Table of Contents
ELL K-5 10
ELL 6-8 10
ELL 9-12 11
Distance Learning Considerations 11
Supplemental Resources (continued) 14
Distance Learning Resources 15
OCPS Distance Learning Portal 17
Supporting Distance Learning 19
Teacher Preparation Support 19
Low and No Cost Internet Service Providers 22
Hotspots 22
Overview
On rare occasions, Orange County Public Schools may need to close schools due to health, weather or another safety emergency. In the event of a long term closure where students do not report to school, the district will engage in distance learning with students and staff. OCPS will make every effort to ensure that instructional continuity is not disrupted by continuing to provide educational opportunities at home using all available district resources to engage in distance learning.
This plan outlines how the district will manage the following:
- Content Delivery
- Communication
- Supporting Distance Learning
- Internet Access
Teachers - Thank you for your continued creativity with distance learning. If you have additional questions or need suggestions, information is listed on the OCPS Instructional Continuity Plan. Please use your professional judgment on what resources and instructional materials are best for you and your students.
Content Delivery
During a long term school closure, OCPS will continue to provide standards aligned resources in print and digital formats through a distance learning model. Teachers should expect students to complete no more than 30-45 minutes of daily instruction per course (secondary) or subject area (elementary) per day for students receiving standard curriculum. Instructional topics should be determined based on the scope and sequence for the course and/or student need. Teachers should communicate all assignments with due dates to parents and students.
The charts below are an example to guide teachers and students during a school closure. These charts are merely an example and teachers may choose to develop and use their own materials to engage students in distance learning. Students should follow their teacher’s directions for instruction.
Elementary
March 30 - April 3, 2020 | |
Teachers | Students |
ELA
Math
Science (3rd - 5th grade only):
VPK
All Subject Areas
| ELA
Math
Science (3rd - 5th grade only)
VPK
|
Elementary (continued)
April 6 - 30, 2020 | |
Teachers | Students |
All Subject Areas
VPK
| ELA
Math
Science (K-2nd grade only)
Science (3rd - 5th grade only)
VPK
Extra Hour Schools (ONLY)*
|
Secondary
March 30 - April 30, 2020 | |
Teachers | Students |
All Subject Areas
| All Subject Areas
|
ESE K-8 - Standard Diploma
March 30 - April 30, 2020 | |
Teachers | Students |
ELA
Math
| ELA
Math
|
ESE K-5 - Access Points
March 30 - April 30, 2020 | |
Teachers | Students |
ELA
Math
| ELA
Math
|
ESE 6-8- Access Points
March 30 - April 30, 2020 | |
Teachers | Students |
ELA
Math
| ELA
Math
|
ESE 9-12- Access Points
March 30 - April 30, 2020 | |
Teachers | Students |
ELA
Math
| ELA
Math
|
ELL K-5
March 30 - April 30, 2020 | |
Teachers | Students |
ELA
Dual Language
| ELA
Dual Language
|
ELL 6-8
March 30 - April 30, 2020 | |
Teachers | Students |
English Language Development
Developmental Language Arts (Reading)
| English Language Development
Developmental Language Arts (Reading)
|
ELL 9-12
March 30 - April 30, 2020 | |
Teachers | Students |
English Language Development
All Subjects (Select Schools Only)
| English Language Development
All Subjects (Select Schools Only)
|
Distance Learning Lessons
Teachers should plan standards aligned lessons to be delivered in a Distance Learning format. When the district transitions to a Distance Learning model, teachers and schools must decide if teaching and learning is best for their students delivered online or offline. Regardless of which teaching and learning modality is best, teachers can use the OCPS Curriculum Resource Materials found on IMS.ocps.net or their Canvas dashboard as well as the district’s purchased Core and Supplemental Resources.
Distance Learning Considerations
Consideration | Possible Resources |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Core Resources
Core resources include physical and digital textbooks and other curriculum resources. Core resources at all grade levels , except for VPK, can be accessed through LaunchPad (L) with some also being accessible through Canvas (C).
