High School Students (9-11)

In an effort to ensure students continue to engage in learning, I want to share with you the Emergency Remote Learning Plan for our school district. This information is based on what we know to-date in regards to teaching and learning guidance from the state level. Please note that some plans may continue to change as the situation evolves. We fully anticipate further guidance from the NC Department of Public Instruction, the NC State Board of Education, and the NC General Assembly. I will continue to be transparent with you regarding any and all guidance we receive regarding remote learning in NC and in particular, decisions affecting us directly at the local level in Surry County.

Surry County Schools will continue with emergency remote learning to support continued student growth and well-being during this public health crisis. While we know this is not ideal for all learners, our goal is to reach all of our students and engage them in learning. Within our plan, we will continue to provide a variety of remote learning opportunities through video conference, telephone conference, print material, online material, and/or through PowerSchool Learning (Haiku) or Google; provide social and emotional learning strategies and supports to help respond to the needs of our students; and, focus more on engagement than evaluation during this unprecedented time in our lives.

Please review the latest update from the State Board of Education. This state board-approved information will inform how we proceed with grading for students in grades 9-11. Further guidance will come from your school principal.

Grades 9-11:

• Teachers will continue with emergency remote instruction and will continue to engage students in learning.

• Teachers will provide feedback to students as they evaluate student progress toward course standards.

• Priority standards will be identified for each subject area and progress toward these standards will be evaluated.

• Teachers will assess student learning and progress in simplistic terms of Proficient or Not Yet. (Proficiency is defined as students demonstrate sufficient understanding of grade-level content standards though some support may be needed to engage with content at the next grade/course.)

• Consideration will be given to each student’s progress toward course credit based on the first eight weeks of the semester and continued progress toward proficiency on grade-level standards within each core subject.

• Students with an IEP and/or an EL plan will continue to receive differentiated support within this remote learning plan.

Teachers will provide Emergency Remote Learning Progress Checks to your students in efforts to give feedback on their progress toward grade-level and/or course-level standards. You will receive the first Progress Check by April 30, 2020. You will receive the second Progress Check by May 4, 2020.

AP Courses:

Students will take online, secure AP exams from home and will earn college credit for passing scores. AP teachers are authorized to provide the necessary instruction to prepare students for these exams.

Career and Technical Education Courses:

Students enrolled in Career and Technical Education Courses (CTE) may continue to work toward credentialing in the courses listed here. We are working with teachers and our technology department to provide access for students. For students without access, we will develop a plan with individual students to complete the credential when students return to school. If there are additional questions, please contact your principal and/or your CTE teacher.

Students enrolled in CTE courses in the Spring 2020 semester will not be required to take state post assessments (exams) associated with these courses.

UPDATED on May 6, 2020

Guidance Provided for NC Community Colleges and NC Public Schools‒ March 27, 2020

An underclassmen enrolled in a Career & College Promise (CCP) course/s at the community college

should remain in close contact with his/her instructor. Guidance from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and the NC Community College System states it is the intent for all students to complete their college courses. However, it is recognized this may not be feasible for all.

If an underclassman completes the college course, the earned college grade will appear on the college transcript. The college transcript is the authoritative source for college grades. At this time, for grades 9-11, dual enrollment course grades on the high school transcript will follow the same guidelines like other courses. Therefore, students will choose either the numeric final grade or PC19 for their transcript.

If an underclassman is unable to complete a community college course, the NC Department of Public Instruction and the NC Community College System recommend the following:

Community College:

• Withdraw the student from the community college course; or

• Assign an Incomplete for the community college course with the understanding that the student may be able to complete the course during the summer term or the next academic year at no additional future cost. NCDP and NCCCS recommend a clear statement on the transcript that this Incomplete is due to COVID-19.

• These decisions should be made in conjunction with the student and LEA.

LEA/ School will:

• Verify that the student is enrolled in the corresponding approved high school course code from the DPI Master List and give the student a grade of PASS using “PC19” based on progress as of March 6. If the student is not passing, the grade of WC19 will apply. The student may work to recover the course through credit recovery or repeating the course.

• If the community college course is not needed to satisfy a graduation requirement and the student is assigned an Incomplete on the community college transcript, indicate on the high school transcript a Withdraw “WC19”.

Digital Divide:

Students in grades 9-11 who still need a device are asked to contact their school to ensure that a laptop is issued immediately. SCS will continue to work with families who do not have internet connectivity to make certain all students have an equitable opportunity to participate in lessons, complete assignments, and receive social-emotional supports.