Department Of Education Guidance To Ensure The Continuity Of ...
PREPARING FOR THE FLU: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RECOMMENDATIONS TO ENSURE
THE CONTINUITY OF LEARNING FOR SCHOOLS (K‐12)
DURING EXTENDED STUDENT ABSENCE OR SCHOOL DISMISSAL
As the CDC releases its “Guidance for School Responses to Influenza During the 2009‐2010 School Year,”
the U.S. Department of Education (“the Department”) wishes to remind states, districts, schools,
students, staff, families, and communities alike about the importance of ensuring the continuity of
learning in the event of student or school dismissals.
The purpose of this document, therefore, is to provide recommendations to help schools maintain the
continuity of learning for 1) individual or small groups of students who are out‐of‐school for extended
periods and 2) large groups of students disrupted by school dismissals or large numbers of faculty
absences.
These recommendations present considerations for education stakeholders to plan for and improve their
ability to provide continuous learning ranging from take‐home assignments to online learning
capabilities. It offers key questions for states, districts, school leaders, teachers, parents, and students,
as well as provides resource opportunities and best practices.
There are a number of reasons why students may be out‐of‐school for extended periods. For example,
schools may pursue selective dismissals of students at high‐risk of flu complications (to prevent the
spread of flu to vulnerable communities), reactive dismissals (when a significant proportion of students
in school have a documented fever), or preemptive dismissals (to proactively decrease the spread of flu).
Whatever the reason and regardless of the duration of such interruptions, all education stakeholders
should consider the effects of significant absences on student achievement and establish plans that not
only ensure health and safety, but also maintain a continuity of learning.
Options to get the material to students who are at home
We are mindful that available resources will play a part in determining how each school creates its
continuity of learning plan. This framework offers several options, all aimed at helping districts, schools,
and teachers plan and execute distance learning with whatever resources they have or are able to
obtain. The strategies outlined below range from sending copies of assignments home with students to
web‐based distance learning coursework. Specifically, they include:
• Hard copy packets: Photocopies of reference materials, curriculum, and assignments can be
prepared in advance for distribution to affected students;
• Online materials or other aligned content: Digital copies of reference materials, assignments,
and audio‐visual learning supports can be made available on the Internet using e‐learning and
other Learning Management Systems (LMS) ( e.g., school websites, etc.);
U.S. Department of Education
Recommendations to Ensure Continuity of Learning
• Teacher check‐ins and tutorials: A variety of technologies (telephone, email, web conferencing)
can be used to facilitate one‐on‐one interaction between students and teachers, counselors and
other appointed adults (e.g., tutors) during prolonged absences or dismissals;
• Recorded class meetings: Using audio or video technology, recorded class meetings can be
given to some or all absent students via podcasts, live or on‐demand television, DVD, captioned
closed‐circuit or public access television, or online;
• Live class meetings: Schools can use available tools such as conference calling or webinars,
online courses, or virtual schools with two‐way interaction between the teacher and students;
• Other student supports: Schools can use any of the above methods to promote non‐classroom
priorities, such as college and other counseling support, including student loan preparation
(Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or study groups that are enabled through web‐based
tools.
Considerations for ensuring continuity of learning
The following four guiding questions will help districts and schools develop learning continuity strategies
and action plans:
1. How will affected parties communicate during individual or prolonged absences or during
school‐wide dismissals?
2. How will students understand and access available academic resources and other supports from
home?
3. What equipment and other resources are available or need to be acquired to enable school and
district learning continuity plans?
4. What additional training or experience is required to prepare all parties to respond
appropriately when needed?
A decision table attached to these recommendations (Appendix A) includes detailed questions that will
lead schools, districts, and states to inventory instructional content and available technology; evaluate
educator, student, and parent readiness to participate successfully in distance learning; and evaluate
state and district operating plans to support various distance learning options.
