Application Questions for School Year 2022-23 Continuous Education Plans  (CEPs) and 2022-23 Health and Safety Plans

Completed: January 30, 2023

Background and Purpose

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is requiring all local education agencies  (LEAs) to develop Continuous Education Plans (CEPs) for the 2022-23 school year in order to  communicate to OSSE and the public their plan for supporting situational preparedness, student and  staff well-being, and accelerated learning. For LEAs receiving Elementary and Secondary School  Emergency Relief (ESSER) III-American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds, the CEPs will also satisfy US  Department of Education (USED) requirements for updating plans for a safe return to in-person  instruction and continuity of services, as well as plans for the use of ESSER III-ARP funds.

The CEP application, as well as the health and safety plan, are closely aligned to OSSE’s Guiding  Principles for Continuous Education.1 These guiding principles are intended to help LEAs develop  effective and equitable CEPs that support situational preparedness, student and staff well-being, and accelerated learning for all students, especially those with the most significant learning gaps and students  typically furthest from opportunity. These principles provide LEAs and families with clear and consistent  expectations for continuous education throughout the 2022-23 school year, including for in-person learning and situational distance learning under limited circumstances. We strongly encourage you to  review these guiding principles closely before drafting your CEP application

To inform the public of LEAs’ responses, the CEPs and health and safety plans will be publicly posted on  OSSE’s website and all LEAs and independent schools must share them directly with their families upon  review and approval by OSSE.  

For public and public charter LEAs, the deadline to submit 2022-23 school year CEPs is July 29, 2022 at  12 p.m.

LEAs may submit their applications via OSSE’s Quickbase portal. Additional information on the application submission process can be found on OSSE’s Guiding Principles for Continuous Education  webpage.  

Continuous Education Plan Questions

Situational Preparedness 

Support Across Learning Environments

In the 2022-23 school year, there may be reasons that a group of students, a school or an LEA might need  to transition from in-person learning to situational distance learning. Acknowledging this reality, OSSE is  allowing LEAs to convert up to five days of their academic calendar to situational distance learning  

1 Continuous education takes place when both instruction and learning occur seamlessly across different learning environments,  including in-person and situational distance learning settings.

without needing to get approval from OSSE. The reasons for the transition to situational distance learning  might vary greatly—including but not limited to strains on a school’s operational posture due to disease,  inclement weather or other event—and are ultimately up to each LEA’s discretion. The following section  is meant to engage and assess the LEA’s ability to move to situational distance learning at any point in the  school year. At a minimum, an LEA “ready” to transition to situational distance learning will have plans  addressing the following listed provisions.

1. To be prepared for situational distance learning, the LEA has a plan for: a. The provision of situational distance learning through either: (Select all applicable  strategies below and complete only the questions associated with the selected  options)

i. Option 1: Provision of 1:1 learning devices.

1. As of the submission of this plan, the LEA has 623 learning devices.

2. Distribution Strategy:  

a. The devices:

i. Will be distributed to all students in the event of a  

foreseen school closure (e.g., with advanced warning).

ii. Are distributed to the following group(s) of students at  

the beginning of the school year:

  1. List here: 5th grade students.

3. An accurate assessment of current student access to broadband  

internet/WIFI.

4. Approximately _85_% of our students have access to broadband  

internet/WIFI at their situational distance place of learning.

5. In the space below, please describe the LEA’s plan to provide internet  

access to students who do not currently have it in the event of the need to  

move to situational distance learning.

In the event of the need to move to situational distance learning Bridges will provide internet access to students who currently do not have it by providing families with hotspots that are paid for by the school. Parents will be able to pick up devices (computers and hot spots) from 8:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. each day for two weeks leading up to the advanced school closure.  Parents will be able to sign out the devices during school pick up hours.  Students whose parents would need equipment delivered to the home would notify the school and a staff member will then deliver the devices to their home.  

6. In the space below, please describe in detail the LEA’s plan to distribute  

learning devices to students.

