Course Support Roles

Teacher/Mentor(s)

Teacher/Mentors (T/Ms) work closely with online students to ensure a positive and successful experience in their courses by:

  • Monitoring student performance and progress.
  • Assisting with use of technology and logging in to the course.
  • Facilitating communication and fostering student's relationship with the instructor.
  • Assisting with course participation procedures and gathering student grades.
  • Providing feedback to the DLD about processes, offerings, and course providers.

T/Ms do not need to be subject-matter experts (although some course providers recommend this for students at the AP level). T/Ms are always included in DLD Course Support communications.

DLD Registrar

The Registrar is a member of the school staff (usually guidance counseling staff) who is authorized to advise students on the selection of their courses. Adhering to school online course implementation policies, the DLD Registrar:

  • Promotes the availability of online courses to students, school staff, and parents.
  • Helps students find the right course.
  • Performs online course registration.
  • Maintains the school's online course student roster.
  • Facilitates the application of course credit and grades to student transcripts.
  • Is the contact to the provider and the DLD for questions regarding enrollment.

Schools may have multiple T/Ms, but should have only one Registrar (although the T/M can fill this role too). Registrars are always included in DLD Course Support communications.

School Administrator

Some schools include an administrator on the Course Support team. The administrator makes sure that the T/M and Registrar understand school policies regarding the availability of course offerings, the eligibility of students to take them, and the on-site support required for their participation. Here are recommended examples of policies schools have used:

  • Giving online students a scheduled class period and school computer to complete online coursework under the supervision of their T/Ms.
  • Providing T/Ms with a scheduled "DLD period" to meet with online students in a computer lab.
  • Creating payment and/or cost-sharing policies for participation in online courses.

School administrators are included in DLD Course Support communications by request.

School Technologist

Some schools include their building technologist on the Course Support team. The technologist coordinates with the Registrar and T/Ms to ensure that school computers being used for online learning meet the DLD's and course providers' technology requirements. The technologist is mainly needed at the beginning of each term to make sure any course-specific plug-ins or tech requirements are addressed.

School technologists are included in DLD Course Support communications by request.