Available resources to engage students: Examples of remote learning resources available for staff to use at the middle grade level include the following:

• Approved district technologies including but not limited to Google Hangouts Meet, group video or audio conference call software to engage with students.

• Gmail for connecting with families and students.

• Textbooks and ancillary material available electronically

• Printed, scanned, or electronically shared lessons, materials, projects, readings, etc.

• Google Classroom and Actively Learn for online learning platforms.

• The items above can be used to deliver lessons, provide individual student support, provide resources that include instructional material and student assignments, connect students to each other as well as with a teacher, and to provide feedback to students on their work.

Focus of Remote Learning Lessons: At the middle school level, remote learning lessons will focus primarily on reviewing and deepening skills and understanding of content already taught with a few lessons focused on introducing new skills and content. This means that most of the lessons should focus on review, and teachers are asked to have at least 70% of their remote learning lessons focused on reviewing and deepening students' skills and knowledge of material already taught. Middle School teachers are also asked to have no more than 30% of their remote learning lessons focus on new skills and new content as aligned with the applicable curriculum framework. Lessons will also encompass a combination of teacher-directed and self-directed learning opportunities. Please note, teacher-directed does not require direct teacher contact/instruction during the learning activity. Teachers may provide a week’s worth of lessons at one time.

Length of remote learning day for middle school students: Not to exceed 2.5 hours in total per day.

General Guidelines for the Length of time a student would be expected to spend on each subject:

• For the core content subjects (ELA, social studies, math and science) no more than 25 minutes per day. For a week this would be no more than 125 minutes that a student would be expected to spend on each core subject.

• For the related arts (art, physical education, music, world language and technology), a student would be expected to spend no more than 50 minutes per week on each subject.

• Staff are asked to develop lessons that will not exceed these time limits.

• Schools may decide to cluster subjects or to have a day focus on one or more subjects.

Feedback to students: Teachers will provide feedback to students on progress made towards relevant standards and/or learning goals as determined by the educator based on a review of student work completed at home.

Student grading: For the fourth quarter, all courses will be graded as “meeting expectations” or “not meeting expectations.” Please note that although final grades for the fourth quarter will be “meeting expectations” or “not meeting expectations” individual assignments may receive a numerical or percentage grade.

• At the midpoint of term four, teachers will provide a list of students who are not meeting standards to administration. Administration will then reach out to parents/guardians to determine whether learning opportunities were equitable access to the learning opportunities during the closure, specifically keeping in mind home access to the internet, problems with technology, the variety of disability, health, and language challenges that could occur.

• Before awarding a grade of not meeting expectations in any course, teachers will provide a list of students who did not meet the standards set for a passing grade to administration. Administration will again investigate to determine whether the learning opportunities were equitable as described above. Upon concluding the investigation, administration will confer with the teacher to determine what grade will be assigned.