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Copyright © 2020 Southern Regional Education Board. All rights reserved. 1

School Reopening Planning Template for Local Education Agencies

States, districts and schools nationwide are preparing to reopen following widespread closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Local

education agencies need well-developed plans to guide their work in the coming months. This template provides a guide for districts

and schools to plan to reopen all schools, based on recommendations made by SREB’s K-12 Education Recovery Task Force. The

template includes three critical areas for planning — Governance and Operations, Health and Safety, and Quality Instruction. The

template was developed to guide planning and provide action items for districts and schools to address. It is not meant to be used as a

simple checklist. SREB holds that reopening plans require ongoing conversations between key shareholders. Districts and schools can

use this document as a framework for those conversations in conjunction with SREB’s K-12 Education Recovery Playbook.

Local Education Agency Information

LEA Name: Elmore County Public School System

State: Alabama

Primary Plan Contact’s Name: Richard Dennis

Primary Plan Contact’s E-mail: richard.dennis@elmoreco.com

Liaison to Local Health Dept. Name: Keith Barnett

Liaison to Local Health Dept. Email: kbarnett@elmoreco.org

Link to LEA Website with COVID-19 Information

www.elmoreco.com

Number of Schools / Title Status: 15 schools/ 9 Title I schools

Number of Schools: Elementary _6_ Middle _4__ High _4__ Career Centers _1__ Alternative _1__ Other __

Number of Students Served: 11,189 students Number of Certified Teaching Staff: 798 certified, 544 support

*All Elmore County Public School employees are essential employees in order to successfully provide instruction for students.

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Governance and Operations

Task Force Development. Review the full State and Local Task Forces play on SREB’s website for ideas for how to structure an

education recovery task force, whom to include and how to communicate its work.

Who has been engaged in developing your reopening plan? List all members and their connection to schools, such as parents, business leaders, health agency representatives, teachers and others.

Task Force/Reopening Committee Members

Name: Connection: Name: Connection:

Barbara Burchard ECPS Technology Director Susanne Goodin ECPS Human Resource Director

Amy Harrison ECPS PD Director Caycee Davis ECPS Child Nutrition Director

Suzanne Ragan ECPS Lead Nurse Rashawn Blasingame ECPS Mental Health Coordinator

Ayena Jackson ECPS Middle School Director Randy Maynard ECPS Maintenance Supervisor

Temeyra McElrath ECPS Special Ed. Director Jean Czerpak Adm. Asst. to Superintendent

Steve McKenzie ECPS Elementary Director Celeste Tilley ECPS Federal Prog. Director

Dr. Jamey McGowin ECPS High School Director Mike Czerpak ECPS Special Projects

Andre Jackson ECPS Student Service Director Jason Mann ECPS CSFO

Ray Mullino ECPS Transportation Director Tracy Wright ECPS STEM Specialist

Keith Barnett Elmore Cty. Director of EMA Tremeca Jackson ECPS Senior Coordinator

Describe how local health agency representatives were engaged in the task force/reopening committee.

Individuals from the ECPS are in direct contact with Keith Barnett has been instrumental in providing information, and resources. Information on vendors, PPE, and other necessary resources have been provided through direct communication with other local health agency representatives. Jennifer Ventress, the State Nurse Administrator, has been in constant contact with the ECPS Lead Nurse, Suzanne Ragan, to provide information and health resources.

Describe how the task force and other reopening committees will be used once the school year has started? How will members be engaged in monitoring the success of the plan? How frequently will meetings be held?

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Department directors will evaluate the effectiveness of the plan and provide feedback during leadership meetings. Members of the various committees will meet periodically throughout the school year to collaborate, discuss, and monitor the plan. The tasks force will include individuals such as school administrators, parents, community stakeholders, and government officials. Meetings will occur a minimum of once a quarter to address any questions, concerns, and the need to amend the plan.

Governance and Operations

Calendars and Schedules. Schools, districts and states will likely face different or changing school year calendars and daily schedules in 2020-21. SREB’s K-12 Education Recovery Task Force offers guidance and key questions related to calendars and schedules for schools, districts and states to consider.

Describe the proposed annual calendar for 2020-21, indicating differentiation by grade level if appropriate.

Early Child:

Elementary Grades:

Middle Grades:

High Schools:

Career Centers:

Special Populations:

List any waivers needed to support the proposed calendar, with their status (e.g., submitted, approved).

