Instruction

Recommendations for Instruction, Scheduling, Attendance, and Assessment

We have organized our recommendations based on Part IV (Common Expectations of Hybrid and Remote Learning Models) of the recently released reopening framework outlined by the Maine Department of Education. Our recommendations are based on actual work done by districts in Maine from March through June 2020 in response to the mandate to close schools in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. Where possible we have included links to representative examples of innovative practices using the documentation that we collected.

MDOE Component 1: A plan for instruction that provides students with learning opportunities aligned to, and which result in demonstration of achievement towards, the MLR. Plans must include forward movement along learning progressions or through grade level expectations as well as reinforcement of prior learning and necessary intervention.

In the face of uncertainty around the length of school closure in the spring of 2020, many districts opted to review material instead of moving forward with new curriculum. However, some districts experimented with approaches to supporting students in making progress towards the Maine Learning Results through remote learning. In this section, we highlight some of the strategies that supported student learning during this time. In particular, we recommend the following:

Clearly articulate expectations for teachers, students and families using remote learning compacts. Remote learning impacts all stakeholders in a profound way. In order to minimize uncertainty, we suggest that schools post clearly articulated expectations for all stakeholders. School-family compacts in which the responsibilities of the family and the school are clearly defined help each to fulfill their necessary role in remote learning and provide a light level of accountability for both schools and families by having a common document to reference in conversations. However, schools should review these compacts with an equity lens to ensure that expectations do not contain hidden assumptions about family resources, including internet or device access.

RSU 3 and Hermon School Department provided compacts to families that highlighted joint responsibilities of school, families and students.
RSU 24 created a remote learning resource page for caregivers and clearly articulated the responsibilities of students, families, and schools for each educational level.
AOS 98 and MSAD 27 each provided clearly articulated expectations for all stakeholders in an easy-to-navigate packet format.

Provide learning options for students and families to choose from. Where possible and age-appropriate, provide a menu of learning opportunities for students to select from. In general, principles of personalization and proficiency tend to support learning in remote and hybrid environments because of the synergy between choice, independent learning, and intrinsic motivation.

RSU 38 provided options for each grade span and a superintendent’s guide to distance learning. These leveled menus allowed caregivers to make informed selections to support their child’s learning while capitalizing on their unique knowledge of their child.
RSU 14 also provided “Learning Menus” for each grade span. Menus like this one also provided a centralized place for caregivers to look to find relevant learning resources for their child without having to vet long lists of resources individually.
Winthrop Public Schools posted distance learning plans for each grade that included a menu of options for each subject area.

Scheduling

MDOE Component 2: A daily schedule to include age-appropriate engagement expectations for students; live daily contact between teachers and students (and/or caregiver); direct instruction (either synchronously or asynchronously); independent student work; opportunity for questions and feedback during teacher office hours.

MDOE Component 3: The daily schedule offers sufficient educational service/interaction to be reasonably expected to promote student progress toward quarterly/semester/trimester grade-level educational goals and objectives.

MDOE Component 7: A plan for coordination of schedules, assignments, and workload when students have different teachers for different subjects.

One of the challenges of crisis schooling was establishing an equitable schedule for live, daily contact between teachers and students in the context of uneven internet and device access across districts and across the state. Given that not all students have access to the internet or a device consistently, clear communication about schedules for learning and opportunities for asynchronous, independent learning will be critical in the 2020-2021 school year. Our recommendations based on district practice include the following:

Establish a central, reliable platform to use for asynchronous learning. Google Classroom was a very popular platform for middle level and secondary schools moving to asynchronous learning, whereas Class Dojo and SeeSaw were popular platforms for the elementary level.

Use digital platforms consistently districtwide. Using consistent digital platforms help caregivers with multiple children to better support students across different buildings. For example, MSAD 37 recognized the challenges families were facing as they navigated new methods of communication and multiple platforms such as Zoom, Google Hangout Meet, Moodle, Google Classroom, and others that were employed by individual teachers. The district lessened the burden on caregivers and families by moving away from multiple platforms and consolidating all electronic communication between teachers and students via the G suite programs such as Google Hangout Meet and Google Classroom.

Post learning schedules for each building. Some schools responded to crisis learning with very detailed schedules for students and families to follow, others provided suggested schedules, while others allowed families the flexibility to develop their own schedules. As schools move away from crisis learning to distance learning, and begin to develop more complicated schedules (hybrid or remote) it is recommended that schools post their schedules for families to access on their websites, or using another well-established mechanism for communicating with families.

RSU 86 provided weekly schedules for their 2nd Grade students. Although grade specific, this example could be adapted to fit a variety of grade levels.
RSU 24 suggested daily remote learning schedules for each grade level in an easy-to-use, centralized format.
Similarly, the Biddeford School Department posted schedules for each grade level, including consistent communication throughout the crisis on where to find the schedules, updates to the schedules, and contact information for questions about the schedule.

