On August 12, 2020, the Brookline School Committee unanimously approved the RemotePlus Reopening Plan. The RemotePlus Plan, which the Public Schools of Brookline (PSB) will submit to the Massachusetts Department of Education and Secondary Education (DESE) on Friday, August 14, calls for a phased reopening of schools. This model allows PSB the time it needs to modify its facilities and protocols to meet the health and safety standards recommended by local and state departments. PSB will gradually bring students and staff back to school once it is safe and beneficial to do so.

Under the RemotePlus Plan, PSB students in grades 1 through 12 will begin with a fully remote start for the 2020-21 school year. PSB students in PreK (Brookline Early Education Program) and Kindergarten, along with the district’s most vulnerable students, will begin the year fully in-person. PSB will identify students as most vulnerable in collaboration with department leaders, school leaders, school staff, and families. While learning remotely, PSB has committed to offering scheduled in-person and outdoor opportunities for students to develop socio-emotional supports and community building.

Faculty and staff will return to work Tuesday, September 1, for protocol training, professional development, and remote learning support. Student learning will officially begin on Wednesday, September 16.

The health and safety of our students, staff, and families has always been our priority as we plan for reopening. As a community, we must continue working toward minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission in whatever ways we can. We recognize that schools play a vital role in childhood development, and there is no replacement for the collaboration, high-quality teaching, and community that stems from having students spend time in classrooms with their peers and teachers. In accordance with guidelines developed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), PSB will prioritize the return of in-person settings for as many students as possible, while maintaining health and safety regulations developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our planning teams include educators, students, administrators, parents, and community stakeholders. PSB has also developed four Expert Advisory Panel groups, each of whom have provided recommendations on every aspect of PSB’s instruction and operations. The Office of the Superintendent and Senior Leadership team will develop and approve the final plans. A complete plan will be submitted to the Brookline School Committee and Brookline Educators Union (BEU) for review.

Families should expect a communication on re-opening from PSB and/or their respective schools once a week beginning on Monday, August 17, in preparation for the new school year. All information will be communicated by email and posted on the PSB reopening website (www.brookline.k12.ma.us/reopen).

Our goal is to have all students return to in-person services as soon as health conditions allow. Students in the Brookline Early Education Program (BEEP), Kindergarten, and/or defined as "most vulnerable" within the district will be the first to return to full in-person learning on September 16. During this time, PSB will offer some limited in-person services to support our students and their families to those who will begin the year remotely.

PSB school leaders will work with their staff to create scheduled and predictable outdoor in-person meetups at school buildings throughout the fall to the extent possible while the weather is nice. These meetups will primarily involve community and relationship building that will help connect students with peers and teachers with a focus on social-emotional wellness. When planning these meetups, school teams will pay special attention to health and safety requirements as well as the inclusion of student populations who either cannot physically get to the building or are reluctant to participate due to health and safety concerns. For this reason, schools will also continue to implement ways in which community and engagement can be built online. More details about these services will be communicated with families as specific plans are available.

PSB defines their “most vulnerable” as students with IEPs, designated as “high needs” on “Primary Disability/Level of Need PL3; students who cannot access due to disability-related needs; students from low-income households; students who are homeless, in foster or congregate care students; students who primarily use aided and augmentative communication; and/or students identified as English Learners and have complex and significant needs. PSB staff will contact you directly if they believe that your student(s) should be prioritized for in-person services.

As of August 14, 2020, PSB school buildings do not meet the health and safety regulations determined by local and state departments to facilitate a return for all students. The PSB operations team is working with public health experts to enhance indoor ventilation systems and modify classrooms to meet these measures. As these metrics are met, PSB will notify families and staff to begin bringing students in grades 1-12 back to in-person learning in a hybrid model. Students in the youngest grade levels will be prioritized for return.

Plus time at the beginning of the school year could be used for students to meet their teachers and to build community in their cohort or grade level. As school schedules are created, additional opportunities will be considered.

We anticipate using outdoor space (weather permitting) with appropriate distancing.

The district is currently looking at how to make the extended day programs work for those students who are receiving an in-person education. Adequate time needs to be scheduled to transition and clean the spaces between the end of the school day and the beginning of the extended day programs in each school.