Waiver Name and Description: Status:

None

Describe contingency plans for a second wave or reoccurring waves of COVID-19 infections. Include plans based upon any tiered response, such as minimal community spread, moderate community spread and substantial community transmission.

ECPS is in position to move from traditional instruction to remote learning due to our one to one technology initiative, as well as our blended attendance policy and our virtual platform (Odysseyware and Edgenuity). Teachers, students, and parents will receive professional development training on the virtual platform. ECPS released a FAQ document to address general questions about the daily operations of school.

Describe the daily schedule and how the schedule will be used to limit the exposure and spread of COVID-19. Include details if a differentiated approach is used.

Early Child: Preschool/ and Pre-K students will continue to follow their traditional schedule.

Grades Pre-K through 12 will follow the same calendar

of attendance days for the 2020-2021 school year.

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Elementary Grades: K-4 grade students will continue to follow their traditional schedule. The option/requirement for face masks will be made by the superintendent according to the health status of Elmore County per the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Middle Grades: 5th and 6th grade students will remain in class and their teachers will rotate in some cases. In other cases, staggered rotation will be in place. 7th and 8th grade students have been grouped in pod systems, as much as possible, to transition with the same students throughout the day. The option/requirement for face masks will be made by the superintendent according to the health status of Elmore County per the Alabama Department of Public Health.

High Schools: Students and staff will follow a normal schedule. They will be asked to social distance. Teachers will give digital assignments when possible to limit the transfer of paper. Signage will ask students to pass on the right side of the hall to limit distances to others in the hallway. The option/requirement for face masks will be made by the superintendent according to the health status of Elmore County per the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Career Centers: Students and staff will follow a normal schedule. They will be asked to social distance. The option/requirement for face masks will be made by the superintendent according to the health status of Elmore County per the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Special Populations: Special Education students will follow the appropriate schedule according to the LRE of their IEP. Special Education students will follow the same general health and safety practices as the general education students. The option/requirement for face masks will be made by the superintendent according to the health status of Elmore County per the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Governance and Operations

Technology. States, districts, and schools face significant technology challenges with the shift to online or blended learning. The shift to an online learning environment has implications beyond the use of technology. Considerations will need to be given to pedagogical and instructional issues. LEAs must also consider equitable access to technology resources. Describe the current status of network access, connectivity and/or mobile data plans in these locations.

In School Buildings: 802.11ac Wireless Door to Door – 5-year-old switches – with plan to upgrade over the next year

Across the District: Offices and classrooms within the district possess both 10/100 Mbps and 1 Gbps switches at the edge. The district's wide area network (WAN) is comprised of 1 Gbps links between all sites and a 10 Gbps aggregate handoff to our ISP. Bandwidth currently moving to 1.5GBPS for the 2020-2021 school year.

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Student/Family Connectivity: Many rural sites that do not have an option for broadband connectivity. Our solution is to provide hotspots. We currently have 300 Kajeet Hotspots to be distributed to students and staff on as needed, basis based on surveys responses. All school buses will be outfitted with Kajeet Hotspots to serve communities that lack connectivity. Schools will be 1 to 1 Chromebooks by August 10th.

Family Access to Mobile Data: Same as above – using different online tools for them to be engaged in their own learning

Describe how state and regional technology partners have assessed and expanded network and device access.

Expansion of the Broadband Internet has been expanded to include WIFI Hotspots throughout the county through the partnership of Elmore County Commission, Elmore County Economic Development Authority and Central Alabama Electric Cooperative’s broadband provider, Central Access. We have also worked with our vendor partners to gain access to the Chromebooks, cases, warranties, and software for the students to be able to work from home.

Describe any partnerships with internet, wi-fi or mobile providers to expand access to free or low-cost internet.

Broadband internet has been expanded to include public WIFI Hotspots throughout the county and the mapping of these hotspots. Majority of the broadband providers in Elmore county have contributed to an interactive map of the locations. This map can be located at

https://elmorecounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=3bae3df6f3864cafbf28a01cf01cee70 .

Describe current student and staff access to learning devices like laptops and tablets.

All certified staff have a laptop and all students will have a Chromebook when they return in the fall. All these devices are filtered and loaded with antivirus software.

