SPED FAQ 11-12-20

	A	B	C
1		Questions	Answer
2	1	In September schools were cleared for Special Education and testing. Why didn’t the schools open for Special Education or at least testing?	We began assessing students in September 2020. Initial and Triennial assessments are being performed using alternate means of assessment due to the restrictions of the Public Health Dept. These assessments are valid. Some parents have chosen to delay their request for an assessment until we return to in person learning. When we return, we will go back to using standardized assessments to determine eligibility. We have also used the Continued Eligibility Form for students who are due for a triennial assessment. Our school psychologists have used their professional judgement to determine which students are eligible to use the form.
3	2	Do we need to be in the red tier for schools to reopen? How much do the Covid numbers need to go down for LA county to be eligible?	According to the last Public Health Order, our county needed to remain in the red tier for two consecutive weeks to reopen.
4	3	Currently the plan is to return in-person in early January. What is the contingency plan if the COVID cases rise further in the next few months?	EWCSD will follow the guidance of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to re-open accordingly.
5	4	We should be focusing on improving distance learning.	EWCSD has offered a robust professional development series to our teachers to support and enhance distance learning instruction.
6	5	If we choose in person but the numbers are still very high in January can we move our children back to virtual learning only?	Families will be able to switch instructional model during the next grading period.
7	6	What if you have 2 kids in different schools?	School sites will work with families as much as possible to keep siblings on the same cohort schedule.
8	7	For Learning Center are we able to pull students during their gen ed days? I have heard district doesn't want students moving between classrooms on the same day. If so, do we invite LC kiddos for services on the days they would be home?	Learning Center students will remain in their general education classrooms when they are on campus. The Learning Center teacher and Instructional Assistants will use a push in model. The principals will cluster the students who receive services. The Learning Center teachers and Instructional Assistants will Zoom with the students who are off campus in order to address their IEP goals.
9	8	Will transportation be provided to students that regularly take the school bus?	Transportation will be provided to all students who regularly take the bus. No more than 5 students will be on any bus at any given time and will have assigned seating.
10	9	Is there consideration for keeping virtual academy classes as small as possible due to the more difficult learning environment or is the focus primarily on optimizing the in person student experience?	We are commited to minimizing the changes for students and to keeping the class sizes manageable for our teachers. There will be instances where classes are not balanced at a grade level. All classes will adhere to the language in our contract.
11	10	How will intervention services be scheduled? Remain the same as now?	We will be working with our principals, intervention specialists, and special education teachers to create flexible scheduling that will allow students to receive push-in services via distance learning or in-person when possible.
12	11	Will our child still receive main streaming when we go back to in person learning?	The LADPH requires that we keep stable cohorts and that adults do not interact with no more than 2 cohorts. Each school will implement IEP services in accordance with DPH guidelines and MOUs with our bargaining teams. Mainstreaming will be provided via Zoom.
13	12	Why is the school day not full days on the 2 days?	The instructional minutes are a combination of both synchronous and asynchronous time. The instructional minutes will continue to meet the requirements.
14	13	What learning model would the STEPS Program fall under?	Our STEP Program will be able to resume under the Hybrid Learning Model.STEP students will attend daily from 8:30-12:30 and will take their lunch home with them.
15	14	What if we’re waiting for our child to be tested in January but they don’t end up starting back to school? Is there any way to get one child at a time back on campus to get them tested? I understand it’s a public health issue but getting kids tested should be a huge priority.	All IEP assessments are still occuring virtually. If you have an assessment question please contact your child's school principal.
16	15	Kids receiving Learning Center services, when will they be seeing their Learning Center teacher?	The LADPH requires that we keep stable cohorts and that adults do not interact with no more than 2 cohorts. Each school will implement IEP services in accordance with DPH guidelines and MOUs with our bargaining teams.
17	16	What will the schedule for the "STEP" program be?	Our STEP Program will be able to resume under the Hybrid Learning Model. They will follow the general education Hybrid Model.
18	17	Why are we not doing testing now if the county has cleared it?	We began assessing students in September 2020. Initial and Triennial assessments are being performed using alternate means of assessment due to the restrictions of the Public Health Dept. These assessments are valid. Some parents have chosen to delay their request for an assessment until we return to in person learning. When we return, we will go back to using standardized assessments to determine eligibility. We have also used the Continued Eligibility Form for students who are due for a triennial assessment. Our school psychologists have used their professional judgement to determine which students are eligible to use the form.
