Instructional Options for the 2020-2021 School year

Option 1 - Traditional Classroom Learning

SPS teachers will provide in-person instruction at the school sites in a manner similar to the past that students and parents are accustomed to receiving. Students will receive training in how to use Google Classroom (3-12) and Seesaw (K-2) to access assignments, turn in completed work, and access educational tools. This learning management system will be used in the event the district must transition to a distance learning model. Each school site will also provide training for parents on how to access and use Google Classroom and Seesaw along with strategies on how to support your child at home with instruction. In addition, there will be new safety protocols implemented such as additional hand washing, the wearing of face coverings and adhering to social distancing recommendations, when appropriate.

Distance Learning

Distance learning will be enacted by the superintendent if the district is required to close an individual classroom, school site, or the entire district due to identified Covid-19 cases. It is possible that some students could be learning remotely while others are receiving instruction at the school site. Teachers will continue to introduce new curriculum during distance learning by providing instruction through videos, activities, and assignments posted in Google Classroom and Seesaw. The teacher will meet with the entire class or in small groups via Google Meets or Zoom. Students who need assistance with technology and/or the Internet will be provided a device and hot spot in order to receive instruction and complete assignments. Students will be expected to log into Google Classroom and participate in class instruction as well as complete assignments. Attendance will be taken on distance learning days and grades will be given for assignments.

Option 2 - Virtual Learning

Virtual learning offers full-time, online learning in both core and elective courses for students in grades K -12 through a contracted provider, Edgenuity. Parents are asked to make a commitment to this program for a semester when enrolling. It is possible to transfer back to the traditional classroom at semester. Instruction will be provided by Stillwater Public School’s teachers whenever possible. However, there could be circumstances where a teacher from Edgenuity will be the teacher of record and be the instructor for the class.

Students enrolled in virtual learning may participate in extracurricular activities and/or clubs in Stillwater Public Schools. A student may need to be enrolled in a traditional class for some activities, such as football or fine arts classes, in order to participate in competitions or contests. Students also need to maintain eligibility according to the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA) guidelines in order to participate in games or contests.

Hybrid Learning

SPS will utilize Traditional Classroom Learning, Virtual Learning, and individualized learning programs for special situations. Students at Stillwater High School who experience scheduling conflicts due to enrollment at Meridian Technology Center or other special circumstances may enroll in both Traditional Classroom Learning and Virtual Learning. Individualized learning programs will be developed for students with special needs or health concerns. Families interested in hybrid learning should contact their site administrator.

Enrollment for the SPS Virtual Learning option has ended. We will consider new enrollments on a limited and case by case basis. If you are interested in switching to Virtual Learning, please contact SPS Educational Services at virtual@stillwaterschools.com for more information.

Virtual classes will start on August 20, 2020. Students will have 12 days to drop this class if virtual learning is not a good fit. Students enrolled in High School classes will have five days to drop due to the block schedule.

Students wishing to participate in virtual learning must:

• Reside in the Stillwater School District. Proof of residency is required.

• Enroll in Stillwater Schools by completing an online application.

• Commit to completing a semester of coursework.

• Have access to a computer and Internet. If this is not possible, please contact your site administrator.

• Participate in required district and state assessments throughout the year.

Enrollment in virtual learning will be monitored and changes in curriculum will be made if necessary.

19-20 4th Quarter Missed Skills

Stillwater Public Schools administration and teachers are aware that some skills were not taught during the last quarter of the 19-20 school year, which caused gaps in student learning. Teachers have incorporated those skills into the next grade level curriculum to accommodate for missed instruction from the previous year. Stillwater Schools is also utilizing a program called Exact Path provided by the Oklahoma State Department of Education for remediation. This intervention program identifies learning gaps and develops a pathway for individualized instruction for each student. This program can be accessed either at school or at home.

Assessments

All students enrolled in Stillwater Public Schools will be required to take all state mandated standardized assessments in grades 3-11. In compliance with the Reading Sufficiency Act (RSA) law, the district requires K-3 students to complete reading benchmark assessments through IStation each month.

