WPS REOPENING PLANS GLENN BRAND, Ed.D SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

WPS REOPENING PLANS

GLENN BRAND, Ed.D SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AUGUST 6, 2020

SCHOOL REOPENING PLANS

• We are working closely with public health experts, teachers, administrators, community

members, and parents to plan for a safe and healthy reopening of school.

• The Commissioner of Education has requested that each school district submit a final plan

for the fall that includes three (3) learning models:

○ Full‐time, in‐person ○ Hybrid plan with both in‐person instruction, as well as remote ○ Fully remote

• While one plan must ultimately emerge as the model under which a district will reopen, it is

clear that, given the conditions and circumstances, the upcoming year may necessitate districts/schools to transition from one model to another and to be far more flexible than ever.

WPS REOPENING PLANNING

• Final recommendations from the WPS Reopening Advisory Group have been made and will soon be

available on our website

• A huge thanks to all of those who provided considerable time over the last few months to help

solidify our plans.

• We have created a new section of the website where we are adding information related to our

reopening, which will include our final plan in detail. That plan will be approved by the School Committee and submitted to DESE.

Health & Safety Planning

MEDICAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION – WHY IS DESE RECOMMENDING IN‐PERSON LEARNING?

After weeks of discussion with many stakeholders, including members of the Return to School Working Group, infectious disease physicians, pediatricians and other public health experts, and given low transmission rates of COVID‐19 in the state, there continues to be a clear consensus amongst these stakeholders at this time that in‐person learning is both possible and preferred.

DESE Doctors on Back to School in Massachusetts

THE CURRENT PLAN FOR HEALTH & SAFETY FOR ANY IN‐PERSON LEARNING

• Current DESE guidance is to aim for 6‐feet physical distance between students, with no

less than three feet.

• Given the Center for Disease Control Guidance, our plan is to utilize 6‐feet within

classrooms.

• DESE has established a requirement that masks/face coverings must be worn for all

staff and all students Grades 2‐12.

• We originally extended that requirement to Grade 1 students, as well, but I am

extending this further and will be making it a requirement for ALL students to wear a mask when in school.

• All students are required to wear a mask on buses.

COVID‐19 MONITORING

• A safe return to in‐person school environments will require a combination of health and

safety steps.

• Masks are amongst the most important single measure to contain the spread of Covid‐19.
• Testing, combined with contact tracing, quarantining and isolation also helps to control

the spread of Covid‐19.

• Contact tracing for purposes of isolation and quarantine will be conducted by Wilmington

Board of Health, with the help of the school district staff and families.

• Local cases of Covid‐19 are reported to the Wilmington Board of Health.
• Weekly reporting of cases in Wilmington is provided by the Board of Health through

website and social media postings.

COVID‐19 MONITORING

• Decisions on phases or regression of phases falls under the Governor and the Massachusetts Department of

Public Health and the Wilmington Board of Health continues to follow that guidance.

• When there is suspected in‐school transmission beyond one small cohort of students or staff, WPS school

leaders will consult with the Wilmington Board of Health to discuss further steps, which could include: ▪ Making a decision to close school or part of school for extensive cleaning ▪ Making a decision to close school for a 14 day quarantine period

• If the community as a whole is experiencing significant municipal outbreak the Superintendent will discuss

with the Wilmington Board of Health to determine whether it is appropriate to close a specific school or the district as a whole.

• Any decision to close a school or school district will require the Superintendent to consult with DESE prior to

making that final decision.

Planning for Instruction and WPS Reopening

DEFINING LEARNING MODELS

In‐Person Learning: Hybrid Learning Model: Remote Learning Model:

• Students receiving in‐person

instruction full time in school environments that have been appropriately modified to address health and safety requirements issued by DESE

• In this model, districts may still

have a subset of students whose families have decided to continue remote learning while the rest of the school returns to in‐person learning.