19	18	Would the students still have same teacher regardless of what option we choose?	Every effort is being made to minimize the changes to students' teachers. Class placements will be determined by information received from both the EWCSD staff survey and Parent Survey.
20	19	How will this look for a student fully included in General Education with an IEP?	Fully included students will follow the same model as the general education students.
21	20	Can we try an outdoor speech/OT therapy model for students with their therapist if we don’t head back?	If the Public Health Order does not allow students to return for in person learning, there will be no in person therapy.
22	21	At this point my child is so severely behind and not progressing with distance learning that I don’t know how anyone would pass him onto the next grade level. Is there a plan to have a summer or some other catch up program? Who’s decision will it be to hold a child back to repeat a grade level?	As with all decisions for a student with an IEP, the IEP team will make any decisions regarding retention and promotion.We will hold ESY for all students who have shown regression and who have not been able to recoup at the same rate as their typical peers. The pandemic is not a reason for retention.
23	22	Will students keep the same Learning Center teacher?	Every effort is being made to minimize the changes to students' teachers. Class placements will be determined by the information received from both the EWCSD staff survey and Parent Survey. Instruction will be provided by the appropriately credentialed teacher in accordance with a student's IEP. If your child’s Learning Center teacher has not requested an accommodation, your child will be assigned the same Learning Center teacher.
24	23	What about STEP?	Our STEP Program will be able to resume under the Hybrid Learning Model. They will follow the general education Hybrid Model.If your child’s STEP teacher has not request an accommodation, your child will be assigned the same STEP teacher when they return.
25	24	Can you clarify testing? My daughter’s tri is 8 months overdue. Have tests been happening all this time?	See number 1.
26	25	You are asking us to commit to a program/teacher/schedule that are unknown. Will we have the opportunity to switch once all the unknowns are known?	Parents can switch instructional models during the next grading period.
27	26	With the possibility of teachers changing, will special ed students be giving priority to stay with their current teacher being that the shift may put them further behind?	Every effort is being made to minimize the changes to students' teachers. Class placements will be determined by information received from both the EWCSD staff survey and Parent Survey. Instruction will be provided by the appropriately credentialed teacher in accordance with a student's IEP.
28	27	How are you determining which teachers are teaching virtually versus in person?	Teachers who are not able to perform in-person teacher due to medical reasons or restrictions, will be teaching the virtual academy.
29	28	Regarding Middle School Mild/Mod Cohort A/B at home days, these are asynchronous? Will the work be on a Chromebook or will paper packets be distributed?	At home days will be asynchronous. The teacher and/or instructional assistant may provide support on those days. The decision as to using a Chromebook or paper packets will be up to the IEP team. If the student needs the accommodation for paper packets, they will be provided by teacher.
30	29	Will the kids that go back in January be able to use the playground or what does recess look like now?	Our mod/severe students will be able to participate in safe, socially distanced activities but this will not include use of jungle gyms or playground equipment that is shared.
31	30	Will students be required to wear masks ?	Yes, masks will be mandatory. Any student that will require an exemption, must have this approved with the school site administrator so that accommodations may be made so that student can attend school.
32	31	How will the pre-school level be impacted by the county order for in-person?	Our preschool hours are 8:30-11:30 and students will be able to attend a minimum of 2 days.
33	32	What happens for Jan 6-8, will there be school online?	We will continue with our current instructional program for these three days. The transition for the Hybrid or Virtual Academy will begin on January 11th.
34	33	Why wasn't this being informed prior to the survey?	New information and guidance is being received on a continuous basis. Planning for in-person instruction requires completing negotiations with both bargaining teams.
35	34	Will instructional aides be used to assist with all intervention services?	Intervention services will continued to be provided by the appropriate staff, including instructional aides, as outlined in a student's IEP.
36	35	Can we keep the current teacher ?	Our priority is to prevent any disruptions to current teacher assignments but this will not be possible if a teacher must teach virtually due to an accommodation.