Community learning pods are not considered part of the public education program that the Public Schools of Brookline offers to its students and families. Therefore, school leaders will not be able to consider learning pods as they are finalizing class placements.

School leaders will finalize class schedules for students in grades 1-12 in early September once each school confirms their student and staff enrollment for in-person and remote settings. It is expected that remote learning will follow the same daily schedule as previous school years. Students will experience synchronous lessons with the entire class, asynchronous instruction which will be driven by teacher provided materials, and independent work time. Student attendance and participation are required.

In addition, students enrolled in the RemotePlus model will have scheduled and predictable opportunities to return to school buildings in-person and outdoors for connections, relationship building, social emotional learning, and other activities designated by school based staff. Schools will work to ensure equitable access in these opportunities. Once students transition to hybrid, PSB will continue to implement a high-quality curriculum that spans learning in-person and remote (hybrid). This allows for consistent academic alignment for all students regardless of education model while maintaining a strong school and classroom community.

Both the RLA and RemotePlus will be driven by the Public Schools of Brookline Essential Curriculum. When learning is delivered remotely, educators will use the District-identified grade-level Learning Management Systems and a combination of synchronous and asynchronous tools. Student participation will be required and assigned work completed just as it would in any Brookline Public School.

Unlike the extended learning model we implemented in the Spring of 2020 when the teaching and learning were primarily focused on review and extension, the district plans to return to the teaching of a new curriculum including necessary prioritizing of the most essential standards. PSB educators will continue to work collaboratively with colleagues to design learning experiences that are impactful in both remote and hybrid settings. Brookline will use its instructional and personnel resources to support teachers, students, and families.

Students will use a variety of learning materials including printed materials while learning remotely. PSB will determine how to get necessary materials to students who are remote.

As part of the RLA, the school teams will plan science labs in the remote setting. At BHS, teachers have already developed numerous labs that are feasible in a remote environment.

Yes, the PSB Remote Learning Academy will be available for the entire school year.

PSB recognizes that a typical school day is not constant live teaching. The Remote Learning Academy’s schedule is similar to the K-8 schools’ RemotePlus/Hybrid and anticipates students will be with their teachers (synchronously) around the same amount of time.

The goal of the RLA will be to provide similar social and emotional support that children would receive in their home school. As part of the RLA, students will have the chance to interact with peers. Some examples could include morning meeting/advisory, lunch groups, student clubs and activities. Additionally, each student will have a Guidance Counselor who will support the social emotional wellbeing and mental health of students.

Students will be scheduled in cohorts within their schools and move in those cohorts when necessary or required. Teachers and staff will follow a procedure, ensuring student distancing and safety precautions. Students learning remotely will log into their classes/specials at the designated time.

Until we know the number of students choosing this option, it will be challenging to land on an exact number of students per teacher. But if possible, every effort will be made to make the classroom sizes comparable to the student’s home school classes. Similar to PSB K-8 schools, the RLA anticipates having paraprofessional support in classrooms to ensure that students get the attention and support needed.

Per the Department of Education, this will be a local School Committee decision.

The Remote Learning Academy will be staffed (to the extent possible) by current PSB employees. Staff selected for the Academy will not officially be part of their home school but rather work with new colleagues who are staffing the Academy. Position openings for the Remote Learning Academy are TBD and will be based on student enrollment.

Students opting for remote at BHS will be enrolled in the same classes as their peers with the same instructor. At this time all Physical Education and most Music classes will remain remote for all students (remote or hybrid) based on the Covid guidelines from DESE for such activities.

For middle school students in the Remote Learning Academy, to the extent possible, we will provide students consistency in instructors. We are still confirming enrollment numbers and staffing for the Remote Learning Academy and will begin to develop student and staffing schedules as those numbers are confirmed.

Students in grades K-12 who choose to not come back to school buildings for health/safety reasons will be given the choice to enroll in the District Remote Learning Academy.

Until we confirm student enrollment for the Remote Learning Academy, we cannot answer this question.

Yes. The RLA will be led by Meg Mancini, the PSB Senior Director of Programs and Grants.

