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Guide to Extending Learning

During School Closures

Unprecedented school closures due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are sending many

educators into uncharted territory. In this short guide, we’ve gathered tips and resources for

communicating with sta, students, and parents and for building and implementing a plan for

e-learning to keep students on track during both long- and short-term school closures.

The rst step to determining if and how your students will continue their learning while away

from school is to understand whether they have access to an Internet connection and a device

that they can use to access online learning materials, communications, and possibly live online

learning experiences. Use this information to determine how to deploy e-learning and whether

you will need to distribute devices and/or Internet hotspots to ensure that all students have

equitable access.

The easiest way to do this is to send out a short survey to parents. If your school or district does

not already have a survey tool in place, consider using a free tool such as Google Forms. The

survey does not need to be complicated; in fact, if you are working within a tight timeline, you’ll

likely get more participation if your survey is short and simple.

Consider including these three questions in your survey:

YES

Understand Technology Access

If many of the students don’t have access to an Internet connection at home, and your district isn’t

able to provide hotspots or devices to all students who need them, consider reaching out to local

libraries, community organizations, or businesses for help.

What type of internet-connected device will your learner have access to?

Will your students need to share devices?

More than two students

will share one device

In the event of a school closure, will your learner have access to a device and an Internet

connection to participate in online learning activities and receive communication from teachers?

TIP

1. 2. 3.

Each student will

have a device to use

Two students will

share one device

Notes

Item 1

Item 2

Item 3

As you move forward with putting together a plan for e-learning, start by taking inventory of the

online programs that your district currently uses to determine how they can t into your online

learning plan.

Take Inventory of Your Current Resources

How Edmentum Can Help

The recent reports of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have led to the closure of

many schools and districts globally. Edmentum takes this situation very seriously, and

we are committed to helping you prepare for what’s next. We are oering a variety

of free resources to schools and districts aected by this closure. Learn more on our

program access resource page.

Use your online learning resource audit to determine whether you currently have the sucient

online learning tools to deploy e-learning, or whether you need to obtain more resources. As

you explore your options, consider free learning tools such as Khan Academy and TeacherTube,

resources featuring the capability for teachers to record video lessons themselves to share with

students, and online learning programs that can be purchased.

Program Features

Resource Type

 Skill Practice

 Instruction

 Supplemental Learning

 Assessment

How many licenses are available for

students?

Which grade levels can use the

program?

Do teachers know how to use the

program?

Do students know how to use the

program?

Is it possible to get sta and

students up and running on the

program before the school closure?

Sample Audit Worksheet

Program Title

Moving from the structure of a traditional classroom to the exibility of learning in an online

environment can be challenging for students and parents. Set up a schedule to give students

guidance on how to spend their time. As you plan the schedule, you will also need to determine

how much time students will spend in synchronous activities —interacting with their teacher and

peers in real time— versus asynchronous activities, working independently at their own pace.

The proportion of synchronous to asynchronous activities will impact the exibility students and

teachers have within the schedule. The more households within your district communities in which

students will be sharing devices, the greater proportion of asynchronous activities your schedule

will need to include.

Check-ins:

If students will mostly be working asynchronously, be sure to build time into the

schedule for them to check in with their teacher and peers. Consider scheduling

a morning meeting in which the teacher can review with students what they

will be working on for the day, provide direct instruction, or engage the class

in a discussion or even a game. Also consider including an additional short,

daily afternoon check-in to discuss progress, answer questions, and share

announcements. When scheduling check-ins be sure to stagger the times for

dierent grade levels to accommodate households with shared devices. For

hosting the check-ins, consider tools like Zoom, which has a free version, and

Google Hangouts Meet.

Oce hours:

Oce hours are times during the day that the teacher will be online and

available to connect live with students to answer questions and provide

tutoring, intervention, or other instructional support. As with check-ins, the

number of oce hours that teachers need to host will depend on how much

time students will be working synchronously versus asynchronously. The more

students will be working asynchronously, the more oce hours teachers will

need to oer to support students.

Establish a Daily Schedule

Be sure that your schedule includes:

It’s unlikely that students will be able to complete the amount of work that they would normally do

during an on-campus school day. Younger students may not be able to receive support from an

adult at home, and older students may have limited time for schoolwork due to having to babysit

younger siblings.

TIP

Breaks:

Just as students need to take breaks while at school, they also need to be sure

to take breaks from working online. Build short breaks into the schedule and

be sure that parents and students understand why it’s important to take them

so that they take advantage of that time away from devices.

Physical activity:

Physical activity is built into the school day for most students through P.E. class

and recess. Build a time for physical activity into your e-learning day schedule,

and provide suggested activities for students to complete to make sure they are

getting adequate and appropriate physical activity.

Subject Blocks:

Block time during the day for students to work on certain subjects. For

longer term closures, consider longer subject blocks every other day to allow

students longer periods of focused time.

Catch-up time:

Students will inevitably have an activity that they are unable to complete in the

time allotted. Building a block of about 30 minutes into the daily schedule for

catching up will help students stay on track.

