Important School Policies
At TNCA, students come first. Our school policies establish clear expectations, strengthen accountability, and promote integrity, engagement, and shared responsibility so every student has the opportunity to succeed. Together, we own the outcome!
Student & Learning Coach Responsibilities
Student success at TNCA requires consistent participation from both the student and Learning Coach.
Students and Learning Coaches must:
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Log in to Pearson Online Classroom every school day.
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Be available for instruction and school communication during regular school hours, Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Central Time.
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Review the student planner, WebMail, grades, lesson completion, and teacher feedback.
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Attend and actively participate in all required LiveLessons.
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Attend assigned intervention, RTI, IEP, or support sessions.
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Complete required benchmark and state testing.
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Maintain a functional computer with a camera, microphone, and reliable internet access.
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Be available for school calls and respond to contact requests within two business days.
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Maintain current phone numbers, home address, and emergency contact information.
Learning Coaches must also attend the annual mandatory Learning Coach Role Meeting within 30 days of enrollment. Failure to meet these responsibilities may affect the student’s continued enrollment.
Handbook reference: Section 3.1, “Roles and Responsibilities,” pages 6 to 7; Section 3.2, “School Information,” page 7.
School Hours & Student Availability
TNCA’s regular school hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday.
Students must be available during these hours for:
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LiveLessons
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Teacher meetings
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Intervention sessions
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Assessments
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Other required school activities
Students may complete additional independent work outside regular school hours, but evening or weekend work does not replace required participation during the instructional day. High school students may not work at a job during required instructional hours.
Handbook reference: Section 3.2, “School Information,” page 7; Section 3.5, “Additional Information for High School,” page 12.
Tennessee Residency Requirement
TNCA is a Tennessee public school, so enrolled students must maintain their primary residence within Tennessee.
Families must immediately notify TNCA when the student’s home address changes and provide updated proof of residency. If a student lives away from the recorded primary residence for more than 30 days, the student may be considered to have relocated and may be subject to withdrawal.
TNCA may use available measures, including IP address tracking, to verify that students are participating from within Tennessee.
Handbook reference: Section 3.5, “Residency Requirement for Enrollment,” page 12.
Withdrawl & Transfer Requirements
Submitting a withdrawal request does not immediately withdraw a student from TNCA. Before the withdrawal can be completed, the family must provide valid proof that the student is enrolled in another school or approved homeschool program.
Acceptable documentation may include:
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A signed registration confirmation
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A records request from the new school
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A district-signed Intent to Homeschool form
Students must continue attending LiveLessons and completing TNCA assignments until the school receives and verifies the required documentation. Failure to provide proof of continued enrollment may lead to truancy proceedings.
Families must also return any school-provided materials or equipment.
Handbook reference: Section 3.5, “Withdrawing from TNCAJ,” pages 12 to 13.
Daily Attendance
TNCA attendance is based on participation and engagement in required LiveLessons. TNCA staff enter attendance for each official school day.
Students must be available during regular school hours for LiveLessons, teacher meetings, intervention sessions, assessments, and other required activities. Students may complete additional independent work outside regular school hours, but evening or weekend work does not replace required participation during the instructional day.
Students who do not attend all required LiveLessons assigned for the day may receive an unexcused absence. Families should notify the homeroom teacher when a student will be absent and submit documentation promptly.
Absences may be excused with:
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A doctor’s note
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A parent or caretaker note, limited to three per school year
An excused absence excuses the attendance record for that day, but the student must still complete missed assignments and instructional work.
Students absent for more than 10% of instructional days are considered chronically absent and may be placed in attendance intervention. Chronic absenteeism may also affect promotion or continued enrollment.
Handbook reference: Section 4.1, “Caretaker Responsibilities for Attendance,” pages 14 to 15; Section 4.2, “Attendance Review,” pages 15 to 16.
Required LiveLesson Attendance & Participation
LiveLessons are a required part of TNCA’s core instructional program and are not optional enrichment.
Students in grades 4 through 12 must attend all LiveLessons shown on their student planner during regular school hours. This includes:
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Daily English and mathematics LiveLessons
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Science and social studies LiveLessons scheduled twice each week
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Assigned intervention, RTI, IEP, 504, or other support sessions
A student is considered present when the student joins the scheduled session and actively participates. Students must be visible on camera and able to use an audible microphone unless an approved IEP, 504 Plan, or other individualized plan provides an accommodation.
If a LiveLesson is missed, the student must contact the course teacher for a make-up option within two scheduled school days. Completing make-up work does not automatically change an unexcused absence to an excused absence.
High school students may not work at a job during scheduled instructional time or while required to participate in classes, coursework, assessments, or other school activities.