Describe the learning management system or other learning platform used to provide instruction and resources in off-site settings.

We are using Google Classroom and Schoology next year to meet the needs of all students. These students based on grade level will use web-based software such as Edgenuity, Odysseyware, Edulastic, RennPlace, IXL, ACCESS Classes, and other pieces of software. We use Clever as our SSO and Active Directory for credentialing. They use Zoom webinars for small and large group instruction when not at school.

Describe the technology-based resources used to support the student groups listed below. How will students access instructional materials, supports and any needed modifications or accommodations?

Students with Special Needs: Reading Horizons (Including Elevate Grades 4-6) and Zoom

English Language Learners: Rosetta Stone for language acquisition and Zoom

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Gifted and Talented Students: Social Emotional Mental Health Program and Zoom

Students in Tier 2 and Tier 3: Elevate which is a component of Reading Horizons Grades 4-6 and Zoom

Describe the professional development provided to staff on engaging students and families in online or blended learning.

With our recent surveys we are exploring some live Zoom trainings as well as face-to-face and continue with our pre-recorded trainings. We provided one page instructions that were posted in Google Classroom and online.

Describe the training provided to students and families so they can make effective use of available technology resources, including the district’s learning management system.

We have and will continue to provide prerecorded videos for staff, parents, students. Teachers also worked individually with students and parents as needed.

Governance and Operations

Funding. Education leaders are clear that they will face additional expenses and funding cuts at the same time. Local needs should drive spending choices and setting priorities will be more important than ever. States know they will need to help districts and schools understand how and when money from different funding sources may be spent. How has funding been impacted by COVID-19? Describe any significant changes to funding sources. Highlight any anticipated loss of available funds for the upcoming fiscal year.

Primary changes to funding sources are the new allocations of ESSER and GEER funds and the loss of revenue due to reduced local sales tax collections.

Describe how the proposed calendar and schedule will impact expenditures for the 2020-21 school year.

The proposed calendar is very similar to previous years and will not have a significant impact on expenditures.

Summarize changes in expenditures due to COVID-19. Describe the system being used to track expenditures that are directly related to the LEA’s COVID-19 response.

Expenditures for PPE have increased exponentially. Additional funds have been allocated for virtual instruction platforms for lower grades in preparation for blended or full virtual instruction, depending upon the status of our community during the school year.

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Describe plans to use CARES (ESSER and/or GEER) funds and other temporary funding opportunities.

CARES and GEER funds will be used for Chromebooks (to achieve 1:1 capability), MiFi hotspots for distribution to students in areas not served by high speed internet, additional charging equipment for Chromebooks, school cleaning and sanitation supplies, PPE, Edgenuity and Odysseyware (platforms for secondary and elementary virtual instruction), school supplies for students, and equitable services for private schools.

Describe plans to make flexible use of FY2020 funds.

1. Overall our local tax revenues have remained consistent. They saw a small slow down at the beginning of the COVID declaration, but have since shown a climb back to a normal collection range and for now that is expected to remain the same. We will plan for the future rather conservatively due to the uncertainty surrounding the future effects of COVID-19. We will also be filing reimbursement claims with FEMA for COVID related expenses such as PPE, school cleanings, disinfectants, COVID forced OT, etc.

2. As we currently stand, our school calendar is remaining the same we do not the calendar having any major effect on our finances.

3. The system is using a special use code to track COVID-19 expenses. This will simplify the process of filing FEMA claims and make it very easy to report all COVID -19 related expenses. This will also allow us to easily make transfers of general fund COVID expenses in to FEMA or other federal fund sources as they are allocated to us.

4. We were issued federal assistance in the form of CARES funds. These funds allow us the ability to flex general fund expenses into federal funds. We were able to acquire Chromebooks, software, PPE, and other much needed items through these funds. We will also have federal GEERS funds coming into the district soon. Our allocation will allow us to outfit buses as Mifi hotspots and provide additional instructional technology, tutoring opportunities, etc.

5. We will use the flexibility waivers provided to us to the largest extent possible. We will be flexing out local expenses into unspent state or federal funds to allow us to protect our local fund reserves. We will be completing a state flexibility waiver to submit with our financial statements in September. This form will clearly detail all waivers made using state funds. We will also make use of the federal flexibility waivers to allow for greater use to the system at this time. This flexibility will be of greatest help to our system in (4161) 21st Century and (4160) Title IV. These flexibilities will allow us to offer extended resources to our system and allow us to acquire additional resources.

