ACADEMICS AND INSTRUCTION WORKGROUP
Lead: Rob Bixler, Associate Superintendent, Curriculum and Digital Learning
Workgroup Members: Jennifer Bohn, SAFE Coordinator; Martha Chang, Principal; Laura Davis, School Secretary/Bookkeeper (OESPA); Carletta Davis-Wilson, Principal; Ursula Evans, Administrator, Emergency Preparedness; Scotty Ferguson, Area Manager, Food Services; Kimberly Fry, Director, Transportation; Farrah Hawkins, Kindergarten Teacher (CTA); Sara Hudson, Resource Teacher (CTA); Andrew Jenkins, Senior Director; Rahim Jones, Area Superintendent; Carol McGowin, Director, Student Enrollment; and Sylvia Schaffer, Senior Director, ESE
Below is a summary of the Academic & Instruction workgroup. These are a compilation of ideas from the members of the workgroup and the public and are not recommendations.
Face-to-Face Instruction
1.
At first, teachers were in favor of three days face-to-face and two days online but after trying distance learning they prefer face-to-face. Reduce the number of students per class.
2.
Consider asking parents to sign waivers that prevent anyone from holding the school or students responsible for exposure?
3.
Preference is for elementary to be face-to-face. Preference is for smaller student to teacher ratios, daily temp checks and frequent hand-washing. Art or music teachers, etc. can come to the students’ classrooms instead of the students going to their classrooms. Recess can be held on fields instead of playground equipment that requires cleaning. Lunch can be brought to the classrooms. Parents with full time jobs need an option of face-to-face education.
4.
Clinical components require face-to-face in some cases; up to half of the course hours have to be done face-to-face. Technology classes that require specialized software and medical classes that require clinicals need to be face-to-face classes.
5.
Packets are liked as additional resources to core instruction; live online or face-to-face sessions are preferred to connect and teach students and break down information.
6.
Sanitize between classes at secondary level.
7.
Keep elementary face-to-face M-F and put into place all safety and health guidelines.
8.
Do temperature screenings at schools using no-touch thermometers. Ensure social distancing (6 feet apart) in the classroom.
9.
Ensure Kelly substitutes pool is large enough to cover sick teachers or those who need to isolate themselves? Kelly Services would have to test their subs weekly or as needed.
10.
Hold half days face-to-face. Prioritize instructional time and keep noncurricular-based items to a minimum. Keeps class sizes small and maintain a consistent social school experience for the children.
11.
If parents do not want their child to do face-to-face have them enroll student in virtual school.
12.
Look at ways to ensure schools do not run out of room when applying social distance requirements.
13.
Parents want to know what happens during contact tracing when a student is COVID-19 positive.
14.
If staff and students are required to wear masks, staff need guidance on how it will be enforced.
15.
Need procedures to address absenteeism due to illness, to ensure students continue learning.
16.
Elementary and sixth grade students should go to school unless the parent wants them to do virtual or a blended format. They should also have the option to change their mind..
17.
Do temperature checks in hallways while they wait to go into classrooms. Everyone should wash their hands or use sanitizer before sitting down. Send people home or to the hospital if they have a high fever.
18.
Provide professional development for staff regarding safety measures; instructional requirements (face-to-face or digital); scheduling for teacher's planning (duty free lunch); support for parents (who do not feel comfortable to send their child to school); and accountability for everyone.
19.
PPE should be recommended but not required in ESE classrooms. Give schools direction on whether PPE will be provided by the district or schools need to purchase?
20.
The children need to be in a building with as much "normal" as possible. Not every student has the ability to do well with distance learning. Face to face is more than just the academic piece. As teachers we are able to closely see emotional and social cues, flag concerns, be stability for many. The kids need to interact with each other.
21.
Consider face shields instead of masks for PK-1.
22.
Use clear dividers between students to allow for the use of tables. Use desk dividers in classrooms. No more sharing of supplies in elementary classrooms. Each must have its own, to reduce spreading of germs.
23.
Consider purchasing swivel cameras so students can log in to a video conference and attend class on a regular schedule when quarantined at home.
24.
Delay start of school until after Labor Day as current cases are climbing.
Virtual Instruction
1.
Use distance learning for middle and high school students plus face-to face classes for review and testing. This would free up the buses for elementary students.
2.
Elementary parents expressed frustration with distance learning. If we have to be on campus, have elementary school with separate morning and afternoon sessions.
3.
It is very challenging for a departmentalized elementary school to do distance learning because students have to attend live sessions for ELA and math.
4.
For teacher contact via Canvas, all lessons should be recorded. Divide students into A groups and B groups with alternating schedules. Track attendance based on class participation.
5.
Some students were unable to complete their program due to distance learning.
6.
Virtual instruction is hard for elementary school especially with child care.
7.
50% increase in DCF cases during distance learning may seem like a good thing but it could mean that the students who need us the most are not being helped.
8.