Core Content Areas
VPK-5 | 6-8 | 9-12 |
Math | ||
VPK: Frog Street Press (W) K-5: Think Central - Go Math (L) | HMH - MyHRW (L) Pearson - Realize (L) | HMH - MyHRW (L) Pearson - MathXL (C) Pearson - MyMathLab (C) |
Science | ||
K-5: McGraw-Hill (L) | McGraw-Hill (L) | McGraw-Hill (L) |
ELA | ||
VPK: Frog Street Press (W) K-5: Think Central - Journeys (L) | SpringBoard (L) | MyHRW: Collections (L) |
Social Studies | ||
K-5: Studies Weekly (L) | McGraw-Hill (L) | McGraw-Hill (L) Pearson Realize (C) |
Electives | ||
K-5: Music - McGraw-Hill | Reading- i-Ready (L) | HOPE - McGraw-Hill Spanish/French - MyHRW Reading- ReadingPlus (L) Drama - Basic Drama Projects |
Supplemental Resources
Supplemental resources include digital subscriptions and instructional technology tools. Teachers have the discretion to use these resources in addition to the core content listed above to provide the most engaging and meaningful virtual learning experience possibile for students. Supplemental resources at all grade levels can be accessed through LaunchPad (L) with some also being accessible through Canvas (C) or web-based (W).
VPK-5 | |||||
Math | Science | ELA | Social Studies | Electives | |
Discovery Education (L/C) | X | X | X | X | X |
i-Ready (L) | X | X | |||
Gizmos - Grades 3-5 (L) | X | X | |||
Learning A-Z (L) | X | ||||
Newsela (L) | X | X | X | X | X |
Reflex Math - Grades 1-5 (L) | X | ||||
Britannica (L) | X | X | X | X | X |
Typing Club (L) | X | X | |||
DBQ Online - Grades 2-5 (L) | X | X | |||
Study Island - Grade 3-5 (L) | X | ||||
NearPod (L/C) | X | X | X | X | X |
PBS Learning Media (L) | X | X | X | X | X |
Supplemental Resources (continued)
6-12 | |||||
Math | Science | ELA | Social Studies | Electives | |
Britannica (L) | X | X | X | X | X |
CommonLit (W) | X | ||||
DefinedSTEM (L/C) | X | X | X | X | X |
Discovery Ed (L/C) | X | X | X | X | X |
i-Ready - Grades 6-8 (L) | X | X | |||
Gizmos (L) | X | X | |||
Khan Academy (L) | X | X | |||
Math Nation (L) | X | ||||
NearPod (L/C) | X | X | X | X | X |
Newsela (C) | X | X | X | X | X |
NoRedInk (W) | X | ||||
PBS Learning Media (L) | X | X | X | X | X |
Reading Plus - Reading Classes (L) | X | X | |||
Typing Club (L) | X | X | |||
*There are some specific supplemental resources available by course only. If you’ve had access to a supplemental program for your course this school year, it will still be available.
Social Emotional Learning
Teachers have access to social emotional learning lessons, links, and applications through Nearpod and Skillstream for grades K-12 integration into content areas. A website for families and teachers has been developed.