List any waivers needed to ensure access to or reallocation of available funds, with their status.

Waiver Name and Description: Status:

State Fund Flexibility Waiver Approved with annual financial statements to ASLDE

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Health and Safety

Disinfection and Cleaning. Education leaders are revising existing procedures and protocols for cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting school environments to ensure the safety of students, staff and visitors and curb the spread of COVID-19. Cleaning, Sanitization and Disinfection Plans: Is each action below addressed in district or school plans? Provide more details about these and related plans on the following page.

Yes No Procedures and protocols are in place for cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting:

X Buildings, classrooms and common areas in school or district facilities

X Food and nutritional service areas

X Transportation service areas and equipment

X Areas associated with cocurricular or extracurricular events

How have CDC or health department guidelines been used to develop or revise procedures or protocols?

CDC and ADPH guidelines outlining symptoms and appropriate measures to follow for the safety of our students and staff will be followed. These guidelines were the basis for revising procedures and protocols for health and safety. Information regarding testing sites can be found at: https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/covid19/ Dashboard tab 3 and will be shared as needed.

Provide links to and/or descriptions of formal disinfection and cleaning plans and protocols.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA4045.pdf https://www.osha.gov/coronavirus

Use the table below to describe how disinfection and cleaning plans and protocols will be monitored, by area.

Area Person Responsible: Timeline / Frequency:

Buildings, classrooms, common areas Principal or designee Classrooms – after ever use; common areas/buildings – minimum twice daily

Food and nutritional service areas Principal or Cafeteria manager Before and after every use

Transportation areas and equipment Principal or designee Before and after every use

Cocurricular or extracurricular areas Principal or designee Before and after every use

Managing Cleaning Products: Are these considerations addressed in district or school plans?

Yes No Consideration

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X Selected disinfection and cleaning products align with those approved by the EPA.

X Plans safeguard students and staff with chemical sensitivities or allergies.

X Plans clearly identify which products may or may not be brought from home for in-school use and why certain products have been banned or may have only limited use.

X Product management and distribution plans ensures each building has access to products.

X Cleaning products are purchased using state negotiated price agreements or bulk discounts.

Describe any anticipated challenges to secure or maintain an inventory of disinfection and cleaning products.

We have access to multiple vendors in order to maintain adequate inventory of PPE supplies.

Personal Hygiene Campaign: How will the school/district emphasize hand-washing and respiratory etiquette?

Uniform signage will be posted in all schools, offices, and buildings encouraging proper hand-washing and respiratory etiquette.

Health and Safety Practices – continued

Health and Safety Practices. As state, district and school leaders address their cleaning, sanitization and disinfection practices, additional health and safety practices related to social distancing and the use of personal protective equipment can help safeguard learning environments and curb the spread of COVID-19.

Describe district and school plans for adopting a comprehensive array of health and safety practices for extracurricular and cocurricular activities, such as athletics, orchestras or bands, and student clubs.

Specific guidelines provided by CDC, ADPH, and AHSAA for indoor and outdoor extracurricular activities will be followed. Temperature assessment and COVID-10 questionnaire will be conducted at the beginning of all practices/activities. Directions for appropriate use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be provided to include how and when to use PPE.

Describe district and school plans for adopting a comprehensive array of health and safety practices for student transportation, including procedures for health screenings, social distancing and PPE use on buses.

PPE will be worn if unable to follow 6:15 rule (closer than 6 feet for longer than 15 minutes). The option/requirement for face masks will be made by the superintendent according to the health status of Elmore County per the Alabama Department of Public Health. Parents will be responsible for temperature assessment prior to loading buses in the morning. Transportation drivers will wear PPE while transporting students to and from school. Temperatures will be assessed upon entering schools.

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Describe district and school plans for adopting a comprehensive array of health and safety practices in food service and cafeteria settings, including plans to serve families receiving free- and reduced-price meals.