Families must commit for at least one full quarter (September 16 - November 2020) to a learning model. In November 2020, all PSB families will have the opportunity to change or affirm their learning model selection.

Schedules and instruction will mimic the schedules and instruction students in the RemotePlus model are receiving. There should be no difference in school hours, pacing, content delivery, etc.

Yes. PSB is committed to ensuring student supports are met in whatever learning model children are experiencing.

Yes. Similar to spring 2020, meals will be available to all free/reduced-price lunch students.

Students in the Remote Learning Academy will not be able to participate in RemotePlus opportunities at their home school. While there is potential for outdoor opportunities within the Remote Learning Academy cohort, it will need to be dependent on the comfort level of students, families, and staff.

Yes, they will be sent home.

Please contact PSB Office of Teaching and Learning through this online form.

The Hybrid Learning model will provide students and staff in grades 1-12 with a combination of in-person and remote teaching and learning experiences. Once classrooms are equipped with enhanced ventilation systems, PSB will gradually bring students into this model beginning with our youngest students first. PSB recognizes that the hybrid model is the most complex to plan and implement. For this reason, and pending agreement between the PSB School Committee and the Brookline Educators Union, PSB has not completely finalized what the hybrid model will look like in practice at our school buildings and in our school community but believe students will:

• Receive high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials that can be adapted to use for in-person, hybrid, and remote settings.

• Experience a coherent learning program with consistent curricula.

• Maintain school and community identity.

• Have teachers who continue to work collaboratively on content learning and social emotional supports.

• Obtain daily schedule supports with necessary learning structures

• Be able to adapt easily and quickly if needed due to school closure

Students in grades 1-12 will be split into two groups where one group is learning in person while the other is learning remotely. For example, in Group 1, students would be learning in-person for a full day 3 days per week and learning at home for a full day 2 days per week. On week 2, Group 1 would be learning in-person for a full day 2 days per week and learning at home for a full day 3 days per week. In-person instruction would focus on the four core content areas: English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social studies. Depending on the needs of the students, intervention services may also be provided.

On days where students in grades 1-12 are not in the school buildings, they would participate remotely in specialist classes (art, music, health, world language, and PE/health and wellness). Remote learning will involve synchronous and asynchronous structured learning time. In the remote setting, students will have opportunities to apply newly-learned concepts that were taught when they were in person through teacher driven assignments and project based learning. Students may also receive small group instruction, interventions, IEP services and/or English learner services remotely.

Students will be scheduled in cohorts within their schools and move in those cohorts when necessary or required. Teachers and staff will follow procedures outlined by PSB and school leaders, ensuring student distancing and safety precautions.

On Tuesday, August 18, families will be asked to confirm their intent to enroll in either the School-Based Learning Model or the PSB Remote Learning Academy. Your response will greatly assist the district in assigning students to educators and building schedules for the new school year. We ask that families complete their responses by Monday, August 24.

PSB understands that not all families will want their student(s) returning to school buildings, even if local and state departments approve a safe return. The PSB Reopening Form will include an option to select a “remote only” learning model for their student(s). Selecting this option will enroll your student in the Remote Learning Academy and confirm their remote only placement in 2020-21.

Families who wish to homeschool their student(s) for the 2020-21 school year must complete an application and send it to the Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL). Homeschooling is not synonymous with remote learning and a student cannot be withdrawn from the district until OTL has approved your educational plan. For more information, please visit www.brookline.k12.ma.us/homeschool

We understand this is a fluid situation and will be as accommodating as possible when legitimate questions about transferring in or out of models come up.

You will be able to choose school-based learning for the second semester, if desired. Second semester begins in January 2021.

No. If the district moves completely remotely, the Remote Learning Academy will remain.

Students should be receiving a comparable curriculum experience independent of their learning environment or model. The goal of the district’s essential curriculum and learning expectations is to provide the foundation for teaching and learning in the Public Schools of Brookline. RLA teachers will deliver the same curriculum and teach to the same standards and expectations per grade level as home schools.