Distance Learning Resources
Core Distance Learning Platforms | |
Resource | Description |
LaunchPad | LaunchPad allows students to easily access all of the district’s online resources, including Canvas, G Suite, digital textbooks and instructional technology tools. |
Canvas | Canvas allows teachers to continue instruction with students outside of the face-to-face modality. Communication, lesson creation and student monitoring are all possible through our Learning Management System. |
G Suite for Education | G Suite for Education allows teachers to continue instruction with students outside of the face-to-face modality. Teachers can share Google Docs, Slides, Sheets and more with students to learn, work or create. |
Additional Digital Resources to Support Distance Learning | |
Resource | Description |
Beanstack | Beanstack allows students to track the number of hours they are reading from any device. Students can participate in district reading challenges and be entered to win prizes. |
BrainPop | BrainPOP is an educational application with over 1,000 short animated movies for students in grades K-12. Together with quizzes and related materials, BrainPOP supports various subjects including science, social studies, English, math, health, music, art and more. |
CommonLit | CommonLit provides free reading resources for students to use at the website |
Discovery Education | Discovery Education is a simple-to-use K-12 learning platform that combines curated curriculum resources with on-demand videos, games and teaching strategies. |
eBooks | Follett eBooks are electronic versions of traditional print books and come in a variety of popular and classic titles for K-12 students. The district has purchased the Sunshine State Young Readers Award Books and the Florida Teen Reads books for each school. |
Encyclopedia Britannica | Encyclopedia Britannica is an online encyclopedia database with hundreds of thousands of fact checked articles, biographies, copyright free images and videos. These resources are also available in Spanish. |
Florida Electronic Library | Florida Electronic Library is a collection of online databases provided by the Florida State Library. Students and teachers can research current events, history primary source documents, photographs and scholarly articles by grade band. |
Additional Digital Resources to Support Distance Learning (continued) | |
Resource | Description |
Gizmos | ExploreLearning Gizmos is a library of interactive online simulations for math and science. These lessons help K-12 students develop a deeper understanding of the assigned concept through inquiry and exploration. |
Khan Academy | Khan Academy offers practice exercises, SAT practice, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard. |
Math Nation | Online resources are available for 6th-8th Grade Math, Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 courses as well as PSAT and SAT preparation materials. To meet the diverse needs of all students, closed-captioned videos are available and every Algebra 1 topic has been filmed in both English and Spanish. There are also Spanish glossary videos for every vocabulary term in each course. |
Nearpod | Nearpod is an interactive classroom tool used to engage K-12 students in lessons. Teachers can upload existing presentations into Nearpod and make it interactive and engaging for up to 200 participants at a time. |
Newsela | Newsela is an online library of high-interest, cross-curricular, adjustable nonfiction texts. Teachers can select and assign articles to K-12 students to read, annotate, respond to in writing and take quizzes. |
No Red Ink | NoRedInk is an online tool used for teaching grammar, usage, mechanics and style to students in 4th through 12th grade. |
PBS Learning Media | PBS Learning Media is your destination for direct access to thousands of classroom-ready, curriculum-targeted digital resources including videos. PBS Learning Media builds on the strength of public media and is designed to improve teacher effectiveness and student achievement. |
Read & Write for Google | Read&Write for Google makes documents, files and web pages more accessible. With tools such as highlight, dictionary and read-aloud, Read&Write for Google supports reading and writing skills for all students. |
Reflex | ExploreLearning Reflex is an adaptive and individualized program that helps students in grades 2-5 gain math fluency. |
Typing Club | TypingClub is a free online program that helps students learn and improve their typing speed. |
Virtual Library Card | The Virtual Library Card, as provided by the Orange County Library System, provides access to eBooks, online tutoring and many other resources to all students and teachers. The Virtual Library Card found in the Library Research Tools folder on Launchpad. |
OCPS Distance Learning Portal
During school closure, students, parents and teachers will have access to the OCPS Distance Learning Portal. For extended school closures, students and parents will continue to have access to how-to guides and tutorials for OCPS resources, but should be using the materials and assignments provided by teachers. Additionally, during an extended school closure, teachers will have access to how-to guides, tutorials and webinars for OCPS resources.
Student Distance Learning Portal | |
To access the student section of the OCPS Distance Learning portal, students should go to tinyurl.com/ocpsclo and click on the students icon. Students will find the following resources:
| |
Parent Distance Learning Portal | |
To access the parent section of the OCPS Distance Learning portal, parents should go to http://distancelearning.ocps.net. Parents will find the following resources:
| |
Teacher Distance Learning Portal | |
To access the teacher section of the OCPS Distance Learning portal, teachers should go to https://ocps.instructure.com/courses/1165971 and click on the students icon. Teachers will find the following resources:
| |
Communication
During a school closure, employees, parents and students are encouraged to follow or use the communication channels listed in the table below.