In the case of an advanced and planned school closure, an established time two weeks prior to closure will be established for parents to pick up devices.  Parents will be able to pick up devices (computers and tablets) from 8:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. each day for two weeks leading up to the advanced school closure.  Parents will be able to sign out the devices during school pick up hours.  Parents will be able to sign out the devices during school pick up hours.  Students whose parents would need equipment delivered to the home would notify the school and a staff member will then deliver the devices to their home.

ii. Option 2: Distribution of learning materials that are not digital, such as paper  packets and other related learning materials.

1. In the space below, please describe in detail the LEA’s plan to distribute  

materials—such as paper packets, manipulatives, or other supplies—to  

students.

In the event of a planned closure, two weeks ahead of time the school would have time to prepare any materials such as paper packets, manipulatives, etc. that students would need while they are engaged in situational distance learning.  We would identify specific days and communicate to parents that these materials will be sent home with the students in their bookbags.

b. Communicating with all interested stakeholders, including:  

i. Method for family engagement (including communication) during  

situational distance learning. Describe the LEA’s method for family  

engagement during situational distance learning in the space below.

During situational distance learning Bridges’ Family Engagement Specialist would have a virtual meeting with parents to discuss concerns.  Additionally, teachers would be required to communicate each day with parents to summarize the learning and provide parents with an opportunity to ask questions and gain clarity around what is being instructed.  

ii. Means of communication to reach all students enrolled in a given school to  alert them of a move to situational distance learning in a timely manner.

Describe the LEA’s communication plan to alert students, educators and families  of a move to situational distance learning in a timely manner in the space below. c. The following additional considerations:

We will provide information on a situational distance learning situation to our stakeholders in the following manner:  School monthly newsletter, principal letter, placed on our website, handouts during arrival and dismissal, text messages, phone calls and sharing during the principal monthly parent coffee.  We would share this information as early as possible when we are able to move to a situational distance learning situation in a timely manner.  

i. Family training and support. Describe the LEA’s situational distance learning  training and support for families in the space below.

Prior to any situational distance learning we would orientate our parents during Back To School Night to our online distance learning platform.  The teachers will share how to access their Google Classroom and Google Sites pages in order to access online learning.  Additionally, this information can be reviewed as needed during Parent Teacher Conferences.  Homework and classroom assignments will be posted regularly on Google Sites and Google Classrooms so that new parents are able to become acclimated to the platform.

ii. Teacher training on technology, tools and remote instruction models before  the school year. Describe the training for teachers on the LEA’s technology,

tools and remote instruction model in the space below.

New teachers will receive professional development on how to use the Google Classroom and Sites platform for remote instruction.  Returning teachers will receive a review.  All Teachers also have access to the school’s Technology support and Learning staff for 1-on-1 support and review.

iii. Articulation of clearly communicated student, teacher and family situational  distance learning expectations. Describe the LEA’s expectations in the space  

below.

During situational distance learning it will be expected that teachers submit their lesson plan and presentations to their coaches for feedback.  This will be communicated in a general staff meeting and during the curriculum planning meetings.  Staff will be expected to adhere to the daily schedule, which will include an opportunity for lunch and recess.  Students will be expected to adhere to the school’s technology requirements.  Additionally, students will be expected to participate each day.  This includes having on your camera, engaging in lessons and discussions and formative assessments.  

iv. Established schedule and expectations for a situational distance learning  day, including how attendance and engagement will be measured. Describe  

the LEA’s schedule and expectations for a situational distance learning day,  

including how attendance and engagement will be measured, in the space

The school will adhere to the following schedule for situational distance learning.  

PK-K Situational Distance Learning Schedule

1-5 Situational Learning Schedule

Attendance will be taken daily using our current attendance program.  Engagement will be measured by the number of students that participate each day as well as the work that is submitted.  

Student and Staff Well-Being 

Beyond 2022-23 Health and Safety Plans, OSSE is not asking LEAs to submit further plans for student  and staff well-being in the 2022-23 school year. This does not discount the pandemic’s impact on the physical, social-emotional, mental and behavioral well-being of those in the community. LEAs should  continue to pursue strategies to promote the health of students, staff and families, and OSSE stands ready  with support and technical assistance. To learn more about how LEAs should promote student and staff  well-being, see OSSE’s 2022-23 Guiding Principles for Continuous Education. If the LEA is interested in  additional technical assistance from OSSE, please select the checkbox below.