PSB regulations continue to apply - your student must actively reside in Brookline to enroll in PSB. All active families will be asked to complete a affidavit of residency during September by the Office of Registration and Enrollment. If a student is found not to be actually residing in the Town of Brookline, the student will need to withdraw from PSB and enroll in the school district of the city/town where they actually resides.

The PSB health services department will continue to consult and collaborate with the Brookline Health Department in an effort to mitigate the risk of coronavirus. Nursing Staff will monitor the attendance rates and clinic visits as part of the illness surveillance. The health and safety of all students and staff are dependent on adherence to our shared responsibility in the following:

• Stay home if you are ill.

• Be familiar with the symptoms of COVID-19.

• Please call the school if your child is out ill and provide a specific reason(s) your child is out of school. This information is important in identifying illness trends and will be handled confidentially.

• If your child becomes sick during the school day, you will be called and asked to pick your child up within 30 minutes. Your child will need to be isolated until you are able to come to the school and space is limited.

• We ask that you make arrangements for, and provide additional contacts that can be called if you are unavailable and your child is ill.

• Please be sure to update your contact information in ASPEN, so the nurse can reach you.

School nurses will utilize our electronic health record system and track office visits, dismissals and other pertinent health data to continuously monitor trends in our schools. In addition, there are layers of safety precautions being put in place to support the safety and health of our school community including those below among others:

• Six feet physical distancing

• Frequent scheduled hand washing and sanitizing

• Some classes moved outdoors

• Organized foot traffic flow throughout the building

• Creating a culture of health and safety including expecting people to stay home when sick

• Minimizing building visitors

• Requiring face coverings

• Increased outside airflow

• Cleaning during the day of high touch areas

• Use of multiple building entrances

Each school will have its own building specific plan to ensure the safe use of classrooms, hallways and safety protocols during class switching. Principals are currently working on these plans. These plans will be clearly communicated to staff, students and parents and posted on each school’s learning hub prior to the beginning of school and as each grade level returns.

Each classroom will be supplied with a cleaner and disinfectant for staff to use. Common touch points and all rooms used will be disinfected at the end of each day by custodians. Alcohol wipes can be used instead of hand sanitizer or to clean chrome books, key pads, and other materials.

Handwashing with soap and water or hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol) will be promoted on a regular basis. Each school will provide adequate facilities for handwashing that includes soap, paper towels and trash bins for disposal of paper towels as well as readily available hand sanitizer. Education will be provided on proper hand hygiene by nurses and/or teachers.

We are concerned for everyone in our community (staff, students, families, administrators, etc.) as everyone grapples with the issues surrounding this pandemic. Particular attention will be paid to monitoring students regarding their anxiety and social emotional wellbeing. During the spring closure, systems were established to identify students that could benefit from higher levels of support. Once students are identified, targeted strategies are implemented and progress is tracked to ensure that students are receiving and benefitting from those interventions. School teams meet regularly to monitor this progress and identify additional interventions if needed. In addition, this year, the district will implement a universal screening survey to not only identify struggling students but to proactively incorporate social-emotional learning opportunities in the virtual classroom. This universal screening survey will be delivered at several key points during the year. The data from the survey will allow school teams to strategically shift student support activities to ensure continued progress.

Bathrooms will be disinfected at the end of each day and once during the day. Bathrooms within a classroom will not be disinfected during the day unless there is a specific need, for which custodian should be called.

Each school will have its own building specific plan to ensure the safe use of hallways and safety protocols during class switching. Principals are currently working on these plans. These plans will be clearly communicated to staff, students and parents and posted on each school’s learning hub prior to the beginning of school and as each grade level returns.

Each school will have its own building specific plan to ensure the safe entry and exit of school buildings. These plans will be clearly communicated to staff, students and parents and posted on each school’s learning hub prior to the beginning of school and as each grade level returns.

New protocols for students and staff visiting school health clinics have been developed by the state. A medical waiting area/isolation room has been identified at all PBB schools for students/staff with Covid-19 symptoms. In schools with more than one nurse, a schedule will be created for one nurse to care for routine visits and one nurse to care for covid suspect cases.

