Academic Re-entry Plan Middletown Area School District August 4, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Academic Re-entry Plan

Middletown Area School District August 4, 2020

Keystone Exams

• Pennsylvania’s graduation requirements (Act 158) take effect with the graduating class of 2022. Keystone

Exams are the primary way in which graduation requirements can be satisfied, therefore, we want to provide students with as many opportunities as possible to take the Keystone Exams.

• All students (except students in the class of 2021) who were scheduled to take a Spring 2020 Keystone Exam

(canceled due to COVID-19) will participate in the Summer Wave Keystone Exams (September 28 – October 2, 2020).

• Results will be available in the fall of 2020, and will enable staff to establish a baseline score for students and

plan appropriate reteaching/remediation/instruction.

• Students will have the ability to retest during winter and spring administrations of the Keystone.
• All parents of students in grades 9 – 11 will receive a communication explaining graduation requirements and

informing them of which (if any) Summer Keystone Exam their child is scheduled to take.

Vertical Articulation of Curriculum

• During the August professional development days, all teachers will be provided with

time to collaborate with grade level or department colleagues to identify any essential content from curriculum that was not adequately taught/learned due to the COVID-19 closure.

• This will apply to any high school courses which are part of a sequence. For

example, French I, II, and III will need to be evaluated due to their sequential nature.

• Shared documents will be used for this purpose so that all teachers are able to

access all courses/grade levels.

Closing the Gap

• Principals will work with teachers to plan instruction designed to close the

gap caused by the closure. Instruction will take place during WIN (What I Need) time at the elementary level, flex time at MAMS, and flex time at MAHS.

• Flex time at MAHS will also be used to support students who did not

complete assigned work during the closure.

• Teachers may need to adjust scope and sequence to ensure reteaching of

content not adequately covered.

Curriculum Prioritization/Early Days of School

• Curriculum must be prioritized due to the possibility of reduced instructional time

during the 2020-21 school year.

• Instruction in the early days of school must focus on the following: use of the

iPad, use of Learning Management Systems (Google Classroom and Canvas), and use of apps or other technology students will be expected to use independently.

• Video tutorials will be created for parents so that they are able to assist children and

communicate effectively with teachers and the technology department.

• Teachers must focus the early days of school on developing relationships with

students.

Curriculum Prioritization (contd.)

• Teachers will collaborate by grade level/department during the August professional development days to review

curriculum and prioritize essential content.

• All MASD curriculum is in a shared folder (accessible to all professional staff).
• Shared documents will be used for teachers to map the first marking period of the 2020-21 school year.
• Content that is not essential should be excluded/postponed.
• Activities not related to essential content should be eliminated, and activities that are essential may need to be

condensed.

• Positive Action™ MUST be taught at the elementary level, as social emotional learning is critical for students

as they return to school.

• Distributed formative assessment will need to be used to monitor student progress within curriculum.
• Administration will review and approve new curriculum maps.
• Resources must be evaluated and should be able to be digitized or used in a remote environment.

Progress Monitoring

• It is essential to monitor student progress and intervene immediately when

students are not demonstrating adequate progress to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 closure.

• ELEMENTARY
• 4Sight Mathematics (grades 3-5)
• Acadience Assessments (literacy, grades K-5)
• PAST, PSI, Emerging Literacy, Core Phonics, CDT, F&P (literacy according to grade

level)

Progress Monitoring (Contd.)

• MIDDLE SCHOOL
• 4Sight English/Language Arts (all students

grades 6-8)

• IXL Diagnostic (Mathematics)
• Mastery Connect (Mathematics)
• CDTs (tested areas)
• Successmaker (Literacy, specific students)
• Curriculum Based Assessments
• HIGH SCHOOL
• CDTs (tested areas)
• Apex (English)
• IXL Diagnostics (Mathematics)
• Mastery Connect (various subjects)
• Curriculum Based Assessments
• SPECIAL EDUCATION
• All students with an IEP will receive progress

monitoring as indicated previously for their grade level AND progress toward IEP goals will be monitored

EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS

• To ensure equitable access to instruction and learning opportunities, the

following secondary students will have the opportunity to attend brick and mortar four days per week (not an issue for elementary because all elementary students are attending brick and mortar):

• Any student with an IEP (any type of IEP including gifted, emotional support, etc.)
• Any student with a 504 plan
• Any student identified as an English Learner (formerly ESL)
• ESL teachers at the secondary level are contacting parents using a translation service to

ensure they understand this option.

Professional Development

• All staff will be attending nine days of professional development in August (August 17 – 20 and August

24– 28).

• All teachers will participate in curriculum prioritization and vertical articulation (as previously described)
• Teachers of mathematics (K-12) will receive a full day of training from Solution Tree™ in teaching mathematics in a virtual
• environment. The training will be virtual and will model instructional practices.
• Teachers will have the opportunity to receive assistance from the technology department in the use of the iPad or any

apps/software teachers are planning to use.

• Teachers will have the opportunity to build their online presence in Google Classroom or Canvas with support from peers

and the technology department.

• Explicit expectations for teachers with regard to the Learning Management Systems will be developed by

administration and communicated to teachers.

• All District employees will be trained in safety protocols related to COVID-19 for staff and students.
• Due to an anticipated substitute shortage during the 2020-21 school year, attendance at outside professional development will be

limited.

DIGITAL CONTENT

• MASD has purchased a great deal of digital content to support curriculum over the past years.
• All mathematics resources K-12 are supported by digital content.
• Secondary ELA materials (except English III and IV) are supported by digital content.
• Defined Learning (K-8 science) is fully digital.
• Much of the secondary curriculum in the content areas is published by Cengage and has a digital component.
• IXL, Mastery Connect, Successmaker, Storia are examples of digital content/resources.
• If a teacher believes he or she does not have adequate digital content to support curriculum, a

protocol for requesting, vetting and approving resources will be developed for use.

• It is critical that we are purchasing resources that align to curriculum, are compatible with our technology, are
• f high quality, and are not redundant (wasteful). Resources that are purchased must be used with consistency

across departments or grade levels to ensure equity.