Handbook reference: Section 4.4, “LiveLesson Attendance Expectations,” pages 17 to 18; Section 3.1, “Roles and Responsibilities,” pages 6 to 7; Section 3.5, “Additional Information for High School,” page 12.
Required State Testing & Benchmark Tesitng
Participation in required testing is a condition of enrollment at TNCA. Tennessee does not provide a general opt-out option for required state assessments.
Required assessments may include:
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TCAP for grades 4 through 8
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End-of-Course exams for applicable high school courses
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ACT or SAT for high school graduation
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ELPA21 for eligible English Learners
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Alternate assessments for eligible students
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Fall, winter, and spring benchmark assessments
Families are responsible for transportation to assigned testing locations. Some students may need to travel up to one hour and may test across three or four days.
Students must complete all assigned sections of each assessment to produce a valid score. Failure to participate in required state or benchmark testing may make a student ineligible to return to TNCA the following year. TCAP and EOC results may also count as 15% of the applicable course grade.
Handbook reference: Section 3.5, “Mandatory Testing,” pages 13 to 14; Section 5, “State Testing Scores Part of Semester Final Grade,” page 23.
Truancy & Attendance Intervention
Tennessee law requires regular school attendance. Parents and caretakers are legally responsible for ensuring that students participate fully in school, even when another person serves as the Learning Coach.
TNCA’s progressive truancy process includes:
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Three unexcused absences: A warning notice is sent to the family.
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Five unexcused absences: A mandatory family meeting, individualized attendance assessment, truancy prevention contract, and additional monitoring are required.
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Ten unexcused absences: A Truancy Board Meeting is held, with possible referral to juvenile court, Child Protective Services, or other intervention.
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Ten consecutive unexcused absences: Tennessee law allows TNCA to withdraw the student immediately.
Students withdrawn for truancy-related reasons are not eligible to re-enroll in TNCA during future school years.
Handbook reference: Section 4.5, “Truancy,” pages 18 to 21.
Academic Probation
Students who are failing three or more courses may be placed in TNCA’s mandatory Academic Probation program.
Depending on the student’s stage of intervention, requirements may include:
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Full LiveLesson and intervention attendance
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Daily lesson completion
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An Academic Improvement Plan
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Meetings with teachers, counselors, or administrators
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Daily family monitoring of grades and progress
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Student reflection and self-assessment activities
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Frequent communication between the family and school
Academic Probation operates in three-week cycles. A student who remains unsuccessful or does not follow the plan after 12 weeks of intervention may be withdrawn at the end of the semester or school year. Students who reach the final probation stage and do not meet requirements may also become ineligible to return for one full school year.
Handbook reference: Section 4.6, “Student Academic Probation,” pages 21 to 22.
Grading & Promotion
TNCA uses the following grading scale for grades 4 through 12:
Grade Percentage Passing
A 90 to 100 Yes
B 80 to 89 Yes
C 70 to 79 Yes
D 60 to 69 Yes
F 0 to 59 No
Promotion decisions consider course completion, mastery of instructional objectives, academic proficiency, and readiness for the next grade level.
A student may be denied promotion when the student:
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Has been absent without excuse for more than 10% of the required attendance days, and
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Has failed two or more required subject areas.
High school students who fail required core courses may be automatically assigned credit recovery. Failure to attend or successfully complete required credit recovery may lead to a review of the student’s academic standing and possible withdrawal.
Handbook reference: Section 5, “Grading and Student Evaluation,” pages 23 to 25; Section 6, “Credit Recovery,” pages 29 to 30.
Academic Honesty & AI
All submitted work must reflect the student’s own knowledge, thinking, and effort. Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, inappropriate assistance, and unauthorized use of artificial intelligence.
Students may not use AI to generate, rewrite, solve, or complete academic work unless the teacher has explicitly permitted its use. Assessments, including tests, quizzes, quick checks, benchmarks, portfolios, and discussions, must be completed independently without unauthorized help from the internet, notes, another person, or an AI tool.
TNCA uses a three-strike model across all courses during each school year:
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First strike: A zero is assigned. After a required teacher conference, revised work may be permitted, with a maximum score of 60%.
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Second strike: A permanent zero is assigned, with no remediation. The student is referred to an Assistant Principal.
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Third strike: A permanent zero and administrative review are required. Additional discipline may include withdrawal from TNCA.
Students withdrawn because of repeated academic honesty violations are not eligible to return for one full school year. Students and Learning Coaches must complete annual AI training.
Handbook reference: Section 8.7, “Academic Honesty,” pages 49 to 53.
