Frequently Asked Questions

With MDH Recommendation for Absence: If MDH recommends that an individual student miss school due to self-quarantine as a result of travel or contact with COVID-19, and the student is well enough to receive education, MDE expects districts, schools, and charter schools to utilize a distance learning model to provide instruction for that individual student. Students participating in distance learning would be considered enrolled for daily membership hours.

If MDH recommends that an individual student miss school due to self-quarantine as a result of travel or contact with COVID-19, and the student is not well enough to receive education for more than 15 consecutive school days, there is an application the district can submit to the commissioner of education to still be considered enrolled for daily membership hours. The individual student application is available on the Minnesota Department of Education’s (MDE) website.

Without MDH Recommendation for Absence: All other students should follow individual district, school, or charter school policies and guidelines for excused absences.

Applicable Minnesota State Statutes: section 12.21, subd. 3, para. (11) and section 126C.05 subd. 11

The same procedure as a regular school day should be followed for a sick child.

How will attendance for membership be verified?

• Attendance must be taken by the teacher and records of attendance will be kept. Some ways attendance will be verified include:
  • Logging in to the class page(s) on the district’s/school SeeSaw/Moodle/Google Classroom sites.
    • Primary and Intermediate students must respond on their SeeSaw account by 7p.m. daily.
    • Middle and High School students will complete a Google Form each day to mark attendance during regular school hours
  • Email exchange/text exchange/phone call with the teacher.
  • A parent may verify attendance; a documentation process is developed and retained by the school as part of the student’s attendance record.
  • Activity in classes (pages accessed, discussion participation, formative assessments completed).
  • Work submitted during the FLD.

Why Flex Learning Days?

We now live in a world in which learning can happen anywhere at any time. When school is shut down for a weather emergency or other reason, learning no longer needs to cease. In addition, having students develop greater capacity and skills for continuing their learning away from school is terrific preparation for living in the digital world.

• COVID-19
• Inclement Weather
  • Flex Learning Days allow our students to work from home, avoiding potentially dangerous commutes, and allow them to work in a safe, warm environment when the weather is unforgiving.
  • Flex Learning Days are intended to counter the loss of curriculum momentum resulting from school cancellations due to Minnesota’s winter weather.
  • Flex Learning Days cannot replace the face-to-face time students have with their teachers, but it can provide better continuity when school is interrupted.
  • Flex Learning Days can also negate the need for makeup school days during breaks or in June, helping families more effectively plan summer activities.

What are suitable accommodations for students without sufficient access?

• All students must have similar learning experiences in terms of subject matter, task difficulty, and interaction with peers and their teacher(s). In addition:
  • Tasks must be completed during the regular hours of an FLD.
  • Students without access cannot be required to make up the work on another day.
  • Students may use physical texts or books and may handwrite their work, but those resources would have to be available at home.
  • Teachers must contact students by telephone to conference with students, assess and support their learning.
  • Telephone access will be done through the teacher's classroom number or by connecting through Google voice.

Can a Flex Learning Days be a homework catch-up day?

To be counted as an instructional day for students, teachers will engage in some form of instruction with their students. This can take on many forms (see above) but fundamentally, means that there will be some level of interaction, progress monitoring, and/or feedback between teachers and students.

Do students have to participate in Flex Learning Days for all scheduled classes?

Students are expected to participate in FLD activities for all scheduled classes on the day the plan is implemented just as they would for a traditional, on-campus day. Attendance must be verified for each class. Students who do not participate in planned activities are considered absent for those class(es) and should be reported as absent just as if they were not present for an on-campus class.

What worked, what didn’t, and why?

Lastly, we know this is still a new approach for us. One of the best ways to ensure the FLD has continued success is by gathering feedback. Understanding what worked and what didn’t is crucial to making sure any future FLD not only are successful but also improve. Please let your building administrator know if something can be improved.