Course Prerequisites and Specifications

    • VLA courses are at level, not Honors. 
    • The grade earned in this course will not count towards a high school GPA. The course name and final grade will be listed on the high school transcript.
    • If students take a VLA course, the following school year’s course requests will not change until August when final grades confirm that students have earned credit.

     

    Courses available to middle school students include:

    • Spanish 1 and Spanish 2
      • While middle school students can take Spanish online, it is recommended that students enroll in Spanish at their home school during the school year. 
      • If students wish to enroll in Spanish for their foreign language credit, we recommend that students take Spanish 1 in 7th grade and Spanish 2 in 8th grade. This will allow students to enroll in Honors Spanish 3 and AP Spanish 4 in high school.
      • Currently, VLA does not offer 3 or 4 Spanish courses. Online Spanish 3 may be available through other course providers through the
      Texas Virtual Schools Network
        .
      • There is no in-district Spanish 3 course option at the middle school level except for 8th graders in the dual language program. If students finish Spanish 2 before 8th grade, they will need to enroll in Spanish as an elective course.
      • To graduate from high school, students only need 2 years of the same language for their foreign language credit. Some students choose to take 3 or 4 years of a language. Check the admission requirements of the colleges and universities you are interested in to see how many foreign language credits they require.
      • Students may enroll in Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 (or another language) at the high school. This is not a requirement in middle school. 

     

    • American Sign Language (ASL) or Latin
      • If students enroll in ASL or Latin through VLA, they must continue these courses at VLA or until students begin high school. Middle schools in LISD do not offer these language courses.
      • Other language options are ​​available at the high school level.

     

    • Fine Arts
      • If students enjoy making art and want to pursue advanced art classes, we do not recommend the VLA art course. The VLA course will be more art history and theoretical instruction online. It would be best for your student to enroll in this course as an 8th grader in middle school or enroll in person in high school. Students can then pursue other advanced art courses in high school.
      • If the purpose of your student enrolling in this course is to earn a high school fine arts credit (rather than prepare for more advanced art courses), a good time to do so is the summer before their 9th grade year or in high school.
      • Students who wish to enroll in this course prior to finishing 8th grade are required to have 1 year of middle school fine arts as a prerequisite.
      • Note: Fine arts, band, choir, orchestra, drama, dance, and other related courses also count toward high school fine arts credit in grades 9-12. The minimum graduation requirement is 1 fine arts credit.

     

    • Algebra 1
      • Students must pass Math 7 with Honors or Math 8 before enrolling in the Algebra 1 course through VLA.
      • The VLA Algebra 1 course is a leveled course and not an honors course.
      • There is a mandatory End-of-Course (EOC) exam with algebra tied to high school graduation. Students will not be able to take this exam in the summer. They will be required to take the exam at their high school at the next testing opportunity. There may be a gap between taking Algebra 1 in the summer and the next testing opportunity.
      •  If students pass both semesters (part A and B) before 8th grade, they will need to attend the geometry course at their local high school. Students will need to be at high school no later than 8:15 a.m. Students will then need to return to their middle school in time for 2nd period, around 9:45 a.m. each morning. Transportation must be provided by parents. There is no district transportation to take your child between high school and middle school.

     

    • Geometry
      • Students must pass Algebra 1 and the End-of-Course exam before enrolling in the VLA Geometry course.
      • This course is an on-level course and not an honors/GT course.

     

    • Algebra 2
      • Students must have passed the high school Geometry course before enrolling in Algebra 2 VLA.
      • This course is an on-level course and not an honors/GT course.