Social Emotional Learning

Stillwater Public Schools provides support to all students enrolled in the traditional classroom and online instruction program through the use of school counselors, two district wide counselors, two social workers and programs provided by Grand Lakes Mental Health (GLMH) and Payne County Youth Services (PCYS). Referrals for counseling services or support offered through our social workers can be made at any time throughout the year. If distance learning is implemented at some point in the year, these services will still continue to be available.

Grand Lake Mental Health provides individual counseling services for SPS students in grades PK through 12th grades. They currently see over 400 students in our district. GLMH has placed "embedded therapists" at Highland Park Elementary School and Skyline Elementary School. These therapists are housed at the school site five days a week and are considered as part of the staff. There are plans for embedded therapists to be placed at several more sites in the 20-21 year. Highland Park will soon have a Behavioral Health Coach provided by GLMH. This person will also be placed at the site five days per week and will integrate into the site plan for managing students struggling with mental health issues.

Payne County Youth Services provides individual and group counseling for students in grades 6 through 12. They currently serve over 700 students in our district. These services include individual therapy and group counseling at all three secondary schools. PCYS also teaches a social-emotional life skills curriculum to all Stillwater Middle School students. There is also a PCYS counselor placed half days at the MS who works with students in the AIM program. PCYS also provides immediate crisis response for the students of SPS when the need arises.

Stillwater Public School recognizes that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected students in a variety of ways. Utilizing guidance from Barabara Sorrells, Grand Lakes, and Payne County Youth Services, each site will develop a plan for welcoming students back to school as well as identifying students who may need additional support making the transition back to school.

Special Education

Services for Special Education students will continue in the traditional classroom setting as well as in the distance learning and virtual learning school settings. In the event distance learning is enacted or a family chooses virtual learning Stillwater Public Schools Special Education Teacher will provide the following services:

Individualized Education Plan (IEP) Meetings:

Stillwater Public Schools will continue to offer every opportunity for parents and guardians to fully participate in all special education meetings for their child. Meetings may be conducted via phone conference, video conference, or in-person depending on the status of the district learning environment.

Child Find and Evaluation:

Stillwater Public Schools will continue to identify, locate, and evaluate students suspected of having a disability and needing special education and related services. At the same time, SPS will be mindful that students have been displaced from their typical learning environment when initiating the referral process. Some evaluation procedures can be completed in remote learning situations. Some evaluations require in-person contact with students or observations of students in school settings. Stillwater Public Schools will conduct evaluations remotely and in-person while adhering to public health guidelines for the safety of students and staff.

Delivery of Special Education and Related Services:

IEP teams will discuss needed services at each meeting. The teams will determine the most appropriate types and amounts of services for each student. All IEPs will include a contingency plan that will be implemented if a student enters a remote/distance setting. The decisions must be agreed upon by all team members. The contingency plans may include remote services, in-person services, or a blended model based on the specific needs of the student.

Progress Monitoring and Reporting:

Special Education teams will maintain consistent data collection and service log procedures for use across in-person and remote learning environments. Collecting data and tracking the provision of services will assist educators and families in determining the effectiveness of instruction provided, student performance on IEP goals/objectives, and assist IEP teams in making any necessary adjustments to instruction. Periodic reports on a child’s progress toward meeting the annual goals will continue to be provided.

Accommodations and Modifications:

Accommodations and modifications will be provided regardless of the educational setting. General and special education teachers will continue to collaborate in determining the appropriateness and success of a student’s unique accommodations and modifications The IEP team (general education teachers, special education, related services providers, and families) will work collaboratively to identify alternative solutions if accommodations or modifications are not appropriate or successful in a particular setting.

Confidentiality and Student Privacy:

Special education teachers and related service providers using a digital platform for instructional delivery will gain parent consent prior to the student using this platform. The consent form will provide guidelines to ensure student privacy

Educator and Paraprofessional Supports:

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a situation that required educators to adjust to a new manner and method of instructional delivery. Stillwater Public Schools will provide ongoing professional development for teachers and paraprofessionals in the areas of delivery of instruction in a remote/distance setting.