No matter what the activity, students will interact with peers following the safety protocols outlined by schools including social distancing, wearing face masks and regular handwashing. Students will have a Guidance Counselor who will support the social emotional wellbeing and mental health of students. Examples of this support can include small group counseling and intervention or referral to community programs.

All students and staff who return to school buildings will be required to wear facial coverings.

Parents are encouraged to practice mask wearing now to prepare their children to return to school. Teachers will positively reinforce mask wearing but there will be no punishment for children who take off their mask. This is an educational issue, not a disciplinary one. Teachers can wear face shields or goggles if in contact with students who are not able to keep masks on or who have a medical exemption. PSB students in programs this summer did a great job wearing their masks.

COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus. ‘CO’ stands for corona, ‘VI’ for virus, and ‘D’ for disease.’ The COVID-19 virus is a new virus in 2019 linked to the same family of viruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and some types of common cold.

Symptoms of COVID-19 may include:

❏ Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or 37.8 C) chills, or shaking chills

❏ Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)

❏ Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

❏ Newly loss of taste or smell

❏ Sore throat

❏ Headache, when in combination with other symptoms

❏ Muscle aches or body aches

❏ Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

❏ Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms

❏ Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms

These symptoms are similar to the flu (influenza) or the common cold, This is why testing is required to confirm if someone has COVID-19.  

The virus is transmitted through direct contact with respiratory droplets of an infected person (generated through breathing, coughing. sneezing). Individuals can also be infected from touching surfaces contaminated with the virus and then touching their face (e.g., eyes, nose, mouth). The COVID-19 virus may survive on surfaces for several hours or days, but simple disinfectants can inactivate it.  

We are learning more about how  COVID-19 affects people every day.  Older people, and people with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, appear to be more at risk of developing severe symptoms.  As this is a new virus, we are still learning about how it affects children. We know it is possible for people of any age to be infected with the virus, since it is a new virus , we need to learn more about how it affects children. The virus can be fatal in rare cases, mostly older people with pre-existing medical conditions get seriously ill.

As with other respiratory infections like the flu or the common cold, public health measures are critical to slow the spread of illnesses. Public Health measures are everyday preventive actions that include:

• taking your child’s temperature daily before school to make sure its below 100F (37.8*C)

• keeping your child home if they present with any of the listed Covid symptoms

• covering mouth and nose with a face covering or mask

• washing hands often with soap and water or use of hand sanitizer frequently, at least before meals or using the restroom, entering/exiting the school building and before putting on/removing your mask

• cleaning frequently touched surfaces and objects.

• maintaining physical distance of 6 feet

• Call your child in ill by using the absence call-in line. Make sure you say why your child is out sick

• Call the nurses office or leave a number where you can be reached on the absence call-in line

• Call your child’s PCP for advice about where to get a Covid test.

• Keep your child quarantined in your home until you receive the test results

• If your child has symptoms and the test comes back negative, they may return to school when they have improvements in symptoms and have been without fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication.

• If your child tests positive, isolate your child ( separate from family members) . They may return to school at a minimum of 10 days after symptoms first appeared if they are also 72 hours symptom free without any fever reducing medicine

• If your child has symptoms and does not get tested, they must remain at home quarantined ( must stay in the home) for at least 10 days from symptom onset and at least 24 hrs after symptoms resolve without fever reducing medicine

• If your child has been exposed, has no symptoms and has not been tested they must quarantine ( stay in home) for 14 days from last exposure. If they do get a test and are negative, they may return to school after consulting the school nurse.

It is imperative that the parent/guardian or designated caretaker pick the student up within 30 mins of a pick up call to prevent the possible spread of COVID.

If a child gets sick at school:

• the school nurse will be notified by the teacher and the student will be brought to the nurse’s office for evaluation

• If he nurse assesses your child and they do have any symptom of Covid 19, the student will be placed in an isolation room until they can be picked up.

• Upon arrival the parent will call into the nurses office with your location and the student will be brought to you.

Prepare your student that nurses will be dressed in PPE (gown, mask, face shield, and gloves) and that the student will be isolated so that they are not unnecessarily anxious while they wait for pick up.