Potential resources and partnerships to close the gaps
Some states, districts and schools have some or all of the resources and capabilities to fully develop and
implement their continuity of learning plans; however, most will require additional planning and support
to ensure these strategies are effective across all schools and student populations. To assist in these
efforts, the Department has assembled tools from prior state and district responses to similar
circumstances (see Appendix A). The Department also has requested that a range of providers prepare
to respond to state and district requests for assistance to increase the accessibility of resources,
including technology to all affected parties. These tools and resources include:
• Comprehensive learning continuity planning and implementation support: Guidance regarding
how to develop and implement a systematic plan, including technology resources to ensure that
all students can learn in a variety of environments;
• Physical instructional resources: Publishers and other instructional material providers that can
help make content available in hard copy to students unable to physically attend school;
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U.S. Department of Education
Recommendations to Ensure Continuity of Learning
• Digital instructional resources: Publishers and other instructional material providers that can
help make content available digitally so that it can be shared via email and through other web‐
based tools;
• Organization and distribution of digital content: Technology that offers tools and systems to
share not only instructional content, but also teaching and learning experiences via the Internet;
• Phone conferencing: Conference calls to allow teachers to interact with multiple students
simultaneously using the telephone;
• Webinar support: Web‐based technology that allows teachers not only to interact with multiple
students on a conference call, but to also simultaneously show students instructional tools such
as literature passages or math solutions on a shared Internet site;
• Online courses and virtual classrooms: Electronic, learning communities where students and
teachers interact in real time using web‐based tools;
• Virtual server capacity: Companies willing to provide technology to store and deliver large
amounts of instructional content using the Internet.
By reflecting on how existing tools may be used to develop effective distance learning strategies and
accessing new resource opportunities, schools and districts can sustain student attainment and
achievement during prolonged absences or school dismissals. The Department will post a full list of
these resources on its website at http://www.ed.gov/h1n1flu.
.
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U.S. Department of Education
Recommendations to Ensure Continuity of Learning
Appendix A: Continuity of Learning – Decision Table1
Instructional delivery
Considerations
Resource Opportunities2
options
General planning to
‐ Are there distribution plans to ensure student access to resources in ‐ Comprehensive learning continuity
ensure continuity of
the event of sudden absences or school closure?
planning and implementation support
learning
‐ Are contact information records for students, parents, guardians,
‐ US Department of Education Readiness
and all staff (email addresses, physical addresses, phone numbers,
and Emergency Management for Schools
including mobile, etc.) on file and do teachers have access to that
(REMS) Technical Assistance Center:
information to check‐in with absent students regarding academic
http://rems.ed.gov
progress? Are policies regarding privacy and sharing of personal
‐ Los Angeles County Office of Education:
information in place and clear to all parties?
Continuity of Instruction Resources
‐ How can schools and districts leverage distance learning resources
‐ Standards for online programs in
from other sources, including current vendors, community colleges
schools:
and universities, and online sources of open content?
http://www.inacol.org/resources/docs/K
‐ Are policies in place for awarding credit and articulation of courses
eepingPace07‐color.pdf
in the event of sustained distance learning (i.e. credit without seat
time, credit if courses are taken online from a commercial provider
or from another district)?
‐ Are there defined staffing plans to support distance learning in the
event of small or large student or faculty absences?
‐ Will staff be permitted to return to school to use school‐based
equipment and resources?
Hard copy packets
‐ Are adequate resources or agreements in place to support copying
‐ Physical instructional resources
and distributing learning packets and materials for students to use
‐ www.free.ed.gov: federally supported
at home for up to 12 weeks if necessary?
teaching and learning resources from
‐ Are adequate resources or agreements in place to support copying
dozens of federal agencies
and distributing learning packets and materials for students to use
1 Some considerations, such as an inventory of tools to support distance learning apply to multiple instructional delivery options.
2 While these resources are relevant to the Department’s mission, they are available from a variety of sources and their presence here does not constitute an
endorsement by the Department.
