Academics Principal's Message
Week of March 23, 2020
Thank you for what you DO!
Office of the Chief Academic Officer
CIPD
ONLINE CLASSROOMS Please confirm that every teacher has set up their PowerSchool Learning (PSL) class by this Friday, March 27th. They are able to link to a different digital classroom (i.e. Google Classroom), but it must be posted on a PSL page to ensure that we can push out announcements to students. For the duration of school closure, most vendors have provided permission to post content and video using their purchased materials, so long as the posts are within a password-protected site. They do not permit the posting of an entire textbook or similar. PSL is PUSD's password-protected site.
ASSESSMENT In alignment with CDE's state assessment updates, the following PUSD local assessments will be adjusted: -
(K-5th) Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) - canceled -
(6-12th) Reading Inventory (HMRI) - canceled -
(K-12th) Science Benchmarks - canceled -
(K-8th) iReady Diagnostic 3 - canceled -
(DLIP) AAPPL - canceled -
(5th & 8th) Math Placement Test - postponed until students return to school
"Remote Learning - Timeline 2020" doc has been updated to include info on apps / tech, and a glossary of terms. Please read and share with teachers:
College and Career
Instructional Services
Please be on the lookout for the Stage 2 Guidelines that will need to be adhered to by all staff.
Course Codes Committee (Academics & ITS)
To: Secondary Administrators, Counselors, Registrars
From: Course Codes Committee (Academics & ITS)
Date: 1st notification November 8, 2019, 2nd Notification: March 25, 2020
Re: UC Submission Guidelines; Dual & Concurrent Enrollment
Guidelines for course submission to UC Course Management Portal (UC CMP)
For the 2020-21 school year and forward, new courses must be submitted to UC CMP during Phase I (Feb. 1 - May 31) for guaranteed review for coding.
Phase II (June 1 - July 31) should be limited to resubmissions that were not approved in Phase I.
Phase III (Aug. 1 - Sept. 15) should not be used, as it occurs during the 2020-21 school year.
Dual Enrollment
As you offer dual enrollment courses on your campuses, please communicate the following to parents and students:
Credit is guaranteed at CSU, UC, and universities with an articulation agreement (see attached list).
For any private or out-of-state universities not included in the articulation agreement, parents and students will need to contact the institution directly to determine if credit will be given.
Concurrent Enrollment
Please submit any College Course Credit forms (Spanish version) to the College & Career Pathways Dept. @ Ed Center, room 221 by December 18, 2019 for any courses taken.
This information will be used to ensure accurate College Career Indicator data for your students & school.
Registrars will be trained on the recording of this information in Spring 2020 so that future College Course Credit submissions can be input directly at the time of receipt, at the school site.
Arts and Enrichment
Department meetings by art form for secondary teachers are be conducted so that the teachers may share resources and best practices across schools for remote learning in the arts. GATE Enrichment activities and resources have been added to K-8 remote learning pages. These can be accessed directly by the students and parents, or teachers can link to them from their pages for specific activities. Updated guidelines for the GATE secondary review process will be communicated after spring break.
If you have already completed them, please scan and email Karen directly.
Principals Folder GATE (in drive) has secondary review information and GATE curricular resources
LADD
DELAC/ELAC: We will have our own DELAC meeting by next week, details forthcoming; you may hold your ELAC meetings remotely with your members, to be sure you are staying in compliance please follow the calendar of topics located in your LADD Google drive folder
State Seal of Biliteracy: 426 high school seniors are candidates for the state seal of biliteracy; of the total, 60 seniors met all state requirements; we will be working with your school counselors to identify the missing requirements for the remaining seniors, as well as assist counselors in checking identified senior transcripts for final eligibility
ELD Supplemental Resource - Our Scholastic resources for teachers in the classroom has been transitioned to on-line, providing students and families with an excellent form of support that can be accessed at all times; an email was sent out on the 13th of this month outlining Scholastic remote learning as were access codes that allowed further access; let us know if you need this resent-see below for attachments.
Reclassification recognition: EL students that reclassified this year will still be honored and awarded with a Reclassification trophy and Certificate of Accomplishment signed by Dr. McDonald; these will be ready for them when we return in May (should plans change on our return date, our department will ensure they are delivered to their homes)
Please reach out to us with any questions or concerns. Thank you.
Special Education
To: Special Education Staff and Principals
The purpose of this memo is to provide Special Education updates as this process is fluid and changing. The following information is based on information I am receiving from the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, California Department of Education, State SELPA Leadership, and legal consultation. All agencies have expressed the desire for school districts to provide services for our students. As a result, in support of the Executive Leadership Team, the Special Education Department provides the following information regarding IEP team meetings and IEP implementation. The Special Education Department is aligning remote learning processes to CIPD as described in www.gopusd.com/remote.
Stage 1: March 16-27, 2020
In my previous email dated March 16, 2020, I requested special education personnel to participate in the reinforcement of learning. I also asked service providers to continue holding IEP meetings and provide services remotely. As you can imagine since this is uncharted territory, a number of questions and concerns have been raised. I seek to clarify some of the questions and concerns.