Create an attendance policy:

For your e-learning days to count toward state-mandated attendance

requirements, be sure to develop a policy for determining attendance. Some

districts consider students present if they complete a certain percentage of the

day’s assignments; for other districts, students are considered present when

they attend scheduled synchronous activities. Whatever method you develop,

make sure that it is in compliance with state guidelines.

Establish a Daily Schedule

Notes

Set Expectations for Sta

It’s important to set clear expectations for teachers and other sta members about their duties

during the school closure. Administrators, teachers, and other sta members should work

together to dene expectations and then publish a resource that details what specic tasks sta

members in each role should complete in order to carry out the learning plan and comply with

school, district, and state guidelines for e-learning days.

Teachers Administration and Support Other District Sta

All Teachers

 Post activities to Google

Classroom by 8:30 AM

 Prepare online lessons

 Hold oce hours each day

 Submit attendance based on

assignments completed

ESL, GT, Special Education

Teachers

 Provide accommodations

based on IEP goals

 Provide feedback to students

 Partner with classroom

teachers to provide additional

assignments

 Provide instructional support

to parents and students

Principals, Assistant Principals,

Central Oce Administration

 Ensure communication of

school closure

 Engage in online planning

meetings

 Engage in professional

learning

 Support and monitor teachers

 Maintain availability to answer

questions from teachers,

students, parents, and the

community

Instructional Coaches, Librarians,

Administrative Assistants

 Provide online professional

learning

 Contact students who haven’t

completed work

 Collaborate with teachers for

communication support

Paraprofessionals

 Collaborate with classroom

teachers to support online

learning

Bus Drivers, Food Service, School

Nurses

 Participate in online

professional learning

sessions

Sample Expectations Chart

Set aside time for sta training

Even the most tech savvy teachers need training on eectively teaching and communicating with

students and parents in a fully online environment. You may feel like you don’t have time for

sta training, but if school must close for an extended period of time, the time spent on training

will be well worth it. While conducting a training of at least one full day in person with faculty will

work best, if your school closure is imminent or has already begun, host a full day online training,

along with shorter follow-up sessions in the ensuing days to make sure teachers are equipped to

support students.

Be sure to include these topics in your teacher training:

Prepare Students and Sta for E-Learning

Prepare students and parents for learning at home

E-learning can’t be successful unless students and parents know what is expected of them

and know how to access their online assignments and resources. If school is still in session,

have educators walk students through logging in to their online platforms and accessing their

assignments. Your district could also host an on-campus e-learning practice day in which

students work through the e-learning day assignments on the e-learning day schedule. The more

practice that students have, the more likely they will be successful at home.

Once your e-learning plan is in place, share the details with parents and students. In your

communication be sure to include:

Online learning platform logins

A daily schedule

Assignment completion expectations

Instructions for accessing online

programs

Attendance policies

Using the online learning programs that

the district will be using

Best practices for teaching in an online

environment

Best practices for keeping students and

parents engaged during online learning

Logistics and schedule for the e-learning

plan

In addition to communicating policies to parents through notes

sent home, email, and text messages, host live webinars in which

sta members can explain policies, demonstrate online programs,

and answer questions live. Parents will appreciate having the

additional details and the ability to have their questions answered,

and you will be able to share the recording so that parents who

were not able to attend live still have access to the information.

An unexpected school closure will require communication breadth and frequency that you

may not be accustomed to. Use any and all available channels to keep students, parents, and

community members informed.

Phone system: If you have an automatic call system in place, call or text

families with updates as they are available. This is the best way to distribute a

time-sensitive message, and it will likely have the most reach because nearly all

families have telephones, even those who don’t have Internet service.

Email: Concise, direct emails are one of the best ways to communicate with

families and sta members. Those who use email will check it frequently

in search of updates. Focus on clear and compelling subject lines and email

headers to improve the chances that recipients open and read the message.

Also include a clear and prominent call to action if there is something that the

reader or recipient needs to do. In every email you send, be sure to include links

to your website or other resources where more information can be found.

Website: Your website will be the rst place most families go for information.

Use an eye-catching callout near the top of the homepage and link to a webpage

that contains relevant news and updates. To limit frustration and confusion,

make sure that visitors don’t have to search for what they are looking for.

Communicate with Sta and Parents

Here are tips and best practices for using dierent communication tools:

Include contact

information

for personnel

families should

reach out

to for more

information.

Keep content

updated.

Consolidate

content into

easy-to-

understand

sections.

Make the

options

intuitive

and easy.

Website tips:

5600 W 83rd Street

Suite 300, 8200 Tower

Bloomington, MN 55437

edmentum.com

800.447.5286

info@edmentum.com

AC165-56 031720

Communicate With Sta and Parents

Social media:

Utilizing the power of social media to share information about a school

closure can be incredibly eective if educators and families follow your

district’s social media accounts. Through the power of easy sharing, messages

can travel far very quickly. One thing to keep in mind when leveraging

social media is that you will receive inquiries through those channels, so it’s

important to have someone available to monitor the accounts and respond

to questions and requests. If your district has not built an audience through

social media, you may still want to post information to those accounts; just be

aware that you will also need to use other methods of communication.