Where | What |
BigBlueButton | Secondary teachers could use BigBlueButton to schedule conferences with students. BigBlueButton can also be used to conduct designated conduct IEP, EP and 504 pertinent meetings. |
Canvas | Secondary teachers could use Canvas to share assignments and announcements with students and parents. |
District Website | Employees, parents and students are encouraged to visit our district website to keep up-to-date on all district announcements. |
Teachers and administrators can be reached through our district email addresses. Visit the Faculty and Staff page of any school website to locate a teacher or administrator’s email address. | |
Parent Portal | Parents can use the Parent Portal to access LaunchPad, Canvas and Skyward. |
Phone | Staff members who wish to make calls from a remote work location can dial *67 before entering the telephone number they want to reach in order to block their phone number for being displayed to the person they are calling. |
School Messenger Calls | The district or school administrators may contact parents using school messenger phone calls. |
School Website | Parents and students should visit the school website to keep up to date on any school specific information related to the closure. |
Supporting Distance Learning
Teacher Preparation Support
Teachers can visit the OCPS Distance Learning Portal for teachers to find resources to help them prepare for the transition to Distance Learning. The district will host webinars about our core distance learning platforms, additional digital resources and content specific webinars to assist teachers in planning for distance learning instructional delivery. | |
Schools may choose to host their own webinars using district-provided tools to help their teachers prepare for the transition to distance learning. To access these supports, teachers use the Distance Learning icon from their LaunchPad dashboard and then click the Support link. | |
Student Attendance
Teachers must make a good faith effort to take daily attendance in the Skyward Student Information System. The following guidelines will be used regarding school attendance during the closure of school campuses.
- Official daily attendance will be recorded in Skyward
- During the time of Distance Learning, we will consider any of the following when determining if a student is present:
- Student is making progress on assigned work (packets or digital instruction)
- Student has logged in and engaged with course material on Canvas
- Student has logged in and engaged with course material on Edgenuity, APEX or other assigned digital platform
- Teacher has made contact with parent/guardian or student via phone
- Teacher has made contact with parent/guardian or student via email
- Teacher has made contact with parent/guardian or student using other appropriate means of communication
- Student has participated in class discussion/activities via Big Blue Button or other designated digital platform
- During the time of Distance Learning, we shall consider the following when determining if a student is absent:
- When considering a child absent, the teacher should take into consideration student engagement, participation, and/or contact with student or parent/guardian
- A student may be recorded as absent if none of the considerations outlined in section 2 a-g have been met
- All absences will be recorded in Skyward as “A” (excused absences)
- Any student who has been marked absent will have three (3) days from the time the absence is recorded in Skyward to submit an appeal/correction request (via email) to the teacher and school administrator or select staff. The request will need to include supporting evidence that demonstrates the student was engaged/involved in an approved Distance Learning activity for the day in question. Supporting evidence can include such things as: emails with teachers, platform usage with posted date, virtual instructional programs, or any other online educational platform that tracks date/time. Additional justifiable evidence/reasons can be determined by the teacher and/or principal
- A student who demonstrates involvement in an approved Distance Learning activity, shall be reported as present, and the “A” shall be removed from Skyward
- All attendance adjustments/corrections will be made in Skyward by the teacher, as the teacher will have up to 10 days to submit attendance
- Because absences are excused, students shall be afforded a reasonable amount of time to make up any work assignments which are missed during the absence. At least one day shall be allowed to make up missed work for each day of absence.
