School Committee Meeting

June 30, 2020

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Update on SY20-21 Planning

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Today’s Agenda

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• DESE Initial Guidance: Highlights
• Emerging “Hybrid” Operational Models, Feedback
• Structure & Timeline update
• Questions and Discussion

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DESE Guidance

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DESE Guidance: Key Highlights

Goal is to get as many students as possible back into schools

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“At this time, the evidence suggests schools have not played a significant role in COVID-19 transmission and that children, particularly younger children, are less likely than adults to be infected with COVID-19. Furthermore, if they become infected, it appears children may be less likely to transmit COVID-19 to others.” (pg 7)

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• Aim for desks to be spaced six feet apart (but �no fewer than three feet apart) and facing �the same direction

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• Divide students into small groups that remain with each other throughout the day, with smaller cohort sizes preferred. Isolate cohorts of students and prevent inter-group contact to the extent feasible.

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• Masks required in grade 2 and above; encouraged for JK/K and Grade 1; face shields an option for students unable to wear masks/face coverings; provided by student/family; district provide for families experience financial hardship

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• Continued priority on hand hygiene

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• Screening procedures not required at entry to school

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• Temperature checks not recommended

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• In-school testing not recommended

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• Designated Isolation spaces

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Discussion: Emerging “Hybrid” Model options

DESE Guidance, 6/25/20 CPS will be required to submit a plan for each

• 6/30: School Committee discussion
• 7/1: Incorporate feedback, disseminate widely (including translation)
• 7/14: School Committee meeting, with public comment
• ~7/15: Incorporate feedback, disseminate widely (including translation)
• 7/21: School Committee meeting, vote

Planning Update

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Components of Plan

Plan will be developed in sequential stages

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Operational Models

• Which students are where and when
• In-Person, with healthy/safety plan
• Hybrid, with healthy/safety plan
• Fully Remote

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Operational Plan

• Staffing approach for selected model
• Transportation approach
• Procedures & protocols related safety, health and facilities

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School Expectations*

• Priority standards & instructional materials to support consistency
• Common screeners in math, ELA, and mental and benchmarks assessments to identify student needs
• School launch activities that reinforce relationships
• Teaming approach to support every student is assigned to at least one adult in the school, along with requirements for tracking student attendance, engagement, & well-being through a common tool
• Use of district grade-band model schedule templates
• Clear expectations for family communication, frequency, and mode
• School plan to operationalize state and local guidelines

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Staff Expectations*

• Role-based expectations for schedules

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Resources: Family-facing & Staff-facing Resource Toolkits

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*Not exhaustive

Facilities & Safety

Teaching, Learning & Student Support

Educator & Staff Support

Family Support

System Support

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Planning Structures

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Working Guiding Principles

Generated to reflect: CPS vision, findings of Building Equity Bridges barriers to equity, ideas generated from 6/19 Taskforce meeting, ideas generated from 6/24 Administrators meeting

• Racial Equity: CPS must accelerate its efforts to become an anti-racist district and hold ourselves accountable to equitably serving all students, especially students of color. CPS strives to provide more consistent and equitable experiences across classrooms and schools, particularly for students of color. 
• Health & Safety: CPS’s top priority is the physical health, safety, mental health, and social-emotional well-being of our students, staff, families, and community. We recognize the negative impact the COVID-19 pandemic and racism has on CPS students, families, and staff, especially those of color. 
• High-Quality Instruction: CPS must provide every student with access to high-quality, differentiated, rigorous, joyful, and culturally responsive learning. Instruction should be student-centered, provide voice and choice, and focus on developing strong independent learners who are change-agents. Instruction should be grounded in culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and healing-centered practices. 

• Academic & Social-Emotional Support: CPS must provide every student with personalized support for academic, social-emotional, and mental/behavioral needs. All students should feel acknowledged, respected, and valued in their learning process. CPS must use flexibility and creative schedules to support students’ individual needs. 
• Family Partnership: CPS must partner with families/caregivers to support students’ academic and social-emotional well-being. CPS must deliver consistent, coordinated, transparent, and culturally-responsive communication. CPS must create opportunities and remove barriers for caregivers to participate and provide feedback, especially those traditionally unheard from.  
• Deliberate Approach: CPS staff need time for planning and collaboration to support effective delivery. CPS must regularly gather feedback from students, families, and staff as part of using data to improve the approach.

Emerging “Hybrid” Model options

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Option

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5 Day Cycle

2 in-person days

(Option for JK-12)

Three emerging options for the “Hybrid” model

Option

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10 Day Cycle

5 in-person days

(Option for JK-12)

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All models assume:

• Some students in-person while some are remote
• Some students may be eligible for additional in-person instruction
• Adherence to health and safety protocols
• Every model will include an option for a fully-remote experience, based on criteria

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Option

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re-CRLS

(Option for CRLS)

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Overarching feedback on “Hybrid” model options

• Public health guidelines emphasizing increased spacing conflicts with educational goals of establishing relationships
• Any hybrid model will be challenging for working families with younger children
• Schedule consistency is a priority; communicating easy-to-understand schedules will minimize stressors for families; coach families on schedules
• May be challenge to reconcile schedule preferences for families & staff
• Provide flexibility for unique home environments and demands on high schools to ensure real learning occurs
• Collaborate with OST, DHSP & other partners to identify support and options for students during remote periods

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• Important to prioritize in-person learning for specialized populations:
• Provide transparency and clarity around eligibility
• Consider students with disabilities, English language learners, males of color, high-SEL needs due to COVID-related trauma, students transitioning schools
• Do not create “othering” with this designation
• Ensure not placed at higher exposure risk
• Acknowledge remote models will require enhanced professional development, additional workload, multiple implementation implications

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Overarching questions on “Hybrid” model options

• What are the advantages & disadvantages of this option for providing instruction, services, and student support?
• What safety/health precautions should be considered?
• What are the implications for families and caregivers?
• How might OST, DHSP, or other community partners provide supplemental student experiences on remote days?
• How can this model advance racial equity?