While schools are open:

The Child Nutrition Program will follow standard operating procedures related to health and food safety practices. The program’s operating procedures have been updated in response to the COVID 19 pandemic. Students will order meals online and meals will be delivered to the classroom or central location. All meals will be served in sealed trays or sealed grab-n-go bags. Depending on each school’s physical layout, classes may utilize the cafeteria, the classroom and/or outside spaces so that adequate social distancing is maintained between students. We will not be allowed to have visitors at lunch until further notice. Parents are encouraged to utilize MySchoolBucks.com for depositing funds into student meal accounts. Parents may complete the free/reduced application by visiting MySchoolApps.com. New applications must be submitted each school year. Virtual students will be able to order meals online and be able to pick up multiple days of meals.

During any closures due to additional waves of COVID-19 infections:

Virtual students will be able to order meals online and be able to pick up multiple days of meals. In the event of school closures, meals will be available to all students via online order and curbside pick-up.

Health and Safety

Mental Health and Well-Being. Districts and schools must prepare to support the mental health and well-being of students and staff when schools reopen. In the midst of the pandemic, mental health issues may have increased significantly, and schools will face additional challenges to providing support.

Social-Emotional Supports: List and describe the social-emotional supports in place when schools reopen.

Mental Health Therapists from Montgomery Area Mental Health Agency will come to work with at-risk students. A substance abuse counselor is located on the alternative school campus to work with at-risk students. Virtual SEL lessons will be taught at the alternative school. Anonymous Alerts will be available for students to report issues anonymously and ask for help if needed.

Describe the training and support that will be provided to faculty and staff members to:

Identify signs of student distress: Counselors, nurses, and mental health coordinator Staff members will be educated on COVID-19 symptoms using posters and access to both CDC and ADPH specific websites.

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www.alabamapublichealth.gov & https://www.cdc.gov

Integrate wellness into the curriculum: Counselor and nurses *Reminder to cover nose & mouth if sneezing or coughing daily.

Expand connections between students and adults:

Continue to conduct co-curriculum and extracurricular activities to involve students in school activities and provide regular counselor sessions.

Expand SEL and trauma-informed practices: Elmore County Alternative School

Describe how the district or school will conduct periodic wellness checks of students and staff and use data to expand or modify existing mental health supports.

We will conduct surveys, review reports from therapists and look over the data from anonymous alerts.

Community Partners: List community-based mental health partners who will help develop school reopening plans and provide mental health services throughout the school year.

Representative: Agency: Representative: Agency:

Greg Snider Counselor Alicia Yarboro ECAP/ECBOE

Michelle Randolph MAMHA Jessica Shields ECPS

Jasmine Aston MAMHA Rashawn Blassingame ECPS

Norm Young MAMHA

Mrs. Freeman Substance Abuse/ECAP

Students: Describe how mental health agencies or telehealth services will be used to expand support to students.

MAMHA will provide on campus and ZOOM therapy sessions. Counselors will provide on-campus and ZOOM sessions.

Staff: Describe how mental health agencies or telehealth services will be used to expand support to staff.

ECBOE staff members have access to American Behavioral Services and can go in person or use the telehealth option. SRBlen

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Health and Safety

Physical Health and Well-Being. The physical health and well-being of students and staff should be the primary focus as education leaders work to reopen and maintain safe schools. District and school leaders will need to communicate and promote healthy practices across the community.

Describe how students, staff and visitors will participate in health screenings (e.g., temperature-taking) as they enter school or district facilities or board school buses.

Parents are responsible for checking their children’s temperatures prior to boarding morning route. Schools will provide temperature checks upon entrance to school. If a staff member suspects a student has COVID-19 symptoms, they will send student immediately to the health office for further assessment.

Describe isolation and transport procedures for students and/or staff who fail screenings or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms.

Designated isolation areas will be in place prior to first day of student return. Nurses will ensure well students are separated from sick students in health office. Immediate contact with parent or guardian to check out sick student. PPE shall be worn when exiting school building. The LEA has created a COVID-19 Notification Flowchart that must be implemented when a student or staff member has been tested or has direct exposure to the COVID19 virus.

Describe district and school COVID-19 contact tracing plans.

School nurse and administrator will contact Lead Nurse for information gathering.

Describe the timeline and documentation required for students or staff with COVID-19 to return to school or work.

After 14 days of being quarantined, students or staff may return to school if they are asymptomatic.

Describe how high-risk persons will be identified. List the work or learning modifications they will receive.

Procedures to identify high-risk persons: ECPS Employee Health Survey will be used to identify high-risk persons.

Work or learning modifications: Modifications may be made for high-risk persons on a case by case basis.

