Continuity of Learning and COVID-19 Response Plan (“Plan”)
As a result of COVID-19 and the closing of school buildings for the 2019-2020 School Year, school districts must submit a Continuity of Learning and COVID-19 Response Plan (“Plan”) in order to continue to receive state aid for operations. Although schools are closed and not providing in-person instruction, teaching and learning must continue. Michigan educators have been called to provide our students with continued learning.
There are varied states of readiness to provide continuity in learning among districts. Even within districts of multiple school sites, there are varied states of readiness. It is expected that schools will provide instruction at a distance using a variety of methods that meet local needs, including printed materials, phone contact, email, virtual learning, or a combination to meet student needs. We should avoid assuming that continuity in learning can only occur through online means.
While many educators have been providing distance learning opportunities, the Governor’s Executive Order (EO 2020-35) requires all schools to begin providing learning opportunities for all students no later than April 28, 2020. Districts who are able to begin their plans earlier are encouraged to do so.
Each District shall submit a single completed Assurance Document, Budget Outline, and Continuity of Learning Plan to its Intermediate School District. Each Public School Academy shall submit a completed Assurance Document, Budget Outline, and Continuity of Learning Plan to its Authorizer. A single Application should be filed for the district rather than multiple applications for individual schools within a district. The following items are required for the application which may be submitted beginning April 8, 2020:
- Assurances Document
- Continuity of Learning Plan
- Budget Outline
Guiding Principles
As Districts and Public School Academies complete the Assurances and Continuity of Learning Plans, they should consider utilizing the following principles to guide their work:
1. Keep Students at the Center
2. Intentional outreach to continue building relationships and maintain connections.
3. Help students feel safe and valued. At minimum, plan to do the following:
- Plan for Student Learning: Build on each student’s strengths, interests, and needs and use this knowledge to positively affect learning.
- Develop a Weekly Plan and Schedule: Offer routines and structures for consistency and for the balancing of think time, work time, and play time for health and well-being.
- Contact Families: Partner to support student learning through ongoing communication and collaboration. This will not look the same for every student and family—safety remains the priority. Provide translations as necessary.
4. Design Learning for Equity and Access
5. Plan and deliver content in multiple ways so all students can access learning.
- Teach Content: Set goals using knowledge of each student, content area standards, and of Michigan Merit Curriculum.
- Deliver Flexible Instruction: Consider how to deliver content depending on tools and resources accessible to each student. Alternative modes of instruction may include use of online learning, telephone communications, email, virtual instruction, videos, slideshows, project-based learning, use of instructional packets, or a combination to meet diverse student needs.
- Engage Families: Communicate with families about engagement strategies to support students as they access the learning. Families are critical partners. Provide translations as necessary.
6. Assess Student Learning
7. Manage and monitor student learning and plan what’s next for learning including the potential need for summer and supplemental learning.
- Check Student Learning: Use a variety of strategies to monitor, assess, and provide feedback to students about their learning.
- Make Instructional Adjustments: Use formative assessment results to guide educators’ reflection on effectiveness of instruction and to determine next steps for student learning.
- Engage Families: Communicate with families about assessment results in order to inform next steps and the potential for supplemental summer learning. Provide translations as necessary.
Assurances
Date Submitted: April 10, 2020
Name of District: Mason County Central Schools
Address of District: 300 W. Broadway Avenue
Scottville, MI 49454-1095
District Code Number: 53010
Email Address of the District: www.mccschools.org
Name of Intermediate School District: West Shore Educational Service District
This Assurance document needs to be returned to your Intermediate School District or, for Public School Academies, your Authorizing Body with your Continuity of Learning Plan and Budget Outline beginning April 8, 2020 to indicate that the District will adopt a plan to ensure continuous learning for all students through the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.
Districts should submit a single district plan that relates to all of their schools.
The applicant hereby provides assurance it will follow the requirements for a Plan for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year:
- Applicant assures that all student learning will take place under the direction of a teacher of record for each student enrolled in the district.
- Applicant assures that it will continue to pay school employees during the balance of the 2019-2020 school year under the same terms and conditions established prior to the school closure order period.
- Applicant assures that the Plan was developed in collaboration with district administrators, school board members, teachers, and local bargaining units.
- Applicant assures that food distribution has been arranged for or provided for eligible students.
- Applicant assures coordination between applicant and Intermediate School District in which the District/PSA is located to mobilize disaster relief child care centers.
- Applicant assures that to the extent practicable the District/PSA will in good faith provide students with IEPs/Section 504 Plans the opportunity to participate in learning consistent with existing plans.