☑The LEA is interested in receiving additional technical assistance related to student and staff  well-being from OSSE.

2022-23 Health and Safety Plans 

LEAs should have a publicly accessible health and safety plan outlining its approach to help respond to  and reduce the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission among students, staff and visitors in the  2022-23 school year. If helpful, as of the release of the current continuous education plan survey, current  DC Health guidance for schools is available here.

2. In the space below, please provide the exact URL where the LEA’s current health and safety plan  can be found. The plan should take applicable DC Health guidance into consideration and  describe how the LEA will reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in its facilities.

Bridges Public Charter School’s Health and Safety Plan:

BPCS Health & Safety Guidance for SY 22-23

Accelerated Learning 

Employing Intentional Strategies for Accelerating Learning

3. Describe how the LEA will maximize accelerated learning opportunities for students by  indicating the specific strategies that the LEA plans to use (select all that apply).

a. Adjusted Scheduling

i. Adjusted class/block/bell schedules  

ii. After-school programming  

iii. Longer school day

The school day on Friday, has been extended one hour in order to allow for school clubs.  The clubs are designed to address the social/emotional needs of the students.  

iv. Longer school year  

v. Summer programming

We will have Summer School for students that qualify based upon their NWEA, WIDA, and internal formative and summative assessment data.  As well as students with special needs who qualify for Extended School Year (ESY) services.

vi. School break/holiday programming  

vii. Weekend programming (e.g., Saturday school)

We will have Saturday School twice per month for students that qualify based upon their NWEA, WIDA, and internal formative and summative assessment data.  

b. Instructional Changes

i. High-impact tutoring2 

ii. New curriculum purchase

iii. New intervention program or support

We will be utilizing Wilson Fundations for grades K-2 to support students with phonetics.  

iv. New uses of staff planning time for accelerated learning

v. New professional development for staff on accelerated learning

c. Staffing and Related Supports

i. Additional staffing

We will hire an additional co-teacher for our students in grade 3.  

ii. Additional vendor and/or community partner support

iii. New hardware purchase

iv. New software purchase

d. Other

i. Please describe.

e. In the space below, please describe in detail the LEA’s approach to implementing each  strategy selected above and how it will accelerate student learning.

The purpose of accelerated student learning is to provide in-time supports for students  Because we will not be speeding along in order to get students “caught up”, please see below how we will be implementing our intentional strategies:

• Longer School Day:

• We will be dismissing students at 2:00 p.m. versus 1:00 p.m. in order for students to engage in Friday Clubs.  This will allow students the opportunity to build relationships with other students as well as explore a skill and learn and share information with their school community.  

• Instructional Changes:

• We are purchasing Wilson Fundations to provide a foundation of phonological skills.  Wilson Fundations provides research-based materials and strategies essential to a comprehensive reading, spelling, and handwriting program.  Our data showed that our students were struggling with phonological awareness and needed a more comprehensive program to address these deficits.  

• Staff and Related Supports

• We are hiring an additional co-teacher to provide support in grade three.  Our data indicates that there are increased hours for students in grade three.  These students were kindergarteners when the schools shut down due to the Coronavirus.  They missed basic skills and this data is evident in the increased hours for instruction needed for students with IEPs.  

Students with Disabilities

4. Describe the LEA’s plan to ensure that students who require initial or reevaluation for special  education service eligibility receive timely assessments and final eligibility determinations as  required by IDEA and local special education requirements.

a. Identify:

i. Any barriers the LEA has in meeting these requirements; and

Contract psychologists have experienced a backlog in conducting psychoeducational evaluations  due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as evaluations must be conducted in person. The backlog from the 2019-2020 school year impacted the timeliness of evaluations in the 2021-2022 school year as well. Additional backlog from the 2021-2022 school year may be a barrier to meeting the identified requirements.

ii. The LEA’s plan to address those barriers; and  

The LEA will communicate with the contract psychologists 150 days in advance of an AED meeting to confirm the attendance of a psychologist at the AED, tentatively hold time for any possible evaluations, and to ensure timeliness of reports. Once the AED meeting date is set, the LEA will alert the contractor of the due date for evaluation reports in SEDS. The LEA will request a status report 10 days in advance of the due date in order to communicate timeliness to families.