Describe how attendance and absenteeism policies will be modified to encourage sick students to stay home.

ECPS has adopted a Blended Attendance Policy in which students can work from a virtual platform to encourage sick students to stay home.

Describe how attendance and absenteeism policies have been modified to encourage sick staff to stay home.

ECPS has encouraged employees to familiarize themselves with the COVID Law which accommodates individuals who have been impacted by the virus.

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Describe expectations for students to complete assignments/assessments due to a COVID-19 related absence.

Students are expected to complete assignments/assessments using the virtual platform (Edgenuity/Odysseyware).

Health and Safety

Health and Safety Practices. As state, district and school leaders address their cleaning, sanitization and disinfection practices, additional health and safety practices related to social distancing and the use of personal protective equipment can help safeguard learning environments and curb the spread of COVID-19.

Social Distancing. Describe district or school social distancing plans by area.

Arrival and departure areas: Assign staff member(s) to monitor social distance between students.

Entryways, hallways and lockers: Uniform signage will be placed at entrances and in hallways in all schools. Visitors will be limited and must wear face masks beyond a certain point which will be identified upon entry.

Classrooms: Remove unnecessary furniture to allow for spreading of desks/tables, reduce the number of students seated at tables, all students will face the same direction.

Student, staff and visitor restrooms: Signage to encourage proper hand washing, limit occupancy according to restroom configuration and/or use 50% of the number of stalls available.

Outdoor environments: Staff will monitor student interaction to ensure social distancing; adhere to all CDC and AHSAA guidelines.

Cafeteria or food-service areas: Meals may be served in classrooms and outdoor spaces may be utilized to allow for social distancing; classes/grade levels may alternate between in-class and cafeteria dining; social distancing will be enforced for cafeteria dining.

School office areas: Partitions are present in visitor reception/office areas; staff are socially distanced due to work area configurations.

Transportation areas: Transportation Department will utilize “one way in – one way out” travel pattern. The number of students on each school bus will depend upon how many students opt for virtual instruction, and good faith effort will be made to enforce social distancing on buses. The Transportation Department developed the Transportation Department COVID-19 guidelines to outline screening and ensure safety for drivers and students.

Gyms and extracurricular areas: Students will be divided into small groups for activities with no interaction between groups when possible to allow for social distancing; noncontact activities will be planned; if students must do different activities, they will remain in the same group and the adults will change groups for the different activities.

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Describe expectations for staff, students and visitors to use personal protective equipment.

Staff: Types of Personal Protective Equipment Required: PPE Provided By:

Teachers (including itinerant teachers) District

Administrators District

Counselors District

School nurses and other health providers Face mask, face shield, gloves District

District special service providers Face mask, face shield, gloves District

Janitorial staff Face mask, face shield, gloves District

Food service providers Face mask, face shield, gloves District

Students:

Child Care Programs Face masks will be optional for students Parent

Lower Elementary Face masks will be optional for students Parent

Intermediate Elementary Face masks will be optional for students Parent

Middle Face masks will be optional for students Parent

High Face masks will be optional for students Parent

Career Center Face masks will be optional for students Parent

Visitors or Guests:

School Visitors Face masks Personal or District

Classroom Visitors Face masks Personal or District

Health and Safety Practices – continued

Health and Safety Practices. As state, district and school leaders address their cleaning, sanitization and disinfection practices, additional health and safety practices related to social distancing and the use of personal protective equipment can help safeguard learning environments and curb the spread of COVID-19.

Are the following considerations addressed in district or school plans?

Yes No Consideration

X Selected PPE products align with CDC or local or state health department recommendations.

X The district or school has a product management and distribution plan that ensures each building or campus has

The option/requirement for face masks will be made by the

superintendent according to the health status of Elmore

County per ADPH.

The option/requirement for face masks will be made by the

superintendent according to the health status of Elmore

County per ADPH.

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access to needed PPE supplies.

X Communication plans clearly identify which PPE products may or may not be brought from home for in-school use and why certain products have been banned or may have only limited use.

X PPE are purchased using state negotiated price agreements or bulk discounts, if possible.

Describe any anticipated challenges with securing or maintaining the needed inventory of PPE supplies.

We have access to multiple vendors in order to maintain adequate inventory of PPE supplies.

Describe any modifications to procedures and policies for offices and non-instructional spaces.