- Applicant assures that Continuity of Learning and COVID-19 Response Plan, Assurance Document, and Budget Outline will be posted immediately following approval to the District’s/PSA’s website.
Continuity of Learning and COVID-19 Response Plan (“Plan”)
The goal of a Continuity of Learning Plan and COVID-19 Response Plan is to ensure that each District or Public School Academy is providing, to the best of its ability, each student with alternative modes of instruction to help them stay on pace in their learning. This application recognizes that there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution; multiple means of engaging students and supporting families may be necessary that may vary by grade level, school building, or student population served.
For the purposes of the Plan, “district” refers to school districts and public school academies.
Date Submitted: April 10, 2020
Name of District: Mason County Central Schools
Address of District: 300 W. Broadway Avenue
Scottville, MI 49454-1095
District Code Number: 53010
Email Address of the District Superintendent: jmount@mccschools.org
Name of Intermediate School District: West Shore Educational Service District
“Alternative modes of instruction” means modes of pupil instruction, other than in-person instruction, that may include, without limitation, partnerships with other districts or intermediate districts or community colleges or institutions of higher education, use of vendors, use of online learning, telephone communications, email, virtual instruction, videos, slideshows, project-based learning, use of instructional packets, or a hybrid of multiple modes of learning that still promote recommended practices for social distancing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
In accordance with Executive Order 2020-35 a Plan must include all of the following parts:
- Please describe the methods the district will use to provide alternative modes of instruction other than in-person instruction and a summary of materials each pupil and the pupil’s parents or guardians will need to access meaningfully the alternative modes of instruction included in the Plan. If the Plan relies on electronic instruction, the Plan must ensure to the extent feasible that pupils have access to a connected device capable of accessing the electronic instruction and must not penalize a pupil for the pupil’s inability to fully participate.
District Response:
The Mason County Central School District plans to use a hybrid model of instruction using hard copy instructional packets and online learning platforms that are grade-level appropriate and/or familiar to our students and parents.
The hybrid model is necessary due to the diverse levels of access to internet and devices in our families’ homes.
Students without internet access and/or devices will be provided instructional materials through a weekly instructional packet. All students will need access to materials such as paper, pencils, textbooks (where applicable) etc. which will be made available to families that do not have them.
Section 3 provides further detail in the delivery of the content using multiple methods.
We recognize that learning experiences will vary across our schools, as well as among students. Students vary greatly by age, needs, access to and capacity for remote learning, and the ability of parents to support this learning as they themselves are facing a host of challenges. So, with that in mind, students will not be penalized for their inability to fully participate in this plan.
- Please describe the methods the district will use to keep pupils at the center of educational activities, including outreach to continue building relationships and maintain connections, and to help pupils feel safe and valued.
District Response:
Teachers will be expected to make “meaningful” contact with every student at least one time per week for the duration of the school year (June 5). Teachers will be required to maintain a Contact Log. This meaningful contact may be done through the use of technology (for those that have access) such as Google Hangout or other form of virtual meeting, or through weekly phone calls or texts.
For students with technology access, teachers will also make sure to communicate multiple times each week through the instructional platform (Google Classroom etc.) with an emphasis on continuing to build relationships and maintain connections.
If students do not have access to technology, in addition to making weekly phone contact, teachers will include weekly notes to students in their instructional packets that focus on maintaining connections and positive student-parent-teacher relationships.
- Please describe the district’s plans to deliver content in multiple ways so that all pupils can access learning.
District Response:
For those students without technology:
The main mode of delivery will be through hard copy instructional packets. This will be supplemented with phone conferencing to support instruction and provide feedback. The instructional packets will be delivered at our 8 hub locations strategically located throughout our district boundaries. Packets will be mailed to the student if their families cannot get to a distribution hub.
For students with technology:
Content will be delivered through the online platform(s) that will have links for each building/grade level/content area on the MCC Landing Page. The teachers will use multiple platforms and methods to deliver content online. The Landing Page will be linked to the MCC App and Website (Both can be accessed in multiple languages).
English Learners / Migrant Students:
Phone Outreach Started: 3/13/2020 to our current migrant families, migrant families possibly traveling, and local farmers. In addition, we reached out to our EL identified students K-12 via phone about devices and internet connection.
Migrant Home Visits (Drop and Go): 3/14/2020 Emergency food bags/hygiene/cleaning products and educational supplies including books were distributed.
Migrant/EL Home Visits: (Drop and Go) 3/19/2020 Chrome books were dropped off for those identifying a need and additional education supplies including books and EL support materials were dropped off.