Do not expect students to attend every class, every day. Create a weekly synchronous online meeting schedule that requires students to attend each class once or twice per week.

RSU 63 posted a suggested schedule that includes formal and informal learning times throughout the day.
RSU 58 provided guidelines for the amount of time students should spend engaged with learning every day.

Be mindful of ways distance learning schedules can leverage at-home opportunities for learning. In the spirit of proficiency-based “anywhere, anytime” learning, some districts embraced aspects of their students’ everyday lives at home to support their learning. One caution with this strategy, however, is not to make assumptions about the material resources available in students’ homes or in their surrounding geographic area. Examples of districts that struck this balance effectively included:

RSU 13 included Morning Breakfast, Chores, and Family Walks in its daily schedule for their students.
MSAD 27 also included ways in which academics could be blended with at-home activities as part of their remote learning guide, drawing on resources provided by Neuropsychology and Education for Children and Adolescents (NESCA).

Provide students and their families with guidelines for remote learning etiquette. RSU 50 provides an example of essential guidelines for focused, synchronous online learning sessions. It is important in establishing these guidelines to ensure that the diversity of students’ home circumstances are reflected in the guidelines. Not every student, for example, is able to join a synchronous session from a desk/table — some students may need to join sitting on their beds or from other alternative locations to ensure a quiet, focused space. Similarly, teachers may consider making cameras optional for part or all of the class session to both preserve limited bandwidth and allow students choice over what they share about their homes with their classmates.

Make clear to students, caregivers, and employers how student employment should be handled and communicated during remote/hybrid learning. A letter from the superintendent of RSU 50 provides an example of how to frame this issue for families and how to encourage students who are of working age to communicate with their teachers about their employment.

Attendance

MDOE Component 5: A plan to certify student attendance each day, and a plan to address lack of attendance/engagement. Mandated reporter requirements remain in place in remote learning environments, so school staff should also be familiar with these policies and protocols.

Without an opportunity to adequately prepare students and families for crisis schooling (including addressing device access, internet access, prior planning and information about procedures), many districts struggled to sustain contact with students who did not engage with remote learning between March and June 2020. However, some districts were able to establish attendance-taking procedures that allowed them to track student engagement and follow up with families about students who remained disengaged from crisis schooling. We recommend that districts:

Create attendance procedures to begin the school day to ensure students remain connected and engaged.

AOS 98 provided a Google Form for attendance for caregivers/guardians to fill out when students would be absent from remote learning.
RSU 61 monitored attendance of students in Grades 6-12 via daily log in to Schoology. Attendance for students in Grades K-5 was taken via daily contact with their classroom teachers.
RSU 15 provided multiple ways of recording attendance. This could be a method worth considering for students who cannot connect to Zoom but can submit work through an online platform.

Assessment and Support

MDOE Component 8: A plan for regular/ongoing formative assessment of student learning and engagement to inform and guide instruction and pacing.

MDOE Component 9: A multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) plan for ensuring differentiation, IEP implementation, and equitable access for special populations. Services and accommodations must be adapted for a remote learning environment.

MDOE Component 10: A plan for grading and for certifying achievement. This plan should take into consideration the uneven/inequitable conditions in which students will be accessing their educational experiences – including inequitable access to: supervision, technology, materials, quiet study space, adult support, and other basic needs.

Many significant concerns were raised in the Spring of 2020 with regard to implementing equitable systems of formative and summative assessment, meeting students’ complex learning needs and fulfilling each school’s obligation to provide special services and accommodations to students. The majority of these concerns focused on the inequities created by sudden closure and the unplanned transition to remote learning strategies. With the opportunity to plan and a more comprehensive understanding of student privacy considerations with video-conferencing software, there are new opportunities for districts to support and assess inclusive student learning. In particular, we recommend the following:

Create virtual meetings to maintain services for students. Students who receive special services typically engage in routine one-on-one interactions with teachers, ed techs, and other student support staff. Maintaining these services during remote and/or hybrid learning is essential for the academic advancement of all students with IEPs and other special populations. Regular virtual meetings between students, teachers, and support staff will help ensure not only that the students’ academic needs are met but also that they maintain the relationships that support student engagement.

Provide options for ways in which families can access their child’s special service documentation. For example, the Biddeford School District communicated flexibility in providing families with information regarding special services.

Use online learning platforms to supplement teacher-created content. Some districts adopted platforms such as Edgenuity, PLATO, and Edmentum either prior to or during the shutdown, then used them to support crisis schooling. These programs provide formative feedback and multiple opportunities for students to attain proficiency. Within these platforms, teachers can create assignment calendars that guide the pace of student learning.