We need to bargain the use of Canvas as the standard LMS.
9.
Would like to see guidance on how attendance will be done in virtual learning environment.
10.
Need consistent assignments practices from school to school. Assignments for some were to log in to apps. That's not the same as one-on-one work with the teacher.
11.
Packets are not an option going further. This was busy work that students did not take seriously.
12.
We need to renegotiate with the CTA.
13.
Upgrade video editing software so teachers can make video lessons (with training of course).
14.
Provide more professional development for teachers to ensure consistency in instructional delivery. Wednesday should be a planning day for teachers to disinfect classrooms and prepare lessons or training on how to stay safe.
15.
We need to follow the bell schedule for virtual. Students still need a bell schedule to follow.
16.
Incorporate ideas/concepts used by Steve Spangler in virtual summer camps (deliver kits to students with all items needed for science classes) so students can do what the teacher on the screen is doing or leading them through).
17.
Establish that all homework be completed through programs such as “Seesaw,” “Prodigy,” and “Mathseed.”
18.
Students say they need more structure. They need a schedule and time frames to follow.
Blended Instruction
1.
Students will need social/emotional support. Make available improved social-emotional support for teachers, students and parents outside school hours.
2.
Schools should develop home-visit teams. Do home visits and phone calls to make sure things are well in the home setting and that parents know how to support their students.
3.
Livestream each classroom. Or if that is too much for elementary students, only livestream one class per grade level. Middle school livestream only one subject area class. Allow the students who can and want to return do so and for those who do not, they can continue virtually.
4.
A or B days: students either attend Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday, learning from home on the days they aren't in school. Wednesday teachers work from home while classrooms are cleaned.
5.
Students who are watched by COVID-19 high-risk individuals may bring risk to the school when they return.
6.
One week on and one week off may be easier for cleaning because it is the same group of children for five days.
7.
Title I parents might struggle with this model. Allow all low-income families access to computers, even primary grades. The learning hasn’t been equal for all OCPS students.
8.
Schools have put in a lot of effort to regulate attendance and keep students engaged and online.
9.
From an elementary parent perspective, blended learning is a challenge when both employees work for OCPS.
10.
Have elementary students return but spread campuses out over elementary and secondary schools.
11.
In blended learning, have middle school students go Mondays and Wednesdays and high schools go Tuesdays and Thursdays. Use face-to-face time to focus only on mandatory coursework. Complete specials through use of BBB as these classes are normally larger in size. Courses from home would be physical fitness, band, chorus, art, STEM and second Languages. On Friday, host all school meetings, tutoring sessions, teacher lesson and curriculum planning, and professional growth.
12.
Teachers spent a lot of time checking on students and not doing work.
13.
Develop methods by which teachers participate safely in collaborative planning time. We may have to limit the use of Kagan Strategies and cooperative/collaborative structures until after Covid-19 is gone.
14.
Instead of requiring teachers to teach twice, once online and once face-to-face, consider one dedicated online teacher per grade level or course?
15.
Parents were overwhelmed with the number of sessions and keeping times straight for each student.
16.
Some programs work well blended and some do not. Mondays-seniors only come into school to attend classes. Tuesdays-juniors only come to school to attend classes. Wednesdays-teachers only. Thursdays-sophomores only come to school to attend classes. Fridays-freshmen only come to school to attend classes.
17.
Elementary, middle and high school should be evaluated separately. High school students are a lot more capable of Distance/Blended learning. Use block scheduling with students attending certain days and using teacher recorded sessions on their off days; do half-days in shifts that includes recorded sessions.
18.
Consider access to technology versus availability of technology- some students share with a sibling, etc.
19.
We may need to seek waivers for FISH reports if we use a high school to house other school populations.
20.
Distance learning or blended may work if and ONLY IF CFE, teacher evaluations, VAM scores and Deliberate Practice are eliminated, because there is no way material can be covered with 100% distance learning.
21.
Teachers should report to work at school while hosting live and recorded lessons.
22.
Students should attend periods 1-4, M/W, and periods 5-7, T/Th. For middle and high school, implement block scheduling with a staggered bell schedule. Busses could be staggered or a study hall to host everyone starting/ending at the same time, despite staggered schedules.
23.
Start year blended (first nine weeks) then move to face to face for second nine weeks.
24.
If classes are separated into groups ex. A, B, C. should go to school for one week, as to not over burden custodial staff with deep everyday cleaning, but weekly deep cleanings.
All Three Models
1.
For the secondary core subjects, OCPS should develop a district-wide Canvas lesson suitable for the large group with expected formative and summative instruments; and expect all schools to use it while the teachers have their freedom and wide latitude during tutoring/small group sessions. Elementary PLCs know their school and students better and should develop those lessons that suit the level of their students.
2.
HS- Distance Learning, Middle School attend the HS campus, 3-5 attend the MS campus and K-2 stay at their own campus.
3.
Every neighborhood area should have a facility that supports each of the models.