Gifted

Elementary

Students who have qualified to participate in the gifted education program at the elementary schools will continue to receive instruction during distance learning or if the family selects virtual learning. Gifted education teachers will use Google Classroom to provide instruction. Gifted education teachers will use units similar to the past as well as incorporate videos, class meetings, assignments, and the use of other online resources.

Secondary

Students in grades 6-12 who participate in advanced coursework will continue taking those courses if they select the virtual learning option. Stillwater Public School teachers will teach these classes whenever possible. However, there may be times that a certified teacher from Edgenuity will be used to teach them.

English Learners (EL)

Will Rogers Elementary Newcomer Program

The EL teachers will work with all newcomers virtually through Google Meet and Seesaw to facilitate English language learning. The teacher will also work with the English Learner’s regular education teachers to facilitate classroom content instruction. The teacher will utilize all strategies implemented in Stillwater Public Schools EL summer school classroom, including class dojo, imagine learning language and literacy and math, live sessions with the teacher, and one-on-one conferencing with students and parents when necessary.

Grade level interventionists will work with regular education teachers to support higher proficient students with content material taught in the regular education classroom. The interventionists will also assist students to improve their English language proficiency skills in content areas. The teacher will utilize class dojo, imagine learning language and literacy and math and or istation reading, live student sessions with the teacher, and one-on-one conferencing with students and parents, when necessary.

Other Elementary Schools

EL teachers will work with regular education teachers to support higher proficient students with content material taught in the regular education classroom. The teacher will utilize class dojo, imagine learning language and literacy and math and or istation reading, live student sessions with the teacher, and one-on-one conferencing with students and parents when necessary.

Secondary Schools

EL teachers will work with all English language learners virtually through Google Meet to facilitate English language learning. The teacher will also work with the English Learner’s regular education teachers to facilitate classroom content instruction. The teacher will utilize all strategies implemented in Stillwater Public Schools EL summer school classroom, including imagine learning language and literacy and math, live sessions with the teacher, and one-on-one conferencing with students and parents when necessary.

All Schools

A Google sheet will be set up to use the call translation service. It will be available for all teachers to use to be able to communicate with their parents. SPS will utilize Talking Points to communicate with parents who speak languages other than English. Class Dojo will also be reintroduced as a form of communication.

Information Dissemination

Information from the district will be translated and posted to the Spanish Facebook page and the EL website on a regular basis.

Indian Education

The Indian Ed Program provides supplemental academic instruction for Indigenous students. Services for Indian Education will continue for all Indigenous students during all learning settings.

The Indian Education Program will offer service during distance learning and virtual learning that increases academic success and achievement, increases educational opportunities, provides supplemental academic services for all grades, encourages parent participation, increases communication between school and home, and connects families to tribal resources, including connecting and supporting cultural events through Stillwater Public Schools.

Indian Education Academic Tutor’s will reinforce educational skills based on Oklahoma Academic Standards for Indigenous students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The tutor will work in one-on-one or small group tutoring sessions,focusing on developing academic skills and cultural awareness. The tutor will follow the guidelines from the regular classroom teacher while tutoring students online or in the classroom.

Professional Development

SPS will provide teachers with several professional development opportunities in preparation for the next school year. In May, all teachers completed Google Classroom training. Several chose to take the test to become certified. Also in May and throughout the summer, grade level teams met to identify standards and concepts not taught during distance learning the last nine weeks of school. They incorporated those standards and concepts into their current curriculum maps where appropriate.

During the months of June - August, professional development was offered on designing distance learning lessons. This professional development introduced teachers to tools such as Screencastify to make videos, NearPod to create engaging and interactive slides to use with students, and other extensions to enhance distance learning instruction.

New teachers who are hired to the district will be required to complete Google Classroom training prior to August and will receive distance learning training during the new teacher meetings that are scheduled in August.

Teachers will be provided time during the first four weeks of PLC time to collaborate with their peers on best practices on Google Classroom, Seesaw, and distance learning strategies. Additional professional development will be provided when needed to support teachers as they prepare for distance learning curriculum throughout the semester.

SPS will continue to provide training for teachers in working with students of trauma. Each site will develop training for their teachers to meet site specific needs in addition to district professional development opportunities.