Students with Disabilities:
MDE Office of Special Education has issued “Guidance on Compliance with IDEA and Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.” The Mason County Central School District will follow this guidance and partner with the West Shore ESD to meet the established requirements to provide special education programs and services to students with an IEP.
- Please describe the district’s plans to manage and monitor learning by pupils.
District Response:
For students without technology access:
Learning packets will be developed by classroom teachers and distributed using Distribution Hubs.
Teachers will be checking in weekly to monitor student participation and progress in the instructional packets. Support for parents facilitating the completion of the packets will be provided by the teacher. More than one phone call per week may be necessary in some cases. Feedback from the teacher will include differentiated work as needed, along with examples to support student learning.
For students with technology:
Teachers will monitor student access and assignment completion on a daily basis within the instructional platform. Teachers will provide feedback to students on assignments through the instructional platform as they are completed (or on a daily basis). Teachers will differentiate instruction within the platform to meet each student’s needs.
Access to the instructional platform will be available at the Mason County Central Landing Page where students and parents can find all of the on-line learning materials in one place. A few clicks will put them in the right building, the right grade level and the right subject.
A link to the MCC Landing Page will be distributed using the same multiple methods of communication described in Section 10 of this plan.
Continued Migrant/EL Supports Social/Emotional and Academic:
We will continue to support our migrant / EL families with verbal translation of materials if needed. At this time all our families are just asking for verbal clarification if a need arises as all but two families are fluent in the English language at this time. We have access for our migrant families with a dedicated cell phone in which our migrant recruiter / instructional assistant is available for questions and/or translation if needed. We have also made sure our one EL family needing translation support at times has this number. In addition, our other migrant / EL instructional assistant is also available for family and student contact via phone and Facebook. Teachers are also aware of these supports and have their contact information.
- Please attach a budget outline estimating additional expenditures associated with the Plan and sources of revenue to pay for those expenditures.
District Response:
While it is difficult to quantify actual additional expenditures, it is reasonable to consider: Purchase of learning supplies such as paper, pencils, crayons, etc... and printing costs (paper and machine copy cost), mailing costs (envelopes, postage), personnel time for printing, preparing and delivering, fuel costs and mileage, cost of online instructional platform, and hardware (hotspots, boosters, etc), and any related software/websites and professional development services. We will be monitoring these costs to inform budget adjustments in the future. Sources may include:
A. General funds B. Title I C. 31a
- Please describe the manner in which district administrators, board members, teachers, and any representatives of teachers collaborated in development of the Plan.
District Response:
All stakeholders were involved in the development of the plan. Building administrators met with their building/department/grade level teachers for initial input to address the needs of each grade or content area. Building administrators brought this information back to district level administrators to collaborate. Before finalizing this plan, all board members were emailed a draft of this plan seeking feedback. Multiple board members responded. Our parents and community were also well represented in the development of this plan as they are part of our administrative team, our teaching staff and/or current members of our Board of Education.
- Please describe the methods the district will use to notify pupils and parents or guardians of the Plan.
District Response:
The plan will be communicated through teacher-parent personal contacts. The plan will also be dispersed through email, the MCC School App, and the district website for those that have access. Other building level social media platforms will be utilized to distribute the plan and plan updates.
To ensure that everyone is aware, all parents/students will be initially contacted by their teacher (primary classroom teacher in K-5 and homeroom/advisory teacher in 6-12). From this call we will gauge the level of capabilities each household has and what method will work best for each student (Online or Packets).
- Please provide an estimate of the date on which the district will begin implementation of the Plan, which must be no later than April 28, 2020.
District Response:
While parts of this plan, including food distribution and social-emotional support systems were implemented and continuously provided since the initial March shutdown, we anticipate beginning to ramp up our teacher facilitated instruction (Online and Packets) on April 13, 2020 and expect full implementation by April 20, 2020.
- Please describe the assistance, to the extent feasible, to pupils enrolled in any postsecondary dual enrollment courses under Public Act 160 of 1996, as amended, MCL 388.511 to 388.524, and Career and Technical Preparation Act, 258 PA 200, as amended, MCL 388.1901 to 388.1913, in completing the courses during the 2019-2020 school year.
District Response:
Dual Enrollment:
The MCC School District will be working with West Shore Community College to finalize next steps for successful completion of this term for our students. We will ensure that the students have the appropriate materials and support to complete their courses. The students will be given the option to convert their grade to credit or no-credit.
