Oak Lawn Community High School District 229

Emergency eLearning Plan

This document outlines the eLearning Day Plan for Oak Lawn Community High School for the 2023-2024 school year.

Program Description

The Illinois legislature amended Public Act 101-0012 to enable all school districts to take advantage of eLearning. An eLearning day is a virtual school day that can occur when school would otherwise have been canceled due to inclement weather or for other reasons. eLearning days are similar to traditional school days in most ways: attendance will be recorded, students will engage in learning activities facilitated by teachers, and the discipline code is in effect. Instruction and learning activities will be provided through the use of the school issued iPad and not at the school building.

OLCHS previously activated eLearning prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Given student familiarity with remote learning, we expect that students will be able to access their learning from home when it is unsafe to travel to campus. Survey data from prior eLearning days indicated that 97.2% of staff and 76% of students surveyed responded that they would like to continue to implement eLearning days instead of making up a school day at the end of the year.

Statement of Purpose

Virtual eLearning days are an opportunity for learning to continue even when students are not on the OLCHS campus. As an Apple Distinguished School, our students have access to a wide variety of learning resources on the iPad device. eLearning days count as student attendance days and do not require the day to be made up with an emergency day at the end of the school year.

Communication/Notification

Families will be notified of eLearning days in the same ways that we communicate school closing information. A notification will be sent through the School Messenger alert system. Information will also be posted to our website at www.olchs.org and on social media. Information will also be shared with the Emergency Closing Center at www.emergencyclosingcenter.com.

Attendance - eLearning Schedule

Students are responsible for signing in to Google Meet for each of their assigned periods on eLearning days. Each teacher will post their Google Meet link to their Canvas course. Each period will be 30 minutes (See Schedule Below).

An eLearning day is a regular school day. If students do not sign-in to Google Meet for each period, they will be marked absent for that period. If a student is ill or otherwise would have been absent, parents can still report the absence using the Attendance line at 708-741-5860.

Assignments

Students will access course work and assignments through their teacher’s Canvas course just as they would do while present in school. Teachers will post Google Meet links in Canvas for students to access the class for the day. Just as in a regular school day, attendance is separate from academic assignment completion. Students must login to Google Meet for attendance separately from assignment access. Course work will be academically worthwhile and may combine both direct instruction and independent work time. There will be at least 5 clock hours of instruction/school work happening on these eLearning days.

Teacher Availability

Teachers will be live on Google Meet during each assigned class period. Additionally, all teachers will be available via email between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm.

Problems on an eLearning day

• For assignment questions, consider what a student would do on a regular school day, such as contacting a classmate or emailing the teacher.

• For technology issues, please email ipadsupport@olchs.org or call (708) 424-4740 and leave a message; a staff member will get back to you that day.

Connectivity

It is understood that not every student has access to WiFi or internet in their home. For students who do not have WiFi at home, we have Kajeet hotspot devices that can be checked out in our Media Center and taken home for students to use. For more information about how to obtain low-cost internet, please visit this website: https://www.internetessentials.com/apply

If students are unable to access the internet due to issues such as power outages or other acts outside of their control, teachers will allow students extra days to make-up their homework/classwork once students are back in the school building.

Students with Special Needs

Every student at OLCHS uses the iPad as a part of their learning, and this will continue on an eLearning day. Students who may miss required minutes, such as with social workers or therapists, will have that time made-up once students are back in the school building.

Staff Assignments on eLearning Days

• Classroom Teachers will conduct live classes using Google Meet following our eLearning schedule. All staff will monitor emails with the expectation that any email received by 1:00pm will be answered that day. Please note that Common Prep remains 7:4am5-8:30am; zero hour teachers will have that preparation time shifted to 7:15am-8:00am.
• Non-classroom certified staff (Media Center, Counselors, etc.) are expected to conduct work as a normal school day in job-related activities.
• 10-month and 12-month office staff may work from home with supervisor approval provided they have access to technology/tools (computer, internet access, phone) needed to complete their tasks.
• Instructional assistants are expected to follow their assigned schedule and duties for live classes using Google Meet as well as support students as assigned by the supervisor during the remainder of the contractual day.
• Dean and technical assistants can use a sick or personal day and get paid for the day, can take the day as an unpaid day, or can make arrangements with their direct supervisor to work the hours they missed.  Depending on the nature of eLearning Day, some staff may be asked to work their normal shift.

Review of plan

OLCHS will review and revise this plan as necessary, at least on a yearly basis. If any changes are made, they will be communicated to all stakeholders via email and the website.