- Additional considerations for Distance Learning:
- Students may work on class assignments before, during, or after traditional times of the school day
- Teachers may consider establishing class procedures or daily routines for student contact, engagement, discussions, etc. to assist in monitoring academic progress and attendance. Teachers should communicate those procedures to students and parents
- Principal’s Responsibilities:
- Review attendance with teachers via email or other digital means
- Make a good faith effort to contact the parents of students not engaging with Distance Learning
- Work with teachers to consider the appeals made by students and/or parents to remove an absence and respond in a timely fashion
- Develop a plan of support for students not able to log in or having issues relative to technology access
- Refer and follow up with any student in need of additional assistance and/or service
- Teacher’s Responsibilities:
- Assist by reminding students to log into Canvas or appropriate digital platform each day
- Call or email students that do not have digital access to instruct and monitor academic performance/engagement
- Provide make-up assignments upon the request of a student or parent
- Allow students to make-up any missed work throughout the grading period
- For students who are repeatedly absent, contact parents and seek assistance from counselors and administrators
- Record attendance in Skyward. Teachers have up to 10 days to record attendance
- Student’s Responsibilities:
- Secondary students will log into Canvas courses or designated digital platform each school day
- Elementary and students without digital access will work on academic packets daily
- Communicate with teacher(s) via their designated platform
- Complete all Distance Learning activities as assigned by your teachers
- Request make-up assignments, as needed
- Communicate with school site personnel to request assistance if your device is not working properly or you are having issues relative to connectivity/internet access. A non-working device shall not be considered a valid excuse for non-attendance, unless the student has communicated to school site personnel
- Remain engaged
Student Grades
As outlined in the MOU on COVID-19 between OCPS and OCCTA dated April 21, 2020, “teachers will
provide students work and grades using their professional judgement and discretion over grading, the amount, and type of work.” Please keep in mind; flexibility and compassion are crucial during these critical times as students are allowed to make-up any missing assignments throughout the grading period.
Teachers should make a good faith effort to input grades in a timely manner as assignments are reviewed and graded. Teachers should use their best judgment to determine which assignments to grade. As with traditional instruction, Skyward remains the system of record for all grades.
Progress Reports
Understanding that internet connectivity or the return of packets may be a barrier; the following options are available, but not limited for submitting Progress Report Four grades. Here are some ideas for grading:
- Grades may be entered for all or parts of an assignment provided by students. Teachers are
continually following up with students through a variety of ways and these direct interactions may be used in conjunction with or in lieu of assignments when appropriate.
- Grades for Progress Report 4 may include any work received from students, including work online, teleconference or through packets.
- Student progress made through Report Card 3 may be used to determine mastery of standards in Progress Report 4.
- Teachers are not required to provide a grade if no work has been completed by a student. To delay giving a grade, please use the “no-count” option in Skyward.
- Teachers may use an average of Report Card 1, Report Card 2, Report Card 3, and any distance learning assignments or teleconference assignments used to improve grades to enter for Progress Report 4.
- Teachers may calculate the average of Report Card 1, Report Card 2, and Report Card 3 to use for Progress Report 4.
- Teachers may choose to allow work completed during quarter 4 (distance learning) to only be used to improve student grades, not be a detriment.
Final Grades
The district is working with Skyward to calculate final grades. Schools should not enter Semester 2 exam grades for any 2019-2020 course where a Common Final Exam (CFE) or state End of Course (EOC) assessment has not been administered. For seniors who did not take an EOC in a prior school year, schools will need to complete the Senior End of Course Exception Form. If a student has an EOC exam grade for an Edgenuity course, that grade will be part of the Edgenuity final grade. If a student is currently recovering an EOC course and does not have an EOC exam grade, the EOC exam is waived from the final grade calculation.
Packet Distribution
The district will provide packets for elementary school students (VPK-5), including ESE and ELL, who do not have internet access and who request them. Teachers will contact their students to determine if they will access lessons online or need a paper packet. District created packets will be printed and mailed home to the address of record. Follow the teacher’s instructions on the use of, as well as how and when to return the completed assignments.
