Home Facilitators

Each student at PALCS is required to have a Home Facilitator (HF) to partner with the school to ensure that the student is attending school and assignments are completed on time.  This person may be a parent/legal guardian or someone the parent/legal guardian designates as a facilitator.  In the event the parent/legal guardian or designated HF is unable to fulfill the responsibilities as outlined below, the parent/legal guardian is responsible for assigning a new HF and notifying the school as soon as possible.

The requirements for the HF vary with the age and motivation of the student and involve a commitment that goes beyond a traditional public school. Students in lower grades (K-8), students with lower motivation levels and students with special needs require more direct involvement.  The HF is an integral part of each student’s success. Without the full commitment of the HF, at all grade levels, a student’s academic success will suffer.

Primary Responsibilities

The Home Facilitator is the essential link between the teacher and the student.  By signing and dating the signature form of this agreement, the HF (and parent in the case of a non-parent HF) agrees to the following responsibilities.  He/She must: 

• attend a mandatory orientation at one of our designated locations before enrollment.
  
  
• arrange for the Internet, high speed when possible, to be connected before enrollment and ensure sufficient amount of time on the Internet to complete a day of school work.
  

• provide supervision for the student at all times when he/she is logged on to the PALCS site.
  
  
• agree to login to the HF’s site to view student’s daily attendance, daily assignments and profile, and to answer PALCSMail in timely manner.  Home Facilitators should be familiar with what the student is working on, and be able to assist where necessary. 
  
  
• agree to participate in all required activities, including, but not limited to, state mandated PSSA testing.  HF MUST provide transportation to PSSA state-mandated testing for student and see that the test is completed in its entirety.  
  
  
• agree to keep HF username and password confidential.
  
  
• agree to communicate with the teachers regularly as needed and to respond to PALCSMail requests for information from the teacher. 
  
  
• agree not to address parent issues in online classes, but to communicate with teachers via PALCSmail or phone.
  
  
• agree not to log into the student’s account without the student present.
  
  
• agree that in the event of Level 4 non-compliance with the Attendance Policy, HF and student are required to attend a mandatory truancy meeting.

Technological Knowledge Requirements

The Home Facilitator must have a basic understanding of technology to provide supervision of the student while the student is in attendance at PALCS.  If the HF does not have a sufficient understanding of computer technology, PALCS will provide training until the HF is able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge.  Basic knowledge includes but is not limited to: e-mail, basic use of Microsoft Office Products (or similar software), Internet and Moodle navigation. 

Involvement

All Home Facilitators must be fully engaged no matter what the specified level of involvement indicates.  Each course at PALCS has been assigned a level of involvement for the Home Facilitator from one to five. The following are only guidelines indicating the level of involvement for each course or program.  The Home Facilitator’s level of involvement is indicated in each course in the online course description catalogue.  The levels are as follows: 

Level 5

• Level 5 courses require full time participation for the HF. 
• Home Facilitators are expected to assist the child 90-100% of the time that the child is working on material. 
• This commitment involves making sure students are completing all parts of lessons and assignments, monitoring student understanding of readings and checking HF PALCSMail daily.  

Level 4

• This course involves a major commitment of time from the HF.
• The HF will need to assist the child 70-90% of the time the child is working on course material.
• This commitment involves making sure students are completing all parts of lessons and assignments, monitoring student understanding of readings and checking HF PALCSMail daily.

Level 3

• This course requires a time commitment of anywhere from 30-70% of the time the child is working on course work. 
• Teachers recommend working with students 50% of the time, adjusting involvement as necessary. 
• This commitment involves making sure students are completing all parts of lessons and assignments, occasionally monitoring student understanding of readings and checking HF PALCSMail daily.  

Level 2

• This course requires student monitoring by the HF 10-30% of the time and minimal intervention in the class.
• Students will be expected to display the appropriate maturity level to attempt the material without the HF.
• Students advocate for themselves as well as request help directly from their teachers most of the time.
• HF should continue to check on student progress regularly and check HF PALCSMail daily.

Level 1

• This course only requires monitoring by the HF, about 1-10% of the time.
• Students are expected to complete assignments independently with occasional help from their teachers above and beyond the instructional time.
• HF should continue to check on student progress regularly, but should not need to be involved instructionally. 
• HF should continue to check HF PALCSMail daily.

Non-Parent Home Facilitators

All non-parent Home Facilitators must provide the school with a current (within the last year) Criminal Record Check ($10 fee) and Child Abuse Clearance ($10 fee) before working with the students. Copies of the originals must be submitted with this form.  Originals of said forms must be witnessed by a PALCS employee.  Such witness may be done during the required face-to-face interview, or at another time as arranged by non-parent Home Facilitator and PALCS.