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Option 1:

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5 Day Cycle

2 in-person days

Option 2:

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10 Day Cycle

5 in-person days

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Option 1:

1 Week Cycle

2 in-person days

Initial Considerations

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(+)

• Routine schedule developmentally better for students
• Routine schedule may be easier for family work & child care
• Back-to-back instructional days in person supports relationship building & instructional momentum
• Easier to prepare at-home learning packages for remote days
• Built in time for teacher collaboration & planning, and more diverse instructional models (like intervention)
• Support students in substantially separate programs in-person more frequently (including some OSS programs and some SEI classes with lower language levels)

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• Supporting push-in services for students with disabilities in general education classrooms
• Which day should be “remote day” and why?
• How can students and families be supported on remote days?

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Key points:

• Take advantage of what works best in-person vs. remote
• Can be expanded to support more frequent in-person instruction/ services for some students (group “C”)
• “Everyone Remote” day: students & staff
• Some student supports
• Teacher planning and development
• More extensive cleaning routines
• Wednesday could be swing day for weeks with holidays
• Could be a different day (e.g. Monday)

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Option 2:

10 Day Cycle

5 in-person days

Considerations

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(+) All students receive three days in person every two weeks

(-)

• Irregular routine schedule - more difficult developmentally for students
• Irregular routine schedule - may be more difficult or family work & child care arrangements

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(?) Consider 5 days on/5 days off to allow symptoms to develop away from school, which could lead to more intentionality around week off

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Key points:

• Take advantage of what works in-person vs. remote
• Can be expanded to support more frequent in-person instruction for some students

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Phase 1 Features- (2 week minimum)

• 25% of student/staff in building at a time (based on Community Meeting grade level)

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• M, T, Th, F: students & most staff are in-building 1X/week, in the AM:
• SEL & community wellness
• Student-driven hands-on learning
• Optional sign up for study space, OSS, ELL, Guidance, Helpdesk, etc
• Possible Department-provided in-person office hours each morning

• Wednesdays:
• individually support students / families virtually
• potentially in person (by appt.)
• staff collaboration time & professional development

• Classes:
• Afternoon class meetings, online
• Meet up to twice a week virtually (<60 mins)
• Instructors could offer "after school" online sections and/or courses
• If courses are alternating weeks, day year-long schedule: meet 1X/week (similar to Spring 2020 remote learning schedule)
• Joyous hands-on learning time in addition to scheduled classes

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• Staff
• Teachers in-building 1X/week by Community Meeting
• Teachers not in-building: grading, conferencing during morning office hours online, planning, (similar to spring 2020 schedule)
• Counselors, deans, etc. potentially rotate for in-building support

Phase 2: Features

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• 25% of students/staff in building at a time, limiting contact for adults and students
• 9th grade: in-person 5X/week
• 10th & 11th grades: rotate in-person Mon-Wed
• 12th graders on 3-week rotation

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Option 3: reCRLS (Option for CRLS, developed by reCRLS team)

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Option 3: reCRLS (Option for CRLS, developed by reCRLS team) - Phase 1

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Option 3: reCRLS (Option for CRLS, developed by reCRLS team) - Phase 2

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Option 3: reCRLS (Option for CRLS, developed by reCRLS team) - Phase 2

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Additional options not advanced for consideration

Students are divided into two groups—one group attends school in the morning, the other group comes in the afternoon.

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Not advanced due to:

• Reduced instructional time
• Family logistics
• Schedule logistics
• Transportation
• Child care
• Exposure risk

Option 4:

AM/PM split schedule

Students are divided into two groups that rotate one week in-person, one week at home.

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Not advanced due to:

• Too long of a gap between in-person instructional experiences, particularly for younger students
• Loss of momentum in relationship building

Option 5:

Week on/ Week off

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Additional overarching feedback about model implementation

Decision-making

• Need more information about families’ needs (e.g. childcare, technology) to inform decision-making
• Identify local metrics/criteria for closure decisions in collaboration with Cambridge Public Health Department.

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Implementation

• More collaboration among adults needed to address needs of students with disabilities
• Safety requirements may further exacerbate management of students’ bodies (with educators required to maintain health standards) and stigmatize students who display common cold symptoms

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Looking Ahead

DESE Guidance, 6/25/20 CPS will be required to submit a plan for each

• 6/30: School Committee discussion
• 7/1: Incorporate feedback, disseminate widely (including translation)
• 7/14: School Committee meeting, with public comment
• ~7/15: Incorporate feedback, disseminate widely (including translation)
• 7/21: School Committee meeting, vote

Questions & Discussion

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School Committee Meeting

June 30, 2020

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Update on SY20-21 Planning

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