Bullying, Harassment, & Cyberbulling
TNCA prohibits bullying, harassment, intimidation, cyberbullying, hazing, dating violence, threats, and other abusive behavior.
This policy applies to:
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LiveLessons and virtual classrooms
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WebMail, chats, message boards, and school-related text messages
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Clubs and online activities
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State testing
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Field trips, graduation, and other in-person events
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Conduct occurring outside school when it substantially affects the school community or uses school resources
Students and families should immediately report suspected prohibited behavior to a teacher, counselor, Assistant Principal, or School Leader. Written reports may also be submitted using the Report of Bullying, Aggressive, or Other Prohibited Behavior form in the Virtual Library.
Retaliation against anyone who makes a good-faith report or participates in an investigation is prohibited.
Handbook reference: Section 8.5, “Bullying and Other Forms of Prohibited Behavior,” pages 39 to 44.
Safe & Substance-Free School Environment
The use or possession of controlled substances, alcohol, tobacco, vaping products, or related paraphernalia is prohibited during all TNCA events and activities. This includes testing, field trips, graduation, and other school-sponsored events.
Zero-tolerance offenses include:
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Unauthorized possession of a firearm on school property
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Unlawful possession of controlled substances
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Possession, use, sale, or distribution of drug paraphernalia, including products associated with THC or CBD
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Aggravated assault resulting in injury to a school employee or school resource officer
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Valid threats of mass violence
Zero-tolerance offenses may result in expulsion for a minimum of one calendar year and referral to law enforcement.
Handbook reference: Section 8.3, “Zero Tolerance Offenses,” page 38; Section 8.4, “Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco-Free Environment,” page 39.
Family Communication, Conduct & Resolving Concerns
Strong communication and respectful collaboration between families and TNCA staff are essential to student success. Parents, caretakers, and Learning Coaches must maintain regular communication with the school and respond to school outreach within 48 business hours.
When seeking assistance or addressing a concern, families should follow this order:
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Contact the homeroom teacher, course teacher, counselor, or appropriate staff member.
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If the concern is not resolved, contact the employee’s manager or supervisor.
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If additional assistance is needed, contact the grade-band Assistant Principal.
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If the concern remains unresolved, request a review by the School Leader.
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After completing TNCA’s resolution process, families may contact Johnson County Schools or the Tennessee Department of Education for further assistance.
Formal concerns should be submitted in writing, clearly explain the issue, identify the individuals involved, and describe the requested resolution. Complaints involving discrimination, sexual misconduct, or other serious concerns may be reported directly through the appropriate school or district channels.
All communication must remain respectful, professional, constructive, and focused on student success. Social media is not an appropriate place to address individual school concerns. Threatening, abusive, harassing, discriminatory, vulgar, or disruptive conduct may result in communication restrictions or removal of the individual as the student’s Learning Coach. If another qualified Learning Coach cannot be identified, the student may be withdrawn.
Handbook reference: Section 8.8, “Caretaker Conduct Policy,” pages 53 to 56; Section 8.9, “Dispute Resolution for Caretakers,” pages 56 to 57; Section 1, “Nondiscrimination Policy,” pages 4 to 5.
Responsible Technology Use
TNCA technology, accounts, networks, and platforms must be used safely, respectfully, and for educational purposes.
Students must:
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Protect passwords and login credentials.
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Use school accounts for school-related purposes.
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Communicate respectfully online.
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Submit original work.
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Follow copyright and citation requirements.
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Report security or technology concerns.
Students may not:
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Access or share obscene, violent, hateful, or inappropriate content.
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Use AI to complete assignments without teacher permission.
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Harass, threaten, or impersonate others.
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Bypass internet filters.
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Access systems or data without authorization.
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Share another person’s login information.
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Damage or misuse school technology.
Activity on school-managed devices and platforms may be monitored. Students should not expect communications, files, or activity on school systems to remain private.
Handbook reference: Section 9.1, “Student Technology Acceptable Use Policy,” pages 57 to 59.
Computer & Internet Equipment Responsibilities
Families are generally responsible for providing a computer that has a working camera and microphone and meets TNCA’s technical requirements. Computers may be available to families who request and qualify for a technology hardship exception.
Eligible families may also receive an internet subsidy based on economic need. The subsidy is provided per household, rather than per student, and is distributed digitally according to the schedule in the handbook.
Technology difficulties do not automatically excuse attendance. Families are responsible for identifying an alternative way for the student to participate when equipment or internet service is temporarily unavailable.
Handbook reference: Section 3.1, “Roles and Responsibilities,” page 6; Section 9.2, “Technology Provided by Connections Academy,” pages 59 to 60.