours of school work each week; some of this time will be live in small group meetings, some of it will be working online or with paper and pencil on asynchronous lessons. Additionally, TOL K-5 staff plan to host optional in person events. 

Weekly PACE 1:1 Meeting: Since Tacoma Online is an alternative learning experience (ALE), the attendance requirement is different than in-person schools. TOL teachers will take attendance on a weekly basis following their 1:1 PACE or PLP meetings. Students, with the support of their at home learning coach, will be expected to fill out a short, weekly form in advance of their 1:1 meeting.  

Monthly PACE PLP Meeting: Close to every 4th week, the PACE meeting will be a review of the student’s Personalize Learning Plan. A summary of this meeting will be emailed to families.  

Learning Space: First, ensure that your student has a quiet, comfortable place to complete their schoolwork. Students should be able to plug in their laptop, and also write comfortably on paper. Ideally, this could be a desk or table in a quiet room.   

Supplies: TOL will provide some supplies for students. Each trimester, TOL K-5 will host a supply pick up event where families may pick up a packet of learning materials to support that trimester’s content. Please let your PACE coach know if an in-person pick up does not work for your family and we may make alternative arrangements to support your needs. Our first  

Communication: Regularly checking your email for updates from your student’s PACE coach and Tacoma Online is a vital part of success at TOL. It will also be vital for K-5 families to use their Schoology access codes to log in to Schoology to gauge student progress. We are excited to partner with you and your student. Please notify TOL office of any changes to your contact information.  

TOL staff and instructors use Outlook email as our primary method of communication. The info you are looking for is more than likely been emailed to you. On your TPS laptop, you can open the Outlook app (Microsoft’s email program) or you can go to www.tol.tacomaschools.org and look at the top of the page for Office 365. 

Click that and on the page that opens, look to the left for Outlook. This is your email inbox. Look for emails from Tacoma Online/TOL.

 

 

Tacoma Online uses the Edgenuity platform in partnership with Imagine Learning. Once you’re signed onto your TPS laptop, open your laptop’s Edge Internet Browser and go to: https://auth.edgenuity.com/Login/Login/Student . Your username is the same as your TPS email, StudentID@tps10.org (ex. 1234567@tps10.org). Your PACE Coach will tell you your password. Please email them. 

Be flexible and patient with yourself and your child. It can take a week or two to adjust to the program, how the curriculum works, and pacing. Some days, you may zip through work. Other days you may not, and that’s okay! Have fun learning and ask lots of questions.

We have learned that there are THREE critical success factors for students at Tacoma Online.

·      Check your TPS Outlook email daily – this is a habit you’ll need to build.

·      Communicate with and rely on your PACE Coach. They’re the first point of contact for students and families, know what’s going on, and can help you navigate anything TOL. Stay connected to them!

·      Develop and refine a schedule for doing your schoolwork. When you went to a traditional school building, the schedule was set for you and bells and adults moved you through your school day. At home doing online school, you need to manage your time and setup a schedule to do school. It can look quite different than traditional school and maybe even quite different than other TOL students – what’s important is that you have a schedule that works for you. Successful students build a schedule that provides at least 30 hours of schoolwork each week.

TOL’s PACE Program is the heart and soul of TOL. We connect every student to a mentor teacher who acts as their advocate and coach for online learning. Your PACE coach will be a teacher at TOL Middle or High School but may not be the teacher of one of your classes.

Your PACE Coach will hold (optional, but strongly suggested!) whole group PACE meetings for all their students on Monday and Friday mornings. This is a great way to meet other students in your grade at TOL! Community can be hard to find in online school and it can get lonely at home. These meetings are both fun and helpful!

Your PACE Coach is also your first point of contact at Tacoma Online and the very best person to ask a question about TOL. They will help you establish a schedule, monitor your progress, and help you succeed. They will connect with you each week for (usually a 15 minutes on MS Teams videochat). It's required for schools like TOL that you connect with your PACE coach each week. Failing to connect with them repeatedly could lead to disciplinary actions up to removal from the TOL School.

You’ll work with your PACE coach to establish and adapt as you find a schedule that works for you. The key is that your schedule establishes at least 25 hours of schoolwork time per week.

Some students find success with a schedule that mimics the traditional building schedule where they do about an hour of each class, every day. Others find that it works better for them to do two hours of half of their classes every other day – a kind of block schedule.

What matters most is that you establish a schedule and stick to it. After a week or two, you might want to try another schedule. Go for it – just stick to what you design!

