West Chester Area School District - Our mission is to educate and inspire our students to achieve their personal best - West ...
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West Chester Area
School District
Our mission is to educate and inspire
our students to achieve their personal best.
1
Update on Metrics and
WCASD Guidelines
Instructional Testing and Vaccinations
Model Update
Panel Discussion
❖ Chester County Hospital
Agenda ❖ CC Department of Health
❖ WCASD Administration
February 10 & 11,
Timeline and Next Steps
2021
Your Questions
Next Steps – Summary
& Headlines for Tonight
▪ Presenting our plan to bring students (who choose to) come back
to in-person instruction this school year as soon as 6 foot
guidance is reduced. That would eliminate hybrid – all students
then would become fully remote, or all-in. (Closures would still
occur based on cases.)
▪ Explain complexities involved with process, and how we are
currently working to have as many students in our seats as
possible. Looking at phasing virtual Wednesdays to an in-person
day.
▪ We want students back in our schools
▪ Path forward for summer learning program.
Acknowledging the
Difficulty
▪ This environment is not optimal for learning or teaching (rows,
separation, masks, online, hybrid, etc.)
▪ Our staff have rallied in innumerable ways.
▪ Parents and students have been supportive, flexible, and resilient.
▪ Extremely difficult for everyone.
▪ Opinions are very divided on science, instructional models, risk
adversity, and what’s best for our entire community.
▪ Social media has made everything more difficult – rumors,
speculation, polarization.
▪ We all want students back in school.
▪ There is hope.
Chester County Health Department (CCHD)
WCASD guidelines for social distancing (currently 6 feet.)
is PDE requirement for operating when transmission
rates are in substantial phase - moving schools to
following remote learning as per the Attestation requirement
by PDE –
these As of Feb 6, Chester County to follow CCHD
guidance
Guidelines
Maximize space with social distancing to bring
students back to in-person instruction.
Continue with face mask requirements/other
mitigation strategies.
Closely Monitor conditions on a daily basis.
CCHD Closure ▪ Schools report all probable
Current CCHD
Guidance for and positive cases to CCHD.
Schools for
Guidance
As of Feb. 6, ▪ If additional individuals become positive
School Closures
2021 while in quarantine, a move to virtual
learning (“closure”) may not be warranted
(the CCHD will provide closure guidance if
Provides closer needed.)
look at
If additional individuals become positive
individual and ▪
who were NOT initially identified as a close
group cases, contact but are possibly linked, the CCHD
will assess if cohorts are required to move
rather than just to virtual learning (“closure”) and/or
additional individuals need to be
numbers quarantined.
Guiding Principles
Since August
▪ Safety of Students and Staff – Every model carries risks.
▪ Having students in-person helps with relationships and assessing
learning levels
▪ Equity - High need special education children will continue to
attend in-person every day; English Language Learners
prioritized; Other students (IEP’s, 504’s, etc.)
▪ Monitoring student needs
▪ As local pandemic improves, goal is to bring youngest students
back to full time schooling first
▪ Need for flexibility to phase into full-time learning, or out to full
Remote Learning 2.010
15
25
30
35
20
40
5
0 0
30-Aug-20
1
6-Sep-20
2
13-Sep-20
0
20-Sep-20
Staff
3
27-Sep-20
0
4-Oct-20
0
11-Oct-20
2
2
18-Oct-20
1
25-Oct-20 16
Students
2
7
1-Nov-20 8
8-Nov-20
10
9
15-Nov-20
22
4
22-Nov-20
12
3
29-Nov-20
20
6-Dec-20
20
18
1
6
13-Dec-20
5
9
20-Dec-20
3
27-Dec-20
Cases by Week
3-Jan-21
WCASD COVID-19
10-Jan-21
10 15 16
19 17
1
6
17-Jan-21
2
24-Jan-21
3
9 14
31-Jan-21Rapid Testing at WCASD ▪ Project ACE-IT (Assisting Childhood Education through increased Testing) testing initiative for schools in Southeastern PA – goal to limit. ▪ WCASD is part of a national study. ▪ Beginning at the end of February, tests will be available for staff in each school who have volunteered to be tested weekly. ▪ Potential gateway to another mitigation strategy. ▪ Test takes 15 minutes per person. Has limitations for widespread testing because of time involved. Rapid testing is evolving and may be available more broadly in future.
Vaccines and Transmission ▪ What will vaccinations mean for educators? ▪ When will vaccines be available for educators? 92% of WCASD staff said they are wiling/able to accept the vaccine ▪ PA struggling with vaccine distribution. Ranked 49th in country for distribution. ▪ Weekend meeting with Chester County superintendents, PA Department of Health, Governor’s Office, and Chester County Legislators ➢ Discussed critical need for vaccinations and lack of information
Managing COVID in
a School Setting
What do we know about the vaccine?