• Students will alternate between

in‐person learning with safety requirements and remote learning

• In this model, some High Needs

students may still participate in full‐time in‐person instruction and some families may still decide to keep their children learning remotely full time

• Remote learning is the default

mode of instruction for students

• DESE has indicated that

Structured Learning Time requirements apply to remote learning

CURRENT FALL REOPENING PLAN FOR WPS

• Utilizing the parameter of 6‐feet social distance, not only in the classroom

but also during lunch periods, renders it simply not possible to welcome all students back in‐person.

• Based upon the current health conditions in our community and the advice
• f our local health advisors, we are planning to reopen with a hybrid model
• f instruction which will allow for a portion of our students to be in school at

a time for some in‐person learning.

• The ability to combine some in‐person instruction with far fewer students at

a time allows for increased safety, balanced by a much more robust remote learning model, is what seems most appropriate at this time.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE WPS HYBRID PLAN Gr. 1‐12

• For students in Grades 1‐12, the hybrid learning plan will include :

▪ Two (2) full days of in‐person learning for half of our students on Monday and Thursday (Cohort A) ▪ Two (2) full days of in‐person learning for the other half of students on Tuesday and Friday (Cohort B).

• The other three (3) days of the week for each cohort will be used for remote learning.
• Each Wednesday students from both groups will interact together with their teacher

remotely.

• If the entire district must switch to fully remote, all students will transition to remote

learning with their current teachers.

Siblings will be scheduled in the same cohort if a family elects to have each student participate in the hybrid model of instruction.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE WPS HYBRID PLAN

• We will operate as closely as possible on a regular schedule at each school, recognizing

that there will be some time lost for regulating entry/dismissal time for scheduled handwashing and mask breaks, etc.

• We will aim to provide elementary students with as many of their typical courses as

possible.

• Every effort will be made to offer all courses that our WMS and WHS students select, but

some schedule limitations will be in place.

• At home learning days will include a combination of assignments/classwork to be done at

home, along with new learning, and there may be non‐electronic materials ‐ all of which will be leveraged through a more robust learning management system.

THE WPS HYBRID MODEL PRE‐K & KINDERGARTEN

• Our current plan at the Wildwood School and Boutwell School (both PreK and K) includes a half

day program with morning and afternoon sessions.

• This planning supports students attending school for in‐person learning in a manner that is

developmentally appropriate for our youngest learners.

• This model will provide:

○

Age‐appropriate curriculum while adhering to state guidance/restrictions

○

Consistent daily routine to help with first school experience

○

Our special populations, including students with disabilities and English learners, with the necessary services and accommodations they require

○

Smaller class size to allow for compliance with health and safety guidelines

If a fully in‐person model is resumed during the school year for grades 1‐12, the District will reassess the feasibility of returning to full‐day programming for Kindergarten.

THE WPS HYBRID MODEL

To clarify, the Hybrid model is WPS’s chosen in‐school/in‐person model and the one that, at this time, is the focus to begin school in the fall of 2020 Current and ongoing conditions could and will dictate the degree to which we can utilize this model, including

• Staffing availability ‐ with the possibility of having a shortage of staff we may not have an

appropriate level of staffing, which could impact our ability to operate programs in‐person.

• Challenging Circumstances ‐ the immense complexity of trying to plan for all of this may warrant

additional time at the beginning of the school year, resulting in the need to begin remote instruction at first, transitioning to the in‐person hybrid model.

• Health Conditions ‐ the current healthy conditions may dictate whether in‐person or remote is

in play.

• Other Factors ‐ there may be additional factors that have not yet been anticipated, which will

impact our ability to begin with the hybrid model.