Career-Tech Education:
The MCC School District will be working with the West Shore ESD’s CTE Director as well as state level CTE directives to ensure our students have the ability to complete these courses. When needed, the district will ensure the student has the necessary resources.
ASM Tech:
The MCC School District will be working with the ASM Admin Team to finish the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. ASM Tech is in an excellent position to transition to online learning. Our students have ASM Tech-provided Chromebooks, are comfortable in Canvas, (our online learning platform), and are also currently taking their WSCC classes online. While we do have some students with marginal internet, none of them have currently expressed issues. In addition, West Shore Community College has offered to help provide internet access devices, should a student need one. We will be supplementing our online learning with paper materials, as well as monitoring and communicating on a weekly basis through email, phone calls, and virtual office hours.
- Please describe how the district will continue to provide or arrange for continuation of food distribution to eligible pupils.
District Response:
Our Free Food for Kids program has been in full operation since Tuesday, March17th. We have continued to provide meals (Lunch & Next Day Breakfast) for 0-18 year olds (and up to 26 year olds for special needs students) at 7 out-county distribution hubs and 1 in-town hub.
We will continue this program on a M-W-F schedule for the duration of this school year’s shutdown. We will also be using these distribution hubs for weekly learning packets for those without internet connection/devices.
On Mondays and Wednesdays students will receive meals for 2 days; and Fridays they will receive meals for 3 days (weekends included).
Migrant/EL Home Meal Delivery: Meals were, and will continue to be delivered to all homes that cannot get to a hub.
From the beginning of distribution, we have used multiple forms of communications to notify our parents and community of the program and any adjustments to the schedule. We have used letters to all households, the MCC App, the MCC Website, Building/District Social Media, local media (Mason County Press and Ludington Daily News) and Power Announcements by phone, text and email.
In addition, all of our students and parents will have received personal phone calls from their teachers. These and other forms of meaningful communications from our instructional staff and support staff (those identified to need extra supports) will continue at a minimum of one per week for the duration of this shutdown.
Our McKenney-Vento (Homeless) Student Food Distributions will continue 3 times per week.
- Please confirm that the district will continue to pay school employees while redeploying staff to provide meaningful work in the context of the Plan, subject to any applicable requirements of a collective bargaining agreement.
District Response:
The Mason County Central School District will continue to pay our employees in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order 2020-35.
We will be redeploying many of our support staff to assist in facilitating instructional packets, food distribution and other needs that arise in meeting our students’ academic, physical, and social-emotional health.
- Provide a description of how the district will evaluate the participation of pupils in the Plan.
District Response:
If a student does not have access to technology, teachers will be checking in at least once per week to monitor progress and keep track of which students are completing the weekly instructional packets. They will also be keeping a Teacher Contact Log of all communications with each of their assigned students.
If a student has access to technology, teachers will still be checking in at least once per week to do a wellness check and determine if additional supports are needed. They will use the online instructional platform to monitor student engagement and progress toward completion of assignments. They will also be keeping a Teacher Contact Log of all communications with each of their assigned students.
Inconsistent completion, progress, and/or communication with a parent or student will be elevated to the principal to develop a plan to connect with the student and family. Additional support agencies may be sought to make these connections (DHHS, Behavioral Health, etc.).
- Please describe how the district will provide mental health supports to pupils affected by a state of emergency or state of disaster prompted by COVID-19..
District Response:
The District will survey, through individual teacher contacts, all parents to determine their household’s current social-emotional well being. Based on those results a district behavior specialist (31n, Student Success Specialist, Counselor, Site Team Clinician, Principal etc.) will reach out to individual students and families to determine specifically what they need. The behavior specialist will help connect the family to outside agencies to help meet their needs. While teachers will continue to make weekly phone calls for instructional support, they will also continue to monitor and assess the social-emotional needs of students and families. If a need is presented, the teacher will elevate that need to their building principal or behavior specialist to make the necessary follow-up.
- Please describe how the district will support the efforts of the intermediate district in which the district is located to mobilize disaster relief child care centers as described in Executive Order 2020-16 or any executive order that follows it.
District Response:
The Mason County Central School District has been in constant communication with ESD Leadership from the beginning of this shutdown and has participated in planning sessions with the West Shore ESD and other area agencies. We currently sit in a back-up role for Executive Order 2020-16 and will immobilize if/when the need arises.
Optional question:
- Does the District plan to adopt a balanced calendar instructional program for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year? Does the District plan to adopt a balanced calendar instructional program for the 2019-2020 school year?
District/ PSA Response:
Not at this time.
Name of District Leader Submitting Application:
Jeff Mount, Superintendent