Chester County Hospital
Dr. Karen Pinsky, Chief Medical Officer, Lead Physician for Covid
Efforts
Dr. Richard Donze, Medical Director of CCH Occupational/Employee
Health Program
Chester County Health Department
Jeanne Franklin, Director
WCASD AdministrationAs year has progressed, more
students have committed to staying
remote – which opens more seats
What is
WCASD understands that pandemic, in-person
WCASD instruction is not always ideal, and leads to more
doing staying remote (especially at secondary)
to bring
Asked for a commitment through end of March
students (will then reevaluate)
back to
in-person Rubric for bringing students back for more in-
person days; Difficult decisions made by a team
instruction? of educators/counselors at each school
Some classrooms have nearly all students back
at 6 feetHow many students
are in each model?
Cohort A Cohort B Cohort C
2 days 2 days 4-5 days Remote Cyber Total
1,202 1,141 1,475 539 880
Elementary 5,237
23% 22% 28% 10% 17%
647 644 456 785 307
Middle 2,839
23% 23% 16% 28% 11%
537 538 643 1915 260
High 3,893
14% 14% 17% 49% 7%
Total number of Students 11,969What will it take to bring
students back 5 days a week?
▪ Need a change in 6 foot guidance. At 3 – 6 feet our space analysis
shows we can bring all students back who want to be back.
▪ Currently, the State, County, and CHOP recommend 6 feet.
▪ We are hoping a drop in transmission rates leads to a change in guidance.
▪ Consider a phase-out of virtual Wednesdays; Originally requested by
teachers as an important way to instruct students together, on same
platform; Also allowed for increased small group work with asynchronous
time. Could be used to alternate in-person cohort days, even if guidance is
not reduced to 3 – 6 feet.
3 feet 6 feetPlan for in-person instruction
when 6 Foot Guidance Changes
Week 1: Elementary returns 4 days in person
(Wednesday still Remote Learning)
Secondary in hybrid
Week 2: Secondary returns 4 days in-person;
Elementary returns to 5 days in-person (no Remote Wed)
Week 3: K – 12, all grades five days a week in-person (no Remote Wed)
Remote and Cyber continues
▪ Planning occurring now so we are ready (rearranging seats in classrooms,
verifying bus capacities, planning for cafeteria management, etc.)
▪ We will continue to adhere to other COVID guidance and direction regarding
mitigation and closures. May have to move to virtual if cases occur in schools
(and will return to full in-person, not hybrid)
▪ Hoping to achieve this before the end of school yearWhen guidance changes,
parents will be asked to
commit to a learning model
Once guidance changes to less than 6 feet, parents will
be asked to select:
❑ 5 days a week, in person
❑ Remote
❑ Cyber
* This will eliminate the hybrid optionWhy eliminate hybrid
option when guidance
changes to 3 - 6 feet?
▪ The teaching and learning experience under the hybrid model is
extremely difficult.
▪ Teachers can be much more effective if they can plan for two consistent
groups (in-person or remote) instead of three, and an ever-changing
in-person group of students.
▪ The goal of hybrid (two days a week – mix of in-person and in-school)
is to provide social distancing of 6 feet in classrooms. When social
distancing requirements are lowered to 3 feet, we have space to offer
full, five-day-a-week instruction to all who want it. The need for
hybrid is no longer there, as the social distancing requirements will
have changed.Academic Supports
Spring and Summer
▪ Teachers are working with students to re-teach concepts
they didn’t fully grasp in the fall; Continuum of school-
year learning.
▪ Teachers are assessing student progress to identify those
who may need additional help.
▪ Summer program offered at no charge to all students:
▪ K-12 tutoring in specific areas
▪ Elementary focus on reading, writing, math – in-person
▪ Asynchronous lessons provided at all levels (Not enough
teachers to provide live cyber classes)
▪ Traditional summer school remediation as in previous yearsFrequently Asked Questions
Other schools are back at 3 feet – why aren’t you? We are not
medical experts and are following Chester County Health Department,
which is currently recommending 6 feet.
Will staff or students be required to receive vaccinations? No
Will there be PSSA’s? Currently, yes – but we’re waiting on a
federal waiver.
Will all learning be in-person next year? We will not offer remote
learning next year. Parents who do not want in-person learning can
choose the WC Cyber Program K-12.
If you have a question, please email an administrator!Questions? reopening@wcasd.net
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