WPS SAMPLE ELEMENTARY LEVEL HYBRID SCHEDULE

WPS SAMPLE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL HYBRID SCHEDULE

ADJUSTMENTS TO SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS

The school environment will look and feel quite different when students are in session in the hybrid model

Recess at the Elementary Level

• Outdoor playgrounds can’t be utilized
• Shared equipment (i.e. balls etc. ) will be limited
• Students will likely be contained in smaller groups with far greater

restriction on mixing together

Lunch Time

• Physical distance of 6 feet must be maintained
• Students will have to be spread out throughout area
• Students will likely be contained in smaller groups with far greater

restriction on mixing together

Classrooms

• There will be no group seating with desks in single rows
• Very limited (if at all) time out of the seat
• To the greatest extent possible, ‘specialist’ teachers will travel to

students in their classrooms ‐ students will not travel very often

Extracurricular Activities

• Under DESE guidelines, chorus and wind instrumental playing can only

happen outdoors with extensive social distance guidelines

• Before and after school extra‐curricular activities will not occur in

person

ADJUSTMENTS TO SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS

The school environment will look and feel quite different when students are in session in the hybrid model.

• Restriction on Window Air

Conditioning

• Window air conditioners or fans cannot be used because they re‐

circulate internal air

• Windows will need to remain open as much as possible (even in the

colder weather)

Masks & Hydration

• With the exception of scheduled masks breaks, lunch and if
• utside, masks/face coverings will need to be worn at all times

by all students

• Interior water fountains have to be closed

High Needs Student Populations

PRIORITIZING HIGH NEEDS STUDENTS

• As part of our reopening plans, WPS will be carefully assessing the needs of our high needs

students populations including those with:

○

Disabilities

○

English Learners

○

Economically disadvantaged students

○

Foster care and homeless students

• It is our intention to follow the DESE guidance and prioritize these students as much as possible

for in‐person services ‐ even in the hybrid model.

• Students with complex needs already identified as high needs through the IEP process will need

to meet specific criteria and will be assessed accordingly to determine the number of in‐person days per week that they will be welcome to attend.

• Further information will be included within the District’s final plan that will be submitted to the

Commissioner of Education and available from Student Support Services and posted on our website.

Remote Instruction

HOMESCHOOLING VS. FULLY REMOTE INSTRUCTION

• The decision to homeschool a child is very different from the fully remote model of instruction.
• In homeschooling a family is, essentially, formally withdrawing their child from the supports,

programs and services of the school district.

• The fully remote instruction option contrasts with the homeschool path in that a student remains a

formally enrolled student in WPS.

• Whereas, in the homeschool scenario the parent/guardian is taking full legal responsibility for

meeting the educational requirements in a fully remote model the District must assume the responsibility.

• The School Committee has a policy in which formal homeschool applications must be submitted

annually to the Superintendent of Schools, after which a formal notification of the Superintendent’s decision is sent back to the families for that school year.

ELECTED REMOTE INSTRUCTION

• DESE has indicated that districts must provide families with a choice as to whether or not

they want their child to attend school in person OR if they wish to participate in full remote instruction.

• Regardless of the model the district uses, a student may remain fully enrolled in the school

and district receiving instruction remotely.

• In our previous spring survey, 68% of families indicated that they may wish to pursue that as

an option, with an additional 25% also indicating that they were not sure.

• It is important to note that elected remote instruction is NOT the same as home school

instruction.

ELECTED REMOTE INSTRUCTION, CON’T

There are a number of factors to keep in mind related to elected remote instruction:

• Students who are a part of a grade‐level cohort of fully remote students will not be a part of the ‘A’ or

‘B’ cohort of students who have elected to be a part of the hybrid learning model.

• Students who opt to participate in fully remote learning will be placed into a third cohort (currently

identified as Cohort C)

• Whenever possible, and contingent upon staff availability, students participating in an elected remote

learning model will receive instruction from a WPS teacher; however, this will be ultimately determined by staff availability.

• Our current plan is to make every effort to have elementary students in Cohort C have the same courses as

those which their peers are receiving

• The current plan is that middle and high school students will receive the courses in which they are enrolled.
• First priority = securing a teacher; Second priority = exploring an online option

STRENGTHENING REMOTE INSTRUCTION

• We will be working hard to strengthen our remote learning plan, not only for those

students who elect the model for full remote instruction, but also in the event that we must begin school in a remote environment, or pivot to the remote model due to the health emergency.