Students with disabilities will receive regular packets, but will also be getting packets from their special education teacher to meet individual needs - to the best extent possible.
The school will provide packets for students on access points that are unable to use the digital platform. ELL students in grades 6-12, who request them, will also receive packets. Teachers will contact their students to determine if they will access lessons online or if they need a paper packet. District created packets will be printed and mailed home to the address of record. Follow the teacher’s instructions on the use of, as well as how and when to return the completed assignments.
Device Distribution
During a school closure, all middle and high school students will take their assigned device and charger home from school with them. Students are expected to follow best care practices for these devices while distance learning. Teachers in Cohort 8 who do not yet have a device, can complete a Prop 4 form and check out a device from the available student laptops on campus.
At Home Device Care
In partnership with the manufacturers of district purchased devices, the following guidance has been provided to clean and care for devices. Before cleaning, devices should be off and unplugged. Liquid should not be poured onto any device for cleaning or disinfection purposes.
Several of our computer manufacturers have posted cleaning documents for mobile devices:
Internet Access
During all school closures, the district will continue its efforts to implement strategies to support students without internet access at home. Below are the district’s current options to ensure students have internet access at home to continue their work and education without interruption.
Low and No Cost Internet Service Providers
The district currently supports relationships with Spectrum, Comcast and other internet providers who provided internet access at $14.95 per month to families who qualify for the National Free and Reduced Lunch Program. During a school closure we will continue to leverage these partnerships and work to ensure local cable providers open access to the internet at no charge to students.
The following local Internet Service Providers have taken the Keep America Connected Pledge and are offering low and no cost services at this time:
Note: Spectrum offer is available to teachers and students.
Hotspots
The district currently supports partnerships with two mobile providers: Sprint and T-Mobile. These partnerships support tens of thousands of free hotspots and data for middle and high school students. The vast majority of these hotspots are already in the hands of students who need them and they would remain there in the event of a school closure.
Families can connect more than one device to a hotspot. Middle school and high students who do not have a hotspot in their household but need one can complete the form below. Once the form is complete Instructional Technology Services will contact the school and the school will contact the students with information on how and when they can pick up the hotspot.
Resource Appendix
Below is a listing of resources available to support teachers and staff to continue instruction.
Teacher Resources | Description |
Distance Learning Document for Teachers | Overview document for teachers to assist with online learning utilizing digital resources. Contains links to guides and videos to support the transition to distance learning. |
Distance Learning Canvas Course | Course for teachers that outlines online learning with digital resources and links to support. |
Distance Learning Landing Page | This is the course landing page for Parents and Students and will be the primary point for online learning continuity resource access for Parents. This outlines recommended resources and access for our students in an emergency. |
Growing with Canvas | Online course available through the PD Catalog for teachers to learn about the basic features and uses of Canvas. |
The IMS | The IMS is the hub for teachers to access their Scope and Sequences, CRMS and other instructional resources. |
CDL Support Site | The CDL support site provides an overview, access information and support documentation for all district supported digital resources. |
Contact Appendix
Below is a listing of contact information to support teachers and staff to continue instruction.
Contacts for teachers of ESE students using the Florida Access Points
Contact Name | Email Address |
Nichole Comeaux | |
Gina Horton | |
Rachelle Kmetz | |
Bonnie Segal |
Contacts for teachers of ESE students using the Florida Standards
Contact Name | Email Address |
Elementary Support Facilitation/ Resource Teachers | |
Susan Coggan | |
Nicole Rice | |
Liz Savitski | |
Secondary Support Facilitation/ Resource Teachers | |
Lisa Simonitis | |
Teachers of Students with Autism in a Self-Contained Setting | |
Nicole Rice | |
Teachers of Gifted Students | |
Francine Silio | |
Susan Watford | |
Orange County Public Schools | Updated 03.18.2020 |