Students requiring an initial evaluation will be prioritized and provided with an educational evaluation at the school level to lessen the number of assessments to be conducted by the psychologist to ensure timeliness of psycho-educational reporting.

The LEA will schedule the final eligibility determination meeting at the AED meeting to adhere to the 60 day timeline for evaluations and review before the Final Eligibility Meeting.

iii. The LEA’s plan for communication with families to ensure completion of  

evaluation requirements.  

LEA will notify caregivers of the date the evaluator will conduct the assessments with their student. Notifications will be made in the caregiver’s native language.

LEA will contact caretakers to schedule interviews with the psychologist and to provide assistance for any rating scales to be completed. Notifications and any assistance will be provided in the caregiver’s native language.

Families will receive a reminder for the Eligibility Determination meeting 30 days prior to the meeting, 15 days prior to the meeting, and the day before the meeting.  Notifications will be made in the caregiver’s native language.

LEA will notify families 10 days prior to the due date for evaluations on the status of the reporting.

Families will receive a copy of all evaluations and the Evaluation Summary 15 days prior to the Eligibility Determination meeting. All paperwork and notifications will be made available in the family’s home language.

5. Describe the LEA’s plan to ensure IEP teams make individualized decisions (whether and to what  extent) for students with disabilities who are eligible for special education services under IDEA,  who have compensatory services necessary to mitigate the impact of periods of school closure or  distance instruction in the 2020-21 or 2021-22 school year.  

LEA will use assessment data from the first 30 days of school, in conjunction with convergent data from the 2021-2022 school year, to complete a qualitative analysis of what services and supports the student received, what progress or regression the student experienced as a result, and what is needed to address recovery of lost learning and mitigate student regression.

All analyses are completed by the IEP team on an individual basis, using individual data to make  determinations regarding the necessity of compensatory education services.

a. Identify how and when the LEA will communicate IEP team decisions regarding  eligibility for compensatory education to families and how the LEA plans to ensure the  delivery of these services to students.  

The LEA will hold individual meetings with families to analyze the data collected within the first 30 days of school, IEP progress data, and rates of progress or regression the student may have experienced.

LEA is monitoring the delivery of service in SEDS, for related services, with providers selecting Compensatory Services for the service logs when those services are delivered.

LEA is monitoring delivery of compensatory specialized instruction via Specialized Instruction service log in SEDS.

LEA provided some students with compensatory education and services during ESY 2021-2022.

LEA will provide compensatory services during the 2022-2023 school year for individuals as determined by the IEP team’s qualitative analysis.

Assurance Statement for Continuous Education Plans (CEPs)

The LEA attests to the following statements regarding delivery of instruction:  

The LEA grounds instruction in the District of Columbia’s approved state academic standards  (and/or the LEA’s approved standards) in English language arts, math and science across grades  K-12.  

The LEA attests to the following statement regarding 2022-23 school year attendance: The LEA assures that it will collect and report daily attendance through the LEA’s student  information system (SIS) consistent with OSSE’s regulations and policies for the 2022-23 school  year.  

2 Please see OSSE’s guide, High-Impact Tutoring: A Proven Strategy to Accelerate Student Learning, released March 15, 2021.

4 The LEA attests to the following statement regarding graduation and promotion for the 2022-23 school  year:

The LEA assures that it will abide by the statewide graduation requirements enumerated in 5A  DCMR § 2203 and/or in accordance with its charter agreement - if applicable.  

The LEA attests to the following statements regarding serving students with disabilities, including  students in non-public special education school settings (please check all boxes):  Students with disabilities have equitable access to situational distance and in-person learning  opportunities as possible in accordance with the guidance above and issued by the US  Department of Education.  