• The administration and School Committee are engaged in negotiations with the

Wilmington Teachers’ Association to ensure that students have more face‐to‐face, synchronous/in‐person hours of instruction than they did last spring.

• DESE expects that learning hours in any mode of instruction (including the elected mode)

will be comparable to a regular school day.

STRENGTHENING REMOTE INSTRUCTION

• Remote learning during the upcoming year will emulate the schedule of the hybrid model.
• Students will be synchronous or scheduled regularly throughout a full day of school with
• ccasional breaks for application of assignments, check‐ins with small groups of students,

lunch, etc.

• Remote learning will be provided primarily using Google Meet and Google Classroom.
• Instruction will include all content areas included in the Massachusetts Curriculum

Frameworks.

• As in the spring, students will be equipped with Chromebooks, either provided by families
• r loaned to students from the district, and ‘hot spots’ will be provided by the District for

those families in need of wireless access.

STRENGTHENING REMOTE INSTRUCTION CON’T

• Attendance and active participation are expected during remote learning and will be

tracked.

• A consistent schedule of synchronous instruction times will be communicated to families

weekly.

• Lessons and assignments will be aligned to the MA Frameworks and assignments graded

and will contribute to a student’s overall grade for the term.

• See DESE Guidance Fall Remote Learning

Operational Considerations

DETERMINATIONS AROUND SCHOOL REOPENING OR CLOSURE, OR SHIFTING FROM ONE MODEL TO ANOTHER

• If the trajectory of the virus improves markedly per Department of Public Health

Guidelines, and we could reduce the 6‐feet of social distancing, the A and B Cohorts could become full, in‐person learning.

• Having students subdivided into the three cohorts (A/B for decision to participate

in the hybrid model, and the C cohort for those students electing full remote) provides the District with the most flexibility to shift or pivot from one mode of instruction to the next, and eliminates the ‘transition time’ we all experienced last spring.

WHAT ABOUT TRANSPORTATION?

• All qualifying families who would like to have their child transported on the school bus may elect

to do so.

• We are obligated to follow very strict guidelines around school bus transportation, including the

need to conduct thorough cleaning and disinfecting, requiring all students to wear masks at all times, and to have windows open (even in the colder weather).

• Capacity must also be greatly reduced for ridership, which necessitates very careful planning.
• It is essential that we have more consistency than ever in ridership, and we must know now, at the

beginning of the year, which students will and will not be taking the bus.

• Students will be issued a bus pass and only students with this pass will be allowed to ride the bus

this year.

• This question is included in the survey, and is also a binding decision that may be able to be

changed at only a couple of times during the school year.

CARES PROGRAM

• CARES will not be offering any programs at the Early Childhood Centers or Wilmington Middle

School.

• CARES will concentrate its programming in 4 schools: Shawsheen, Woburn Street, West

Intermediate and North Intermediate.

• CARES will start with using only the cafeteria space for all programs (Before, After and Remote full

day).

• CARES will limit our enrollment based on numbers allowed solely within the cafeterias. We hope to

be able to expand into 1 or 2 more spaces, once everyone is settled into a comfortable routine, and if guidelines allow.

• We will keep an active waitlist for families.

CARES PROGRAM

Enrollment in the CARES Program will be as follows:

• 1. Student must be enrolled in 2 days (A or B group). Only these students are eligible to add the full remote day option.
• 2. Due to limited enrollment – we request that only working families, that truly need childcare, apply.

Remote Day program runs 8:00-4:00 and students are required to bring their Chromebooks and headphones so they can participate in any remote activity assigned. (or use of Chromebook carts if students do not have individual devices)

Shawsheen and Woburn Street Elementary Schools North and West Intermediate Schools

Morning:

• 36 students total daily (12 per grade level) (72 total students)

Afternoon:

• 42 students total daily (14 per grade level) (84 total students)

Remote Full Day:

• 36 students total daily (12 per grade level)

Due to length of day, we need ability to space out more

Morning:

• 24 students total daily (12 per grade level) (48 total students)

Afternoon:

• 30 students total daily (15 per grade level) (60 total students)

Remote Full Day:

• 24 students total daily (12 per grade level)

Due to length of day, we need ability to space out more

WHAT ABOUT LUNCH WHEN STUDENTS ARE IN PERSON?