Checking students in and/or out of school:

Parents who come into the school office to check out their well student will be required to maintain social distancing. Students checking out sick will be required to wear a mask from the health office to the main office, all areas and surfaces with which the student had contact will be sanitized.

Conducting health screenings: Separate sick and well areas will be set up in each health office; CDC guidelines will be followed.

Using restrooms and water fountains:

Standard water fountains will be rendered inoperable. Water stations are currently being installed so students may refill clear water bottles they bring from home.

Dropping off materials or resources to students or staff:

Items will be dropped off in a designated container in the office; the items will be treated with the UV light prior to delivery to the appropriate person.

Visiting administrators, counselors or service providers: Temperature check and COVID-19 questionnaire will be conducted upon entry; face masks will be required.

Accessing school-based parent and family resources:

Drop-ins will not be allowed and ZOOM meetings and/or phone conferences to determine area(s) of need are recommended. Resources available at the school may be mailed to the parent, and may be returned to the school, if necessary, via mail or drop off. Returned items will be treated with the UV light.

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Interacting with parent and community volunteers:

Parent and community volunteers will not be utilized in the classrooms at this time. Volunteers in other areas will have a temperature check and COVID-19 questionnaire prior to participation.

Quality Instruction – Under Development

Quality Instructional Practices. This section will be expanded with the input of SREB’s K-12 Education Recovery Task Force. Equitable Access to Quality Instruction: Describe actions taken to ensure equitable access for each student.

What instructional supports are needed to serve special populations within chosen calendars and schedules?

Students receiving special education services will be provided instructional supports identified and outlined in each individualized education program.

• The LEA will continue to implement Child Find procedures to the greatest extent possible.

• Early Intervening Services will be provided.

• Intervention Strategies in the general education classes will be implemented before a child is referred or concurrently during the evaluation process.

• A referral for the initial evaluation may be received by parent or the Problem Solving Team(PST).

• The IEP Team will determine if the child should be evaluated for special education services.

• If, as a result of the current pandemic, it is not possible to conduct an evaluation, the LEA will document communication with parent regarding the evaluation process. The LEA will conduct the evaluation as soon as it is safe to do so.

The LEA shall implement the following plan of action regarding the Second Grade Gifted Child Find Procedures:

• The LEA will be consistent in procedures across the district.

• The LEA will observe all second grade students as potential gifted referrals using the Gifted Behavior Checklist provided by the ASDE.

• The LEA will accept standard referrals for second grade students.

• The LEA will implement the standard procedures outlined in the required Second Grade Child Find Procedure document. This will include the six required lessons and an online universal screener.

• Due to a blended school environment, we will implement the above procedures with all second grade students possible during the 2020-2021 school year. The remaining students not completing the six required lessons and

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online universal screener during the course of this school year will be administered during their third grade year.

Describe adaptive staffing plans for providing interim instruction or allowing teachers to remotely provide instruction if they must take extended absences due to COVID-19.

The virtual platform purchased by ECPS, Odysseyware and Edgenuity, will allow teachers to remotely provide instruction.

Online or Blended Learning Plans: Describe how each student will learn grade-level and content-area standards using both technology-based and face-to-face instructional approaches.

The system has purchased two virtual platforms: Odysseyware for K – 5 and Edgenuity for grades 6-12. Both these virtual platforms are being formatted to follow our pacing guides and Alabama standards so that when teachers plan face to face, they will also plan for any virtual student. Further, all students, K – 12, will be issued a Chromebook. This gives students a resource in the eventuality we do have to go fully virtual, and all teachers will use the technology in face-to-face instruction to enhance learning.

Describe how teachers will receive professional learning, online or in person, that helps them provide new instruction in an online or blended format if schedules or school closures require it.

K – 5 teachers will receive immediate professional learning on Odysseyware on Aug 4. A follow-up session will be provided Aug 24, and a third session will be provided Sept 23. Teachers in grades 6 – 12 will receive further Edgenuity professional development on Aug 4. Additionally, teachers will receive professional development in Google classroom so that they can successfully integrate our two virtual platforms with supplemental teaching.

Describe plans to ensure that programs in the fine arts, CTE and other areas can be taught online.

Odysseyware has been purchased and will serve as the virtual platform for CTE and fine arts courses. In addition, professional development will be offered to all CTE and fine arts teacher on the program.