37	36	Do we know what is the maximum number of student is in general education 2nd grade classroom?	During Hybrid Learning it will be 14 students and 2 adults for in-person learning on a given day. The max number of students is 24 prior to distance learning.
38	37	For hybrid, can we choose which days our students are assigned to align with our schedules?	If you have a unique situation that cannot be changed, please email your site principal indicating what day you would prefer your child's cohort to be.
39	38	Will kindergarten be able to have outdoor activities?	Any outdoor activities will be done adhering to the public health orders. We have a small committee working on creating a list of activities that will be safe for our students to participate in for recess and outdoor activities.
40	40	What’s the ratio for in person learning?	LACDPH will increase the cohort size to 16 students + 4 adults
41	41	Looking into future possibilities, would it be possible to make all classes smaller so that all students can go back everyday? This of course would mean we need more teachers.	Class size determinations are made with consideration to budgetary restriction, bargaining contracts, and California Education Code.
42	42	I’m so sorry, could you clarify once again… Did I hear correctly that K-2 will definitely 100% be able to go back to school in January but 3-8 won’t be able to go back until LA County has gone down to the red tier?	Correct. The current waiver available in LA County is for TK-2 and at-promise student populations.
43	43	Will all after lunch intervention programs remain 100% virtual?	The LADPH requires that we keep stable cohorts and that adults do not interact with no more than 2 cohorts. Each school will implement IEP services in accordance with DPH guidelines and MOUs with our bargaining teams.
44	44	Could be asynchronous...how can we make a decision on this without information? Again, why wasn't this shared before? Can we change our decision now if we already submitted our survey	New information and guidance is being received on a continuous basis. Planning for in-person instruction requires completing negotiations with both bargaining teams. Parents can complete a new survey up until the close of the survey window 11-13-20 @ 5pm.
45	45	Is it true that teachers have to check on students on asynchronous day for help and support at least 1hr to 1hr and a half?	The instructional models will be shared as soon as they are approved. They will include the support provided to students throughout the day.
46	46	Knowing which teachers will be teaching in-person at the school site would help making a decision. Is there a list of teachers who are scheduled to teach on campus?	Any teacher who will be teaching virtually, will be communicating this with families. All other teachers will be teaching in-person.
47	47	For learning center students that stay on virtual learning, who would be their case carrier?	I do not foresee case managers changing. We are entering into a temporary situation. If we reopen in the fall to both models being an option, we will change the case managers.
48	48	Are special ed students in GE being given priority to remain with their current teacher as change may put them further behind academically?	We will do our best to keep students with their current teachers as the schedules allow us to. The needs from our Parent Survey will determine the staffing and changes needed to accommodate parent options.
49	49	How is Orange County doing? Do you get feedback from them?	Orange County DPH and Department of Education operates separately than LA County, however best practices have been shared across the state in various formats.
50	50	Will there be another sped town hall once we get closer to Jan 11th? To clarify questions that haven't been answered because of negotiations?	As of today, there is no additional Special Ed Town Hall scheduled. Should this change based on parent requests, we will make sure we send several notices and reminders to our Special Education families.
51	52	Can the recordings of past town halls be posted? The FAQs help,but sometimes one cannot make it to the zoom meetings. It’d be nice to see the actual recordings.	All available material from public meetings (please note not all are recorded) can be found on our parent page https://www.ewcsd.org/2020plan/
52	53	Can you clarify the 5 days online verse 2 days in person please.	https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X6pZ9TgxJnFuRNs42oowyqtusQbGU-H8/view
53	54	Could teachers consider a video open house of there classrooms so we can see what it looks like?	Each school site is working on the best approach to communicate what to expect for both students and parents.
54	55	Are you aware of plans to look at the case increases on a macro-level? We're being sucked into LA County's COVID numbers being one of the largest most populated counties.	LACDPH is considering allowing local control Based on fact that LA County is so large Based on District average daily case rate being below 8.5% EWCSD rate has been 7.6% in September 7.4% in October 6.8% in November
55	56	My son needs an OT Assessment. He currently has an IEP. When will the assessments for OT start? Will it be in person assessment?	We have continued to provide OT assessments since September. When we return, the assessment can be done in person. Please contact your case manager or your program specialist.
56	57	When do you expect to have agreements with the unions so parents can have finalized information?	December 4
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100