On June 23rd, the State of Illinois released its guidance for the reopening of schools. But prior to this, the District began working with its stakeholders to improve the remote learning plan that was implemented in the spring of 2020. 

Feedback was collected from a survey of students, parents, and staff and this information led to the development of the District’s Remote Learning 2.0 plan. 

This plan incorporates the State of Illinois guidance on remote learning and seeks to provide an alternative to in-person instruction. 

As with the initial remote learning plan that the District employed in the spring of 2020, the Remote Learning 2.0 Plan was guided by some basic principles: 

• The health and safety of our students, staff, and community is of the utmost importance. So the option of a remote-only option is important for our students or families with medical issues. 
• Remote learning (e-learning) is not a direct substitute for the learning we are able to provide in-person. Instructional strategies and experiences will differ. 
• All students, teachers, and families are working to adjust to these circumstances as best as they are able.
• We still have high expectations of our students and staff regardless of the in-person or remote method of delivery. 
• We commit to learning and growing throughout this process and making adjustments as needed. The Remote Learning 2.0 plan will continue to change and evolve. 
• The partnership between school and home is more important than ever, as relationships are the cornerstone of learning. 

It is important to note that this is not the remote learning plan from last spring.

General Remote Learning Expectations

See the general expectations and schedule for more information about what this looks like for all involved.

Students are expected to engage in “live” sessions with their teacher(s). 

These “live” sessions, or synchronous communication, is a part of the Remote Learning 2.0 plan. The amount of time spent “live” with a teacher will look different by level or course. The needs of remote learners are different and the ways they interact with their teachers will be different. 

The feedback from stakeholders also showed that synchronous activities can be a technical issue for some households, as these take more bandwidth than general internet access. This is another reason to avoid over-relying on “live” sessions. 

There are a variety of tools that students and teachers may use to accomplish both synchronous and asynchronous practices. Linked are some guidelines and suggestions for students who are engaging in video conferencing.

Expectations for synchronous activities are level-dependent and will fall into two categories:

1. “Live” remote instruction
2. “Live” Open Office Hours

“Live” remote instruction will have groups of students (small and whole groups) participate in various learning activities such as discussions, lectures, breakout rooms, demonstrations, morning meetings, etc. 

“Live” office hours will be opportunities for students to seek help from their teachers. These will be opportunities to connect with teachers to get extra help, review assignments, and seek feedback, clarify instructions, etc. 

General Guidance we will give our staff is the expectation that “live” remote instruction and/or “live” open office hours will be held daily. Best practice says that these do not need to be lengthy but should be frequent. Instructors will be available for asynchronous support during the regular school day. 

Minimal guidance on the use of  Synchronous or “Live” Instructional Techniques

Note: While ”live”  lessons or office hours are an important part of the day, the asynchronous activities such as independent practice, projects, teacher-created videos, and assessments will also be part of the daily learning experience. 

ISBE guidance aims for 2.5 hours of synchronous instruction

The State Board of Education has issued guidance that requires the Remote Learning 2.0 plan to plan for 5 clock hours of instruction daily (half-day kindergarten or preschool are exceptions to this requirement). 

Unless otherwise noted, all remote learning will take place on the regular school schedule for that level including special, exploratories, and electives. 

Elementary 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Middle 8:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
High 7:35 a.m to 12:35 p.m and then 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Your child’s remote learning teacher(s), will communicate with you about schedules and expectations.

Parent, student, and staff feedback was also helpful in developing some instructional aims. We continue to develop the following:  

1. Peer-to-Peer Opportunities: Students told us that even in the remote environment, they want to connect and work through learning projects with their peers. The District will look for opportunities and develop expectations to meet this need. 
2. Student Connections: Students engaged in remote learning also need relationships with staff and their fellow students. Specific steps to develop classroom community and connections with staff will be developed to support the social and emotional needs of remote students. 
3. Streamlined Communication: Parents and students should expect streamlined communication and reporting in remote learning. Staff will communicate expectations and procedures for access to remote learning in the first days of school. This may also include an overview of the week so parents and students can know what to expect. 
4. Tutoring Possibilities: The District is also investigating the possibility of remote tutoring to support students and families with some subject areas.

Teachers are working their traditional number of hours. While students and families might engage in school work outside of the school day, please allow teachers time to respond to inquiries. Non-emergency communications will typically be answered within 24 hours.

Attendance

Attendance is required, just as it would be on other school days. Schools will track attendance in Powerschool. If a student participates, they will be marked as Present Remote (PR).

If a student will be absent from remote learning due to illness or any other reason, parents must report the absence to the school’s attendance line just as they normally would.

Contact your teacher for any attendance inquiries.

Grading

According to BOE policy, 6:280, the purpose of grades is to communicate student progress and provide feedback to students to use in the learning process. 

With a grading focus on feedback, please know that feedback can take many forms other than a grade. Feedback may include:

• Scored quizzes and tests
• Written comments on student work
• Verbal feedback
• Scoring rubrics
• Comments and grades in PowerSchool
• Self-reflection or peer feedback
• Discussion/Conferences

While the focus is on feedback, the Remote Learning 2.0 grading plan will mirror that of in-person learning. Secondary students receive a syllabus for each course with the specific grading plan for each course. Elementary students will know the learning targets for their work and will work for mastery of those targets.

Assessment

Assessments of classroom essential learning will continue through various electronic methods. Students may be asked to complete assessments using many potentially different systems including Mastery Manager, Google forms, Google docs, or other means. Assessments may include alternative ways for students to demonstrate learning. 

When given an assessment students are expected to complete them in good faith using the parameters set by their teachers. Parents or caregivers may be asked to assist with assessment delivery if needed. 

Students on remote learning will be required to complete all state assessments as required by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Special Education

Special education teams will continue to provide educational opportunities during Remote Learning 2.0.  We will work with families to ensure that students with disabilities also have equal access to the same opportunities as their general education peers.  The IEP team will be working with individual families to determine what identified services can be provided through alternate methods while recognizing the unique needs of the child within their family unit.  Specific questions related to the IEP implementation should be directed to the case manager.  

Section 504

Classroom teachers will continue to provide appropriate accommodations or modifications required to access the general education curriculum during Remote Learning 2.0.  Specific questions related to your child’s 504 Plan should be directed to the classroom teacher or 504 Coordinator/Case Manager. 

English Learners

Students who receive English Language services will continue to be contacted and supported by the district’s EL teachers. Guidelines for services are specific to the individual student’s needs; and therefore, specific information related to these services will be communicated to individual families based on those identified needs. Specific questions related to the English Language/Bilingual services should be directed to the EL teacher or the assistant principal/principal. 

Interventions

Intervention services will be available to students in remote learning. The exact intervention, delivery, and scheduling of the interventions will be on a case-by-case basis.

Additional resources include:

All BPS101 Policies and Procedures stated in Student and Faculty/Staff Handbooks apply during remote learning.