Letter Template

Communicate with Teachers

& Sta

Letter Template

Communicate with Parents,

Migration to eLearning

Letter Template

Communicate with Parents,

Closing Announcement Only

Dear Parents and Guardians:

Thank you for your continued patience during this evolving situation. As with all our work, student and

staff safety is our highest priority. Due to recent events with the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) in

the United States, we are taking the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of illness.

As we negotiate this uncharted territory, we believe that the time has come for our district community

to make an important decision.

[School closure details with list of specific sites and dates affected]

Great care and research went into this decision; however, we regret the hardships this will cause for

some of our families. At this time, we believe that is the right step to take for the health and safety of

our families, employees, and the community at large — especially to protect our students and

employees who are immunosuppressed or at greater risk due to age and other reasons.

We will use this time that school is closed to develop the following measures:

• Identify immunosuppressed and other at-risk students and employees

• Finalize daily systematic approach to disinfect all schools and buses

• Develop flexible and remote learning options for all K-12 students

• Coordinate food service options for our children in need

In the coming days, we will communicate more information about Special Education and Student

Services, including Counseling, Gifted, Nursing, and ESL.

Because of the magnitude of this decision, I ask that you please reach out to your building principal with

individual requests and needs. They will serve as the first contacts for funneling communications

throughout the district.

We are committed to providing you with timely and accurate updates on the best recommendations

and guidance from our public health authorities. We’ll continue monitoring the situation weekly and

proceed on a week-by-week basis.

In the meantime, we encourage everyone to access the latest, most accurate information about COVID-

19 from the World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-

2019/advice-for-public) and the CDC (www.cdc.gov/covid-19).

Sincerely,

XXX

[School/District Website Link]

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you for your continued patience during this evolving situation. As with all our work, student and staff safety is our

highest priority. Due to recent events with the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States, we are taking

the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of illness.

As we negotiate this uncharted territory, we believe that the time has come for our district community to make an

important decision.

[School closure details with list of specific sites and dates affected]

Great care and research went into this decision; however, we regret the hardships this will cause for some of our

families. At this time, we believe that is the right step to take for the health and safety of our families, employees, and

the community at large — especially to protect our students and employees who are immunosuppressed or at greater

risk due to age and other reasons.

Learning however, will continue at home via a distance or online learning model leveraging technology programs. We

are committed to ensuring continuous and meaningful learning for all. You can feel confident that these e-learning days

will:

• Ensure equal access to the learning and required materials, including technology

• Support different learning and teaching needs, including the ability to provide differentiated instruction as well

as one-on-one support for students who need it

• Provide training to staff, students, and parents and guardians on how systems work and what expectations the

district has

• Support tracking of attendance for both students and staff

• Leverage only secure systems that will not allow for the release of protected student or staff information

Your child’s teacher will provide additional details about how learning will continue. Because of the magnitude of this

decision, I ask that you please reach out to your building principal with individual requests and needs. They will serve as

the first contacts for funneling communications throughout the district.

We are committed to providing you with timely and accurate updates on the best recommendations and guidance from

our public health authorities. We’ll continue monitoring the situation weekly and proceed on a week-by-week basis.

In the meantime, we encourage everyone to access the latest, most accurate information about COVID-19 from the

World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public) and

the CDC (www.cdc.gov/covid-19).

Sincerely,

XXX

[School/District Website Link]

Dear Teachers and Staff,

Thank you for your continued patience during this evolving situation. As with all our work, student and staff safety is our

highest priority. Due to recent events with the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States, we are taking

the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of illness.

As we negotiate this uncharted territory, we believe that the time has come for our district community to make an

important decision.

[School closure details with list of specific sites and dates affected]

Great care and research went into this decision; however, we regret the hardships this will cause for some of our

families. At this time, we believe that is the right step to take for the health and safety of our families, employees, and

the community at large — especially to protect our students and employees who are immunosuppressed or at greater

risk due to age and other reasons.

We are prepared to transition from the classroom to the cloud, to move teaching and learning beyond the four walls of

the classroom during this time of need. In order to continue to cultivate positive, productive learning environments for

our students, the following expectations should be met:

• Continue to leverage familiar online tools for continuous ongoing learning. These include, but are not limited to:

[list digital programs here]

• Communicate clearly and regularly with students. This could include sending emails to summarize learning,

sending recorded videos, engaging with students via chat, or holding online video “office hours”.

• Check in to provide progress and support meaningful engagement via assignment feedback, posting of grades,

and other practices already used by teacher today.

As this situation evolves, we are committed to providing you with timely and accurate updates on the best

recommendations and guidance from our public health authorities. We’ll continue monitoring the situation weekly and

proceed on a week-by-week basis.

In the meantime, we encourage everyone to access the latest, most accurate information about COVID-19 from the

World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public) and

the CDC (www.cdc.gov/covid-19).

Sincerely,

XXX

[School/District Website Link]

Letter Template:

We’ve put together three letter templates specically for communicating about closures related

to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). These are available in Microsoft Word so that you can

customize them for your specic needs.

Download
Save PDF to desktop

Email
Email completed PDF

Send for Signing
Email for others to sign

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