We count on family partnership in this online setting. Keeping an eye on your student’s progress can help avoid disappointment or crunch times down the road. As an ALE school, Tacoma Online uses a the Edgenuity system for grading progress. You won't be able to see current assignments, grades, or progress in the Synergy ParentVUE app, though you will be able to see posted mid-term and semester final grades there.

Shortly after school begins, you will begin receiving an email weekly, from the Edgenuity system showing their ACTUAL grade in each class, and their OVERALL grade.

These two types of grades take a bit of getting used to.

OVERALL Grade is the grades given on all the work they have turned in. It’s a measure of the quality of their work. If your student has turned in one assignment and received 100%, the overall grade will be 100%. However, this can be misleading…What if there have been 5 assignments due and they’ve only submitted the one assignment? They’re behind in the class but overall grade doesn’t account for this.

ACTUAL Grade accounts for your student’s progress in the course as well as the quality of their work. Take the example above where a student got 100% on one assignment but was missing 4 others. This student has only done 1 of 5 assignments and is only 20% on pace (they’re behind). Actual grade multiplies these two.

100% (overall grade) times 20% (pace) = ACTUAL GRADE = 20% - E

While they’re done good work on one assignment, they’re quite behind and in the email progress report you’d see an Actual grade of 20%, an E in the class. This student is behind and will need to work more each week to catch up.

When a student is “on pace” in their class, the Actual grade and the Overall grade are the same.

Parent Portal

You also have access to the Parent Portal to track student progress anytime you want. Check out this video with helpful instructions to sign up for the Parent Portal and how to use it along with this document providing step by step instructions. 

 

Yes. While Tacoma Online has increased flexibility in access and time, it will operate on the same academic calendar as other TPS schools. 

Yes! For information about Running Start at Tacoma Online including how to get signed up, please see our Running Start webpage.

When you have questions about your student's experience at Tacoma Online, the first resources for you are you student's class teacher and their PACE Coach. Our teachers are here to help you and your students with their courses. Your student's PACE Coach is your first point of contact at Tacoma Online and can often help with questions and concerns about how your student can succeed at Tacoma Online.

You can find contact information for our teachers and PACE Coaches here.

If you don't know your student's PACE Coach or course teacher, or if you have other questions, complaints, or suggestions, please contact our Assistant Principals:

Tacoma Online grades K - 5: Ruth Schlattmann - 253-571-1523 - rschlat@tacoma.k12.wa.us 
Tacoma Online Middle & High School - Paul Eliot - 253-571-1525 - peliot@tacoma.k12.wa.us

The goal of the Student Support Services team is to provide holistic support to all Tacoma Online community members. The team consists of PACE coaches, Special Education teacher, counselors, and more.  

Tacoma Online’s Counseling Team is here to support students. They support students who may be experiencing a loss in housing, food insecurity or need assistance with technology acquisition. They also connect families with various community services. The counselors’ collaboration with advisors, teachers, and principals ensures that students have all they need to remain successful. Counselors will be available by email and phone.  

Tacoma Online will conduct activities to identify students’ primary language and provide a Transitional Bilingual Instructional Program or alternative instructional program to eligible students (WAC 392-160). 

Tacoma Online will support all students by providing supplemental English language arts or mathematics instruction (LAP). (WAC 392-162). 

Tacoma Online will provide students who are eligible for Special Education or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 with FAPE, a free and appropriate public education (WAC 392-172A and WAC 392-700). 

For a full explanation of the rights available parents/guardians of students eligible for or referred for special education, please refer to the notice of Procedural Safeguards. 

WA State OSPI Guidance for Evaluations 

Tacoma Online offers a variety of supports for students and families. The PACE coach is the main point of contact for assignments, content questions, as well as all things academic.  

The TOL leadership team consists of: 

You also have the support of the Operations Team, which encompasses your friendly Registration and Enrollment crew. Their primary role is to help you obtain and submit all necessary documents so that you can remain enrolled at Tacoma Online. You can reach out for transcripts and school records. To contact the Operations Team, send an email to tpsonline@tacoma.k12.wa.us or call (253) 571-1545 and our staff will forward you to the right team member to help you. 

For Tacoma Online laptop support, students and families may contact Roxanne Bynum:  rbynum@tacoma.k12.wa.us

Students may access computer support through the district help desk: studenthelp@tacoma.k12.wa.us or 253-571-4357 

The first point of contact for families will be the PACE coach. PACE coaches will communicate with students via their Tacoma Schools email account in Outlook, through Schoology course updates, and via Teams meetings. This will include newsletters, announcements, and communications from teachers regarding schoolwork and meetings. 

Tacoma Online will communicate with families through the email address they have on record with Tacoma Public Schools. This will include weekly newsletters, progress reports, and communications from your student’s teachers regarding schoolwork.  

