Planning To Reopen - Our Schools, DESE 3 Critical Areas For Successful Remote Learning

9/1/2020 (Permalink)

By now most parents of the Commonwealth know which of the three possible education models their school districts have chosen to begin the 2020-2021 academic year. The possibilities are:

1. In-person - learning with new and enhanced safety requirements
2. Hybrid - some combination of In-person (with new and enhanced safety requirements) and remote learning
3. Remote - 100% remote learning environment

The way in which our children learn and our educators teach to begin this school year will be will challenging for both to say the least. Regardless of the reopening model chosen by your school district, all schools will be providing remote learning to some extent. To ensure that our children's learning experience is not diminished by these significant changes to their leaning structure the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has identified three (3) critical areas to focus on when developing the upcoming educational curriculum.

1. High-quality Curriculum And Instructional Materials
2. Organizing Student Schedules For Structured Learning Time
3. Organizing Educator Time To Maximize Time With Students

NOTE: COVID-19 is highly transmissible. Individuals should follow these universal precautions regardless of the extent of mitigation needed:

1. Follow healthy hygiene practices
2. Stay at home when sick
3. Practice social distancing 
4. Use a cloth face covering (with some exceptions) in community settings when physical distancing cannot be maintained.

The current state of the COVID-19 pandemic is continually evolving. What is true today may not be tomorrow. At this time, the evidence suggests schools have not played a significant role in COVID-19 transmission and that children, particularly younger children, are less likely than adults to be infected with COVID-19.

As always, work with your local health officials to determine a set of strategies appropriate for your community’s situation.

(See our Planning to Reopen series of blogs for more information regarding CDC, EPA, FDA, Mass EEA, Mass DESE, and OSHA safety requirements). To review the administration's reopening guidance from the state click here. To view Governor Baker's full report click here).

High-quality Curriculum And Instructional Materials

According to the DESE, more than ever, strong curricular materials are critical during this uncertain time.  Studies have shown that districts that have coherent, high-quality curriculum have been able to pivot more easily and have seen more coherence among teachers during the pandemic. They help teachers align their expectations to state standards designed to keep students on track for success while providing guidance on how to tailor instruction to individual students’ needs. They are engaging, challenging, and culturally-relevant. Additionally, compared to other popular interventions, simply upgrading learning materials is a more cost-effective option. 

The Department has compiled a number of resources to support districts in selecting and using high-quality curriculum and instructional materials and in supporting teachers to bring them to life, especially in hybrid or remote learning environments. Visit the DESE website to view these recommendations.

Organizing Student Schedules For Structured Learning Time

All students, including those learning remotely, must receive at least the minimum amount of required instruction for the 2020-2021 school year:

1. 850 hours for elementary schools, or 5 hours per day over 170 days
2. 935 hours for secondary schools, or 5.5 hours per day over 170 days

Throughout the school day and week, students learning remotely should experience a combination of instructional activities, such as:

1. live, synchronous instruction
2. small group or individual academic support
3. asynchronous, independent work time

Students should also have access to teachers or staff members at a regularly scheduled time to monitor ongoing progress and needs. With family input, schools should create and adhere to a consistent schedule of synchronous and asynchronous learning time for each child.

During asynchronous periods, schools should provide clear expectations for what students should be working on, what they need to submit, and when any assignments are due. Schools should take into consideration student and family schedules and allow for flexibility for students to complete asynchronously assigned tasks based on family schedules (such as in the evenings, on the following day, or at the end of a week). Students and families should clearly understand how attendance will be taken, how they will receive feedback on work completed asynchronously, and how they will be evaluated (such as grades).

Whether they are engaging in synchronous or asynchronous work, students learning remotely should have access to rigorous, relevant content; spend time in a range of content areas, including specials and enrichment; and have opportunities to exercise their voice and choice in activities.

Organizing Educator Time To Maximize Time With Students

For districts and schools operating an in-person or hybrid learning model, educators and staff members may be stretched across multiple learning environments, limiting their ability to directly engage with all students at all times. In these cases, it may be necessary for a district or school to supplement live teacher instruction and support with asynchronous, student-directed content. In these scenarios, it is recommended that:

1. Students have opportunities to connect with adults from school as often as possible but at least once a day, for both relationship-building and academic support.
2. Schools provide as much synchronous instruction and/or direct support as possible.
3. Teachers provide regular, targeted, individualized or small-group instruction to students who are not meeting grade-level standards or who need additional support.

Districts and schools that are operating fully remotely are not limited by the same staffing constraints that in-person and hybrid models may experience.In this model, it is recommended that:

1. Educators provide direct services to students for a comparable amount of time as they would typically provide in person, with students receiving direct instruction, support, or having access to a teacher for the majority of the scheduled school day.
2. Schools and districts maximize the use of all educators to support students, including teaching or co-teaching a class, working with students individually or in small groups, facilitating independent work time, hosting advisory or office hours, providing feedback on student work, meeting with students and families, etc.
3. Educators incorporate a variety of instructional activities, including those that allow students to move away from or turn off their screens and those that include physical movement, reading, writing, and working with physical materials.

NOTE: According to Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education areas of the school visited by the COVID-19 positive individual must be closed off and/or cleaned and disinfected. The area can be used 12 hours after cleaning/disinfecting has occurred.

While the administration continues to work with communities to implement best practices and protocols for reopening our schools we will continue to share with you guidance from the CDC, EPA, FDA, Mass EEA, Mass EEC, Mass DESE, and OSHA and the Governor's office to follow as we prepare for the new school year.

Also, we at SERVPRO of Newton/Wellesley know that not every community has access to the resources necessary to meet the strict cleaning guidelines to ensure a safe environment for our children. For those communities, we are here to help!

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned

The Disaster Remediation Teams at SERVPRO of Newton/Wellesley are specialists in cleaning services and we adhere to the highest cleaning and sanitation standards. We are prepared to clean and disinfect your schools, according to protocols set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We have years of experience in dealing with biological contaminants, and we will go beyond the scope of work of "normal daily cleaning". Call SERVPRO of Newton/Wellesley today for a free consultation - (617) 332-9000.

All of us here at SERVPRO of Newton/Wellesley want you and your loved ones to stay safe and know that we will make it through this together! Rest assured, we will continue to do our best to keep you up-to-date and informed!