2024-2025 Pandemic Health and Safety Plan

Health and Safety Plan Summary 

Updated and reviewed by the Board of Directors for the 2024-2025 school year: June 17, 2024

Effective Date: August 12, 2024

1. How will the LEA, to the greatest extent practicable, support prevention and mitigation policies in line with the most up-to-date guidance from the CDC for the reopening and operation of school facilities in order to continuously and safely open and operate schools for in-person learning?

1. District leadership, with input from the Health and Safety Team (physicians, CSNs, epidemiologists, district administrators), will meet as needed throughout the pandemic to evaluate the status of the restriction. From assessing CDC and PDE guidance, community transmission, and occurrence of district outbreaks, the district will consider making changes to protocol in response to the status of COVID-19 within our school, and larger community.

2. How will the LEA ensure continuity of services, including but not limited to services to address the students’ academic needs, and students' and employees members’ social, emotional, mental health, and other needs, which may include student health and food services?

1. Elementary Specific Focus:

1. Social Emotional Support for Students: In K-5, SCASD will continue our focus on the responsive classroom where teachers take time every day to build and maintain classroom community and relationships with and between students. Additional time will be provided to focus on SEL at the start of the school year in our pacing plans. In addition, the district will continue to use the Second Step curriculum as a way to support a continued focus on SEL. Each school will continue to use its Multi Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) team to monitor students and provide support for students who are referred for additional support who come to the team's attention through our screening efforts. SCASD will also monitor students' SEL through the use of the Review 360 screener. Teams at each school review the results of the Review 360 screener and follow up with students and families of those students who score in the at-risk area.

2. Health Services for Students: SCASD health curriculum is taught by the health and physical education teachers and focuses on student emotional, social, and physical health across all grades.

3. Academic needs: SCASD will administer the beginning of the year benchmark assessments in reading, writing, and math, as well as unit pre-assessments and post-assessments when called for in our curriculum. The students will be assessed three times a year to continue to monitor their progress. Each school will continue to use its MTSS team to monitor students and provide support for students who are referred for additional support who come to the team's attention through our screening efforts. In addition, SCASD instructional coaches will work with school, grade level, and individual teachers to support them in meeting students' needs.

2. Secondary Specific Focus:

1. Social Emotional Support for Students: SCASD has increased support for students during the school day as well as after school hours. Students' SEL will be monitored through the use of the Review 360 screener. School counselors and administrators will review the results of the Review 360 screener and follow up with students and families of those students who score in the at-risk range.

2. Health Services for Students: SCASD health curriculum is taught by the health and physical education teachers and focuses on student emotional, social and physical health across all grades.

3. Academic Needs: SCASD will continue to offer ACE (academic support centers), Math and English help centers, after school tutoring centers that will be staffed by teachers and volunteers and provide time for clubs and groups to meet. Each middle school will retain an MTTS for SEL interventionist and dean of students to help students make healthy choices/decisions.  They will also continue to have an academic MTSS Interventionist to provide support for students, specifically in math and ELA. SCASD gives MAP (math and reading) in grades 6-9 to assess the skills of students three times per year (early fall, winter, and spring). Virtual Academy (VA) students have the ability to meet with a teacher (video call or phone call) for help in addition to using email. SCASD uses Synergy and Google Classroom, so students have one consistent place to find all of their work and grades. Teachers have formative assessments built into courses to determine students' readiness and skills. Teachers work in PLCs every other day to collaborate about student learning and share strategies that are effective.

3. K-12 Social Emotional Needs for Students and Employees:

1. SCASD has provided all staff with training to incorporate restorative practices and a trauma-informed approach.  
2. SCASD has hired four full-time mental health clinician and has signed written agreements with the following providers:

1. The Penn State Psychological Clinic will make available a service provider team of licensed psychologists to give direct support to the district’s educators, administrators, and parents regarding child development, academic performance, social/behavioral challenges of students, assessment of social/emotional development, MTSS Team consultation, drug and alcohol problems, etc.
2. The Penn State Herr Clinic will provide a 20-hour assistantship employed by a master's student clinician from Herr Clinic. This clinician will support SCASD students, supervise interns, and provide professional development to employees.
3. Mindful Village will provide MTSS team consultation, support, intern supervision, psychological services for student and staff group training and consultation.

4. Food Services:

1. Breakfast and lunch will be available each school day to students attending school in person. Economically eligible families will be encouraged to apply for free or reduced-price meals.  

3. Use the table below to explain how the LEA will maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other employees and the extent to which it has adopted policies and a description of any such policy on each of the following safety recommendations established by the CDC.

Health and Safety Plan Governing Body Affirmation Statement

The Board of Directors/Trustees for State College Area School District reviewed and approved the Health and Safety Plan on____________.

The plan was approved by a vote of:

          Yes

          No

Affirmed on:

By:

(Signature* of Board President)

(Print Name of Board President)

*Electronic signatures on this document are acceptable using one of the two methods detailed below.

Option A: The use of actual signatures is encouraged whenever possible. This method requires that the document be printed, signed, scanned, and then submitted. 

Option B: If printing and scanning are not possible, add an electronic signature using the resident Microsoft Office product signature option, which is free to everyone, no installation or purchase needed.