PSB School Health Services will be working in conjunction with the Brookline Health Department in order to monitor illness, potential COVID-19 cases as well as any positive cases. You will be notified if your student(s) is directly affected. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19, and/or were close contacts of a positive case cannot return to school until they have self-quarantined for 14 days and/or provide evidence of a negative test. Schools may be closed under the discretion of the Brookline Health Department and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

There is no currently available vaccine for COVID-19. However, many of the symptoms can be treated and getting early care from a healthcare provider can make the disease less dangerous. There are several clinical trials that are being conducted to evaluate potential therapeutics and vaccines for COVID-19.

For general guidance, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health defines close contact as:

• Being within less than 6 feet of COVID-19 case (someone who has tested positive) for at least 10-15 minutes. Close contact can occur while caring for, living with, visiting, or sharing a healthcare waiting area or room with a COVID-19 case while the case was symptomatic or within the 48 hours before symptom onset, OR

• Having direct contact with infectious secretions of a COVID-19 case (e.g., being coughed on) while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment.

If your child tests positive for COVID-19, since it is a reportable disease, the Brookline Health Department will be notified by the lab. The Health Department will offer assistance identifying those most at risk for exposure, and will initiate contact tracing to minimize the spread at school and in the community.

The district will be providing communication to families and employees about what to do if they are waiting for a COVID-19 test result. Those who get COVID-19 tests are given instruction to stay home and away from others until receiving the test results at the time they are tested. If they do not get tested, they will be asked to self-quarantine for at least 14 days and return to school only if they are asymptomatic.

In the event that:

1. There are multiple confirmed cases of COVID-19 within a school building,

2. There is a significant number of COVID-19 cases within the Town of Brookline, and/or,

3. There is a state-wide regression to a previous reopening phase.

PSB will work with the Brookline Health Department and DESE and coordinate a response to protect our students, staff, and families. At this time, PSB will use DESE guidance to determine when/if schools will be closed and what measures will be taken for contact tracing, testing, and quarantine. School Leaders and the Superintendent will respond to specific COVID-19 scenarios in consultation with the Brookline Health Department and DESE. Closing any school ultimately must be approved by DESE.

If a student or staff member has COVID-19-like symptoms, they may return to school after they have tested negative for COVID-19, have improvement in symptoms, and have been without fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications. If a provider makes an alternative diagnosis for the COVID-19-like symptoms, the individual may return to school based on the recommendations for that alternative diagnosis (e.g., influenza or strep pharyngitis).

If a student or staff member presents COVID-19-like symptoms and chooses not to be tested, they may return to school 10 days from start of symptoms, as long as their symptoms have improved and they have been without fever for at least 24 hours prior to their return to school without the use of fever reducing medication.

All close contacts should be tested but must self-quarantine for 14 days after the last exposure to a positive case, regardless of the close contacts' test result. Even if an individual identified as a close contact receives a negative test result, they must continue to self-quarantine for the full 14 days as the virus may take up to 14 days to cause illness.

The RLA will deal with these situations in the same way PSB schools deal with a situation involving any student who has been out for any period of time, whether it be short of extended.

Not necessarily. As in any circumstance when a teacher is out, the school finds a suitable solution to the problem including a substitute teacher.

If we have a shutdown due to surge, will teachers be prepared to teach fully-remote immediately?

PSB has the technology to support 1:1 devices for all students in grades PreK-12. Starting this fall, upon the request of parents/guardians the Educational Technology Department, in collaboration with schools, will deploy devices to every single student in the district regardless of whether a student already has a household owned device. All students will have access to their own PSB issued device to ensure appropriate and equitable access to any form of remote learning. Students and parents/guardians will pick up their devices at/around the beginning of school, sign an acceptable use contract, and may use that device throughout the school year. The district will continue to support families in securing reliable internet access through a variety of options including programs offered through Comcast and RCN.

Families can expect to pick up technology devices beginning the week of September 1. Schools will communicate more details to their students and families.

Students will receive all services documented in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) through in-person instruction, remote instruction, or a combination of both, with a strong emphasis on providing in-person instruction to the greatest extent possible, while abiding by the current necessary health and safety requirements. All IEP services will be provided as outlined in the student’s IEP, and when services need to be provided in a different manner, this will be communicated in writing to the family.