If your email address has changed or you need to update any of your contact information, please email TOL Enrollment at tolenrollment@tacoma.k12.wa.us 

Tacoma Online will also post information, updates, and opportunities on Facebook and Instagram. Please consider following these pages to stay in the loop. 

Schoology

Tacoma Online is now using Schoology, an integrated learning management system. Teachers use Schoology to post their classroom materials online, provide a safe forum for discussion, and to assign and collect coursework and assessments. Schoology will be the primary location for students to access and complete coursework for K-5 students. Guardians will have access to BE EXPECTED TO CREATE an account that will allow access to the classes their student is enrolled in, upcoming assignments, announcements, and student progress. Here are a few videos that may help you get started with Schoology: 

Students: How to Login to Schoology 
Guardians: Elementary Guardian Grade View in Schoology 
Family Webinar: Intro to Schoology 

Tacoma Online will continue to use Microsoft Teams as the platform to engage students and families live.  

Intro to Office 365 

Overview of Microsoft Teams 

Join a Teams Meeting from a Computer 

Teachers will load asynchronous content into Schoology courses, all of which will be accessible through the teacher’s landing page on their homeroom course. TOL K-5 teachers will use a combination of teacher and district curated resources to support teaching and learning of Washington State Standards.  

Be Respectful – We will respect all team members no matter if they are speaking, silent, present, or absent. 

Be Responsible – We will attend meetings and complete assignments on time. We will communicate with appropriate teachers when unable to do so. 

Be Productive – We will use chat and discussion boards at the appropriate times for productive and on-topic sharing 

Be Present – We will keep our cameras on when we are available. We will engage with teachers and peers in live and/or asynchronous settings. 

Online: At Tacoma Online, you will likely attend live classes, conferences, clubs, and more. It’s important to know that all of us follow our norms. From teachers to students, principals to parents, we agree to make the best of each live opportunity by committing to our norms. There may be instances in which you cannot use your camera during class or clubs. We understand, but we hope that you will be able to use your camera as much as possible to build relationships, create community, and connect with your peers. 

In-Person: We support students in moving toward independent learning and appropriate behavior. While participating in any school-sponsored event or outing, Tacoma Online students are subject to the student discipline policies of the Tacoma School District. We expect students to act responsibly. The Tacoma Online community reinforces positive behaviors and recognizes improvement. Our school provides opportunities for students to be involved and contribute to community. We help students develop responsibility for their own behavior and treat everyone with respect. 

Tacoma Public Schools (TPS) adopted FLASH for grades 5-12 in June 2018 as a comprehensive sexual health education curriculum developed by Public Health Seattle-King County and designed to prevent teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and sexual violence and to increase family communication about sexual health-related topics such as dating, sex, and abstinence.

FLASH is aligned to the Washington State Health Education K-12 Learning Standards and National Health Standards and was selected by a team of TPS Educators, Family Members, Community Members, and Health Professionals.

Washington State Law and Board Policy 2126 requires that HIV/AIDS prevention be taught annually for every student grades 5-12. These lessons will be part of your child’s science course.

 You can preview the materials through the secure Family App.  

After reviewing the curriculum, you have the choice to opt your child out of the instruction. It is preferred that you use the Family App if you choose to opt your student(s) out of FLASH lessons.

Printable directions for family access: "How to access the Sexual Health Opt-Out form"

District and state testing are important parts of Tacoma Online’s academic programming, in addition to teacher directed assessments, these assessments help us as educators best support each learner. They also allow us to improve teaching practices and recognize schoolwide trends. Students participate in the following assessments:  

Test Name	Type	Location	Date ranges and Students
iReady Screener	District	Online	9/19-10/6 (1st to 5th)  1/3-1/27 (K to 5th)   5/8-6/9 (K to 5th)
Early Literacy Screener (RAN)	District	Online	1/30-3/31 (K-1st  and 2nd who have not taken)
WaKIDS	State	In-person	9/16 (K only)
Highly Capable Screening	State	In-person	2/1-2/28 (2nd only)
Smarter Balanced Assessment	State	In-person	5/2-6/9 (3rd to 5th)
SBA WCAS Science	State	In-person	5/2-6/9 (5th only)

Tacoma Online is committed to living as a community that celebrates diversity and strives to create understanding through continuous growth. We are a safe space for all genders, religions, ages, races, ethnicities, and ability levels. 

At Tacoma Online, we trust each other. We do what is right, especially when no one is watching. We act with intention, integrity, and honesty. We will honor one another in academics, social activity, and community life. Cheating, fabrication, and plagiarism result in a false evaluation of student performance. At Tacoma Online, these actions are considered academic dishonesty and repeated issues will result in disciplinary action. Particularly on assessments, it is important that learning coaches allow the student to complete the work and reflect their true knowledge and abilities.  