Describe how state online learning systems will expand course options and learning opportunities.

ECPS has opted to use our own virtual platforms which are Edgenuity and Odysseyware.

Describe how teachers will re-engage students who were not engaged in online learning during the spring school closures.

Strategy 1: Providing time to collaborate and plan within their schools, departments/grade levels is vital. Getting pre-assessments ready to go at the beginning of school so that we know where strengths/weaknesses lie is key. Strategy 2: Provide PD and ongoing support to parents on how to navigate blended and virtual learning. Even with face-to-face instruction, Elmore county is preparing to give all children, K – 12, access to technology. As such, we expect our teachers to prepare rich differentiated lessons. Providing time for teachers to ‘zoom’ with parents and stakeholders will be key to re-engaging not only students, but their families. Strategy 3: Short-term goals for teachers AND for students. Utilizing the SMART goal template will be key. Long-term goals will be added afterward. Strategy 4: Share with each other – gather feedback from students in written, thoughtful reflection. Teacher reflection on strategies, self-evaluation after a few weeks is vital. Principals will lead this. Strategy 5: Relevance: making sure that students connect lessons with what they’re experiencing is vital.

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Support for Struggling Learners: Describe how diagnostic assessments will be used to identify learning losses.

Diagnostic assessments will be given to all students, grades K – 12. Specifically, STAR360 will be given in Reading and Math, K – 8th grades. All Kindergarten – 4th grade students will also be given the B.A.S. in order to ascertain gaps in literacy and phonetic awareness. An ACT screener in Reading/ELA/Math/Science will be given to all incoming freshman; additionally, quarterly benchmarks will be given (digitally) to all high school students, grades 9 – 12. An At-Risk and High Hopes grant has been submitted. If awarded, this will provide multiple avenues of academic enrichment and support to enhance outcomes for at-risk students.

Describe actions to close learning gaps identified through diagnostic assessments.

After each assessment and data collection period, the analysis of strengths/weaknesses begin. Teachers will be tasked with remediating any gaps, as well as accelerating instruction to ensure mastery of standards. Teachers will also be tasked with progress monitoring all students through formative assessments and making sure that differentiated instruction stems from this data analysis. The PST process will also play a vital role at each school as it will ensure that students are getting necessary interventions to be successful in the mastery of standards. (Formal) data collection will occur three times a year at each school through various testing platforms (Edulastic, STAR360, benchmarks, etc.) and analyzed by the district. A testing schedule has been provided from the district to the schools to ensure consistency. Professional development for principals will be given from the district to help principals take specific action to close gaps.

Curriculum Adaptation: Describe how teachers will be trained to prioritize and differentiate curriculum and instruction in face-to-face, online and blended settings.

Pacing guides are being aligned to our virtual platforms (Odysseyware for K – 5 and Edgenuity for 6 – 12) so that teachers can begin planning both face to face or blended. Professional development for all teachers will be Aug 4, with subsequent follow ups in August and September.

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Communication Plans

Communicate Reopening Plans to the Entire School Community. An essential element of the effectiveness of any plan is how the local education agency seeks input from and consistently communicates with the school community. Describe your school reopening communication plan. How have a broad range of communication tools been used to engage students, families and community members both in planning and learning about plans?

We have updated all stakeholders weekly to several times a month by using email, SchoolMessenger callouts, news media, REMIND, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Twitter.

Describe how the proposed school calendar and daily schedule will be shared with the entire school community. How will members of the community offer input in the decision-making process?

We deployed 2 surveys to gather the input from all the stakeholders – One for parents/guardians and one for staff members. From there a Frequently Asked Question document is being written and a video of the Superintendent answering these questions will also be shared.

List the communication tools and strategies that will be used to share information about district and school disinfection and cleaning procedures and protocols with staff, students, parents and community members.

We have and will update all stakeholders on disinfecting and cleaning procedures and protocols with staff, students, parents and community members using emails, SchoolMessenger callouts, news media, REMIND, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Twitter.

Describe how available instructional tools, accelerated learning strategies and online and offline resources will be shared with staff, students, parents and community members.

Both during the original stay at home order and new year, we shared instructional strategies and tools, learning resources to our parents, students and staff members through Google Classroom, email, Facebook, Twitter, REMIND, and Zoom meetings.