Related service providers can be a push-in or pull-out model per the student’s IEP, and while maintaining physical distancing requirements. Service providers will limit in-person instruction by delivering service to limited cohorts each day and providing remote instruction for the remainder of the day. Students who are medically compromised will be prioritized to receive in-home services.

PSB will develop appropriate cohorts of students who are most vulnerable by grade levels, in order for students with disabilities to receive service consistent with their IEPs in the least restrictive environment.

Most vulnerable students will continue to attend each day unless PSB is closed. If PSB closes, all students will follow specific learning schedules during days of instruction. Instruction will include interventions, services, and therapies as required by the student’s IEP, offered synchronously and asynchronously. IEP services will be delivered through an instruction and service model that includes structured learning time, teletherapy, and video conferencing. Resources and supports would only be used temporarily during the transition from in-person to remote learning. Teachers will regularly communicate with parents and guardians, utilizing the appropriate interpretation and translation services when necessary. Independent work will be assigned, as appropriate, and all students will have opportunities to interact with classmates.

The following guidelines must be followed:

• If any group sizes are going to be reduced, our students with disabilities must receive specialized instruction and support from qualified professionals in the setting outlined in their IEPs

• Flexible solutions for reducing the mixing of student groups should be considered to ensure students with disabilities are receiving services safely in the least restrictive environment

• Any adjustments to the delivery of services due to the health and safety guidelines will be communicated to the parents and guardians

• When considering the use of alternative school spaces, considerations for providing students with disabilities with inclusive learning must be made and placement of students with disabilities in groupings or cohorts that support learning goals in the least restrictive environment should be prioritized

This will depend on the assessments that are necessary. If the assessment can be provided remotely to mitigate the spread of COVID 19, that will be the model. However, there are some assessments that may need to be completed in person, and some in-person assessments can be completed remotely. If a student requires a special education evaluation that cannot be completed remotely, it will be completed in-person as long as the student and family complete a health assessment with the school nurse.

Scheduling students will be done thoughtfully and in accordance with the student’s IEP. For push in services, the special education teacher/paraprofessional would join the Zoom classroom to support students who have an IEP. In the case of pull-out services, teachers/paraprofessionals would use Zoom’s capability to create break out rooms in order to meet student’s learning needs.

This will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Some students may wish to continue remotely or it may be necessary for these services to continue in a remote or telepractice manner. For others, it may be necessary for the student to have them in-person in order to receive benefit. Your student(s) service provider(s) will communicate with you a plan for the school year by September 16.

Priority for in-person teaching will be English learners in Kindergarten and those with high needs including our most complex English learners with disabilities. Current English learners (ELs) will receive English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction based on their level of English proficiency from qualified English Learner teachers. Services will be either push-in or pull-out and will be determined by the ability to meet physical distancing requirements and the need to minimize movement in buildings. EL teachers will adjust service schedules so that all students have access to direct ESL instruction.

ESL classes will be scheduled during their core academic English/Language Arts block when appropriate. ESL classes may also be scheduled during intervention blocks of our hybrid schedule. High school studentsl will have a block schedule that includes an academic support block for an ESL tutorial and related services, both in-person and on remote days. All remote classes will be led by qualified and trained EL teachers who will meet with small groups of students to maximize attention and participation. A variety of teaching strategies will be used in a structured learning environment to support the linguistic needs of students including screencasts, digital whiteboards, document cameras, and discussion boards. Learned lessons from this summer’s virtual program for ELs will be incorporated into our remote learning plans.

English Learner teachers will continue to consult with teachers of former English learners to ensure they are making progress and when necessary, they will provide additional resources and support for the student in their general education classrooms. Additionally, bilingual paraprofessionals will support newcomer ELs in general education classes at all levels.

Collaboration is encouraged at all levels among ESL and general education content teachers with sharing of resources to facilitate student interaction and academic achievement. Teacher leaders will identify and support instructional materials and methodologies as well as facilitate grade-span planning meetings. ESL curriculum maps will help streamline content delivery to meet the academic needs of students.