LEAs will ensure timely completion of IDEA procedures, including but not limited to initial  and reevaluation for eligibility and IEP development and revision, in both situational distance and  in-person learning models.

LEAs will ensure that school professionals delivering IEP services to the student regularly  communicate with families throughout any periods of situational distance learning. Consistent  and clear communication encourages parent and student participation in situational distance learning, in-person learning, recovery service delivery and other educational opportunities.

LEAs will ensure recovery planning and implementation includes strategies to assess students  with disabilities, formally or informally, to determine a baseline measurement for recovery  service delivery, as well as strategies to address any identified student regression and loss of  educational benefit. These strategies will take into consideration and seek to address the  achievement gap of students with disabilities in comparison to their non-disabled peers prior to  loss of services due to school closure.

The LEA attests to the following statements regarding serving English learners (please check all boxes):  The LEA will ensure that EL students are identified in a timely manner as required by state  policies and guidance identified above.

The LEA will develop a plan for ensuring continuity of its EL program and services to all EL  students across both situational distance and in-person learning environments,  

The LEA will monitor implementation to ensure that EL services and access to grade-level  content classes are advancing ELs’ language and academic goals.

The LEA attests to the following statement regarding technology:

The LEA will ensure that, to the extent its situational distance learning program uses  technology, each student will have access to a device, other needed technology and internet  connectivity sufficient to fully participate in the school’s learning program.

The LEA attests to the following statements regarding family, stakeholder and public engagement  (please check all boxes):  

The LEA has given the public an opportunity to provide input in the development of the CEP and engaged in meaningful consultation with a broad group of stakeholders. Specifically, the  LEA has engaged in meaningful consultation with students; families; school and district  administrators (including special education administrators); and teachers, principals, school  leaders, other educators, school staff and their unions; civil rights organizations (including  disability rights organizations); and stakeholders representing the interests of children with  disabilities, English learners, children experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, migrant  students, children who are incarcerated and other underserved students.  

The LEA has taken comments of the above-named groups into account in the revision of the  CEP.

The LEA will ensure translation of family-facing documents into the major non-English  language(s) spoken by families served by the LEA, consistent with DC Code §2-1931, et seq.  

The LEA will provide, upon request by a parent who is an individual with a disability, an  alternative format of the plan accessible to that parent.

The LEA will ensure publication, in a conspicuous place on its website, of the following  resources by the beginning of school during the 2022-23 school year and provide families  awareness of:  

• An accessible, family-facing description of their continuous education plan for the 2022-23 school year, in an understandable and uniform format; and  

• An accessible, family-facing description of their health and safety plan for the 2022-23  school year, in an understandable and uniform format; and  

• Contact information of key points of contact including technical support, language access,  school administrators, faculty and staff.  

Submission of the 2022-23 school year CEP is considered a six-month update of the LEA’s  2021-22 CEP, consistent with requirements asked of LEAs receiving ESSER III-ARP funds. The  LEA will update the 2022-23 school year CEP every six months, at a minimum, between the date  of publication and Sept. 30, 2023.

By submitting this continuous education plan and signing below, the LEA assures that this plan reflects the  LEA’s best thinking on how it will provide continuous education during potential situational distance  learning and accelerate learning for the 2022-23 school year.  

LEA Name: _Bridges Public Charter School_____

LEA Leader Name: _Olivia Smith_____________

LEA Leader Signature: __Olivia Smith___(Electronic Signature)_________________

Date: _July 29, 2022_______________________

Assurance Statement for Health and Safety Plans

The LEA attests to the following statement regarding operating in accordance with applicable DC Health  and OSSE COVID-19 guidance:

The LEA ensures that it will adopt any required measures from applicable DC Health and  OSSE COVID-19 guidance to help respond to and reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission  among students, staff, families and the community.

LEA Name: _Bridges Public Charter School_____

LEA Leader Name: _Olivia Smith_____________

LEA Leader Signature: __Olivia Smith___(Electronic Signature)_________________

Date: _July 29, 2022_______________________

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