• Lunch will be served on days when students are in‐person.
• Six (6) feet distance will be used.
• There will be a need to extend areas for students eating lunch to locations beyond the cafeteria.
• Every effort will be made to accommodate students with specific allergies according to their

allergy plans.

PLANS FOR THE SCHOOL CALENDAR

• The Commissioner of Education has reduced the school year from 180 to 170 school days for the

upcoming 2020‐21 school year.

• These additional ten (10) days will be extremely important to provide the time for the immense

array of professional development and training for staff:

▪ New Safety Requirements ▪ Preparing for the new mode of instruction including remote and hybrid ▪ Enhancing our staff’s ability to focus on trauma sensitive schooling

• Bring to the School Committee a recommendation of a revision to the currently approved school

calendar that includes a start date of no earlier than September 16, 2020.

Next Steps

FAMILY SURVEY AND BINDING DECISIONS

• On Thursday August 6th, a family survey will be sent to all WPS families seeking information

that we can utilize to build schedules and plan.

• It is essential that we know now which families want to elect the fully remote option for their

child, and which families wish to elect the hybrid option, to allow for planning.

• Given the careful planning necessary to comply with the safety and physical distance

requirements, in this case each and every student counts more than ever!

• There will be periodic times throughout the year to adjust this decision, but families need to

keep in mind that these will be limited and, if a change is made, it could take a number of weeks before the adjustment can actually occur.

• Families who do not complete the survey and provide us with the information by 11:59 p.m.
• n Tuesday, August 11th will be placed into the hybrid model.

ADDITIONAL NEXT STEPS IN SUPPORT OF PLANNING

★On Wednesday, August 12th, the final plan that the District will need to submit to DESE will

be presented to the School Committee at their regularly scheduled meeting.

★Negotiations with the Wilmington Teachers’ Association will continue to finalize an

agreement.

★Administrative team will begin to compile information around family survey results and

staffing needs.

★Finalize protocols and guidelines for the safe return to school for our staff. ★We will continue to monitor any developments at the state level (i.e. DESE, the Governor,

Department of Public Health etc.).

ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS

Question Answer

Why is there a need for my family to make a binding decision now? There is going to be an extensive amount of organization and scheduling necessary to plan for sibling alignment, incorporating high needs students into the planning as well as coordinating around transportation. Will families who elect full remote learning have WPS teachers? The District will prioritize WPS teachers to the fullest extent we are able to schedule them at to the degree the budget allows. Will there be improvements made to the remote instruction?

• Yes. DESE requires a far more robust plan around remote learning that will significantly

alter the format from last spring. Can families switch from remote to in‐person?

• Yes. However, there will be certain specific transition dates in which the switch for a

student can be made. Will siblings be placed into the same Cohort of A and B if a family elects the hybrid learning plan? Yes, families (and siblings) will be aligned and placed in the same cohort. It is important to note that this is not optional and changes will not be possible. What will specials/related arts look like? DESE has issued guidance on these courses that includes more robust social distancing beyond 6 feet. We will be looking to reexamine how/if these programs can be operated but it is likely that adjustments will need to be made.

ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS

Question Answer

Will there be bus monitors? We will explore the possibility of hiring bus monitors but cannot guarantee that we will be able to hire these positions. Is it possible that the current WPS plan of hybrid instruction change?

• Yes. In the event that there is an escalation in the total number of people in

Wilmington testing positive e may have to pivot from students being in the hybrid model to the entirely remote model. If a family has more than one child can they choose to have one child participate in the hybrid model and one in the fully remote model? Yes.