At Middle and High School, TOL has a more specific policy and steps for handling academic dishonesty. You can read that policy here
 

All students at Tacoma Online are an important part of the Tacoma School District. Tacoma Online students and families should refer to Tacoma School Board policies and procedures for important information. Please use the links below to familiarize yourself with the expectations provided by the school board. 

Tacoma School District Website 

Tacoma School District Parent-Student Handbook 

Tacoma School Board Policies & Regulations 

Non-Discrimination Statement 

Tacoma Public Schools does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: 

• Civil Rights Coordinator: Lisa Nolan, lnolan@tacoma.k12.wa.us, 253-571-1252; 

• Title IX Coordinator, Elementary: Christa Erolin, cerolin@tacoma.k12.wa.us, 253-571-1318; 

• Title IX Coordinator, Secondary: Eric Hogan, ehogan1@tacoma.k12.wa.us, 253-571-1191; 

• 504 Coordinator: Elementary, Elise Friedrich-Nielsen, efriedr@tacoma.k12.wa.us, 253-571-1096; 

• 504 Coordinator: Secondary, Megan Nelson, mnelson@tacoma.k12.wa.us, 253-571-1003. 

Mailing address: P.O. Box 1357, Tacoma, WA 98401-1357. 

If you have questions regarding this nondiscrimination statement and its use, please write lnolan@tacoma.k12.wa.us. 

Tacoma School District 

601 South 8th Street 

Tacoma, WA 98405 

Phone (253) 571-1000 

info@tacoma.k12.wa.us  

Tacoma School is now a “1-to-1” technology district where every student has a TPS issued student laptop and power charger. As students move from school to school, they keep the same laptop, even over the Summer. Students need to return the laptop and charger when they leave Tacoma Schools. 

The Technology department maintains a website where you can find out more about Microsoft applications and access technology help. Students may access computer support through the district help desk: studenthelp@tacoma.k12.wa.us or 253-571-4357 

Tacoma Online is a public school of the Tacoma School District. It is important that all members of the school understand that Tacoma Online is not a homeschooling option. Our school is accountable to all laws and mandates regarding Alternative Learning Environments in the State of Washington. You can find more information by visiting these websites: 

Alternative Learning Experience Courses 

Alternative Learning Experience Requirements 

Online Learning Definitions 

OSPI Alternative Learning Experience Guidance 

Discriminatory Harassment 

Sexual Harassment 

Tacoma Online is an Alternative Learning Experience. It is not home-based instruction nor a private school. 

In accordance with the Alternative Learning Experience Implementation Standards, reference WAC 392-550, prior to enrollment, parent(s) or guardian shall be provided with documentation attesting to the understanding of the difference between Home-Based Instruction (homeschooling), Private School and enrollment in a public-school Alternative Learning Experience (ALE). 

Summary Descriptions 

Home-Based Instruction 

• Is provided by the parent or guardian as authorized under RCW 28A.200 and 28A.225.010. 

• Parent has filed an annual Declaration of Intent with the district. 

• Students are neither enrolled nor eligible for graduation through a public high school unless they meet all district and state graduation requirements. 

• Students are not subject to the rules and regulations governing public school, including course, graduation, and assessment requirements. 

• The public school is under no obligation to provide instruction or instructional materials, or to otherwise supervise the student’s education. 

Private School 

• Students are enrolled in an approved private school in the State of Washington. 

• Students are not subject to the rules and regulations governing public school, including course, graduation, and assessment requirements. 

Private School or Home-Based Instruction students may have access to ancillary services and may enroll in a public-school course on a part-time basis (less than full-time) where space is available. Students are responsible for maintaining acceptable attendance and for meeting the course and school requirements for courses in which they are enrolled. They maintain their Home-Based Instruction or Private School student status. 

Alternative Learning Experience Program 

• Is authorized under WAC 392-121-182 and provided via WAC 392-550. 

• Students are enrolled in public education. 

• Students are subject to the rules and regulations governing public schools, including course, graduation, and assessment requirement for all portions of the ALE. 

• Instructional materials used for coursework meet district standards and are free from sectarian control or influence. 

Learning experiences are: 

• Supervised, monitored, assessed, and evaluated by certificated staff (weekly contact and monthly review). 

• Designed learning experiences planned together with student, parent and teacher. 

• Provided via a Written Student Learning Plan (Personalized Learning Plan). 

• Provided in whole, or part, outside the regular classroom.