The Brandywine Virtual Academy was created by the Chester County Intermediate Unit during the 2006-07 school year to provide individual students with the opportunity to access quality online instruction in one or more courses. Although originally designed to serve students in grades 9-12, the BVA curriculum has been expanded to serve students enrolled in middle school through high school. All courses are developed and taught by Pennsylvania-certified and highly qualified teachers. Courses are aligned to the PA academic standards where appropriate. In addition to “core” academic courses, the menu includes elective courses. Full, half and quarter credit courses are included in the menu of offerings. Both original credit and credit recovery courses are available. While BVA courses primarily use an asynchronous format, some portion of the courses are provided using synchronous technology. In addition, teachers are available for assistance outside normal school hours via virtual office time and group lessons. This provides maximum flexibility for students who work or participate in extracurricular activities.