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U.S. Department of Education
Recommendations to Ensure Continuity of Learning
Instructional delivery
Considerations
Resource Opportunities2
options
at home for up to 12 weeks if necessary?
‐ Are districts working with textbook publishers and the relevant
education vendor community about ways to provide free, or near
free education services (materials, take home kits, etc.) to meet the
needs of affected students, including students with disabilities and
students with limited English proficiency, and schools?
Online materials or other
‐ Can instructional materials and assignments be posted online?
‐ Tools to organize and distribute digital
aligned content
‐ Have districts contacted local business leaders about donating,
content
loaning, or renting equipment to fill gaps identified by inventories
‐ Virtual server capacity
(e.g., used or low‐cost laptops, mobile broadband cards, webcams,
‐ North American Council for Online
etc.)?
Learning (NACOL) Online Clearinghouse:
‐ What is the speed and scale of internet capacity to be used by
http://www.edgateway.net/cs/nacol/pri
students and teachers? How many people can connect to web‐
nt/docs/437
based material at one time?
‐ San Diego County Office of Education:
‐ Are systems in place to develop and provide materials in
http://www.sdcoe.net/news/07‐10‐
alternative formats suited to meet the needs of students with
25_Home_learning.asp
disabilities and to accommodate students with limited English
proficiency?
Teacher check‐ins and
‐ Have plans been created with teacher input for teachers to conduct
‐ Phone conferencing
tutorials
telephone conferences with students, parents, or guardians to
review student progress, assignments, as well as provide tips for
building structured learning time at home?
Recorded class meetings
‐ Are there contingency plans to incorporate captioned close‐circuit,
‐ Digital instructional materials
public television, web‐based tools, or cable channels to deliver live
‐ Wisconsin Educational
or pre‐recorded lessons?
Communications Board:
http://explore.ecb.org/ecbschema/plsql
/ITVSCHED2?sched=04262009
Live class meetings
‐ If districts or schools pursue conference calls or web meetings,
what
‐ Webinar support
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U.S. Department of Education
Recommendations to Ensure Continuity of Learning
Instructional delivery
Considerations
Resource Opportunities2
options
technology is needed centrally and for users (phones, computers,
‐ Online courses and digital classrooms
Internet, and webcams)? If not currently available, how will it be
‐ Arkansas Distance Learning
acquired?
Development Program:
‐ Have teachers taught a class or portion of a class via distance
http://ardl.k12.ar.us/Pages/Default.aspx
learning? Are they familiar with the tools? Have they developed or ‐ National Education Association Guide
can they access the necessary content and technology?
to Online High School Courses:
‐ Have students participated in distance learning? Are they
http://www.nea.org/home/30103.htm
comfortable with the tools? Can they access the necessary
resources? For example, have they visited the Learning
Management System or school website from their home computer
or another off‐campus computer? Do students with disabilities have
the necessary assistive technology?
‐ What tools to support distance learning do students and staff have
access to at home or other accessible sites (e.g., phone, cable
television, computer, internet, high speed internet, Mp3 players,
DVD players, assistive technology, etc)?
‐ What tools to support distance learning does the district or schools
have (audio conferencing, Mp3 players, computers, web
conferencing, e‐learning, or LMS, etc.)?
Other student supports
‐ Have teachers or guidance counselors developed plans to ensure
‐ New York City Learn at Home
that time sensitive supports for students are available (e.g., FAFSA
Instructional Activity Guide:
preparation, ACT/SAT preparation)?
http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/learn
‐ How will lessons and materials be accessible to all students,
athome/default.htm
including students with limited English proficiency or students with
‐ Guidance on accessible materials:
disabilities?
http://nimas.cast.org/
‐ Have district or school officials contacted local business leaders
about adjusting work schedules so that caretakers are able to be at
home in the event of prolonged school dismissals?
Districts and schools should also consider inter‐school and inter‐district partnerships by compiling and sharing best practices, available
resources, and commonly agreed‐upon online resources across jurisdictions.
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