I appreciate many teachers and service providers have already contacted families to offer support, consultation, services, collaboration, and hold IEP meetings.
Teachers should ensure PowerSchool Learning pages are created and students are accessing their pages. As move to Stage 2 after spring break, teachers and related service providers will need to prepare lessons for asynchronous instruction. Curriculum and delivery of instruction needs to be developed so all students can engage in distance learning.
Annual IEP meetings need to continue to be held as Federal IDEA regulations are continuing to be enforced. IEP meetings convened during the school closure will need to be held by alternate means of meeting participation. This may include but is not limited to meetings via video-conference, or other virtual platforms. A Parent and/or Guardian must agree to hold an IEP meeting by alternate means of participation, and the IEP meeting invitation should indicate “IEP held via virtual platform/telephonically/video-conference/etc.” The IEP team will need to document present levels, progress towards goals, baselines, new proposed goals, services, accommodations, and offer of FAPE. The offer of FAPE should be the team’s offer if school was in session.
If an IEP team has completed all assessments for a triennial/initial/kinder transition, an IEP meetings also should be convened.
We cannot “force” Parents and/or Guardians to consent to hold IEP team meetings by alternate means of meeting participation. If the Parent/Guardian does not agree, an IEP meeting will need to be scheduled after school resumes. Attempts to schedule/convene IEP team meetings should be documented.
If an interpreter is required, please email Gig Phoong at phoong.gig@pusd.us. This service is being coordinated by Mr. Juan Ruelas in the LADD office.
IEP meetings will not be scheduled during spring break March 30, 2020 to April 3, 2020 or during “B Mondays.” At this time, no meetings should be held at school sites. The purpose for school closure is to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
Special Education Coordinators and TOSAs will be available to guide school teams in navigating this new process for virtual learning, IEP development and meetings, and provision of services. This week the Special Education Department is developing a Resource Guide to assist case carriers and service providers with these processes. The Resource Guide will include directions and suggestions for: determining service provision, developing an amendment IEP to document services during school closure, sample IEP invitations, and suggestions for obtaining signature pages.
I anticipate the team will continue to add to the Resource Guide during school closure.
Teachers and service providers will need to review their caseloads and we prepare to provide services in Stage 2. Some considerations should be as follows: 1) the type of services you can provide; 2) delivery model; 3) frequency; 4) student needs; 5) student’s ability to access remote learning; 6) overall caseload. The goal of the services being provided during the school closure is to provide a level of services and support during school closure and to prevent regression of skills. Please note that it may not be the same for every student depending on their needs and ability to access the services and education benefit from the services. Special Education Coordinators and TOSAs will be reaching out to case carriers and service providers to assist.
Stage 2: April 6-17, 2020
During Stage 2, teachers will be providing lessons and instructions for asynchronous learning. For example, please refer to www.gopusd.com/remote.
Simultaneously in Stage 2, teachers will begin planning for synchronous instruction which will begin after April 20th.
The team will need to create an amendment IEP to document the services that will be provided during school closure. This offer of services is NOT considered FAPE. When school resumes, the offer of free and appropriate public education will resume. An amendment may be able to be held as a non-meeting amendment, however, if a parent elects to hold an IEP meeting to discuss services the IEP team will schedule a meeting.
IEP meetings convened during the school closure will need to be held by alternate means of meeting participation. This may include but is not limited to meetings via video-conference, or other virtual platforms.
As soon as amendments have Parent/Guardian consent, teachers and service providers will begin services.
Stage 3: April 20-May 5, 2020
During Stage 3, teachers are providing synchronous instruction and interacting with students on a routine basis via online classroom and interactive apps. Lessons and assignments will reflect Scope and Sequence. Student work will also be collected and feedback will be provided by teachers.
Ongoing provision of services will continue.
Additional Information:
PUSD’s Chief Technology Officer and legal counsel have confirmed that using the Google Hangout-Meet platform meets the requirements for privacy laws. It is the District’s expectation that if you are providing services to a student or participating in an IEP meeting from home, you will have a designated location that allows for privacy.
It is essential that teachers and related service providers document in SEIS Service Tracker or Paradigm. This includes, but is not limited to the date, type of service, duration, skill areas/IEP goals worked on, etc.
When the District re-opens, IEP teams will need to determine whether individual students require compensatory education services to address any regression due to the closure. We will provide you with updated information regarding this process at a later date.
Assessment timelines for triennials and initials are suspended since we are out of school for over 5 days. The timeline will resume when school reopens. At this time, we are not conducting standardized assessments (i.e KTEA, CAS-2, etc.) This may change depending on the length of school closure. Although Statewide Assessments (i.e. CAASPP, etc.) have been suspended, IEP teams are allowed to continue assessing students for eligibility. If we decide to use virtual platforms to conduct assessments, I will be providing information in the future.
It is important to acknowledge we are doing the best we can to support our students during this time of crisis. These are not ideal provisions of service, but we want to support families during this time. Thank you for your commitment to our students as we work through these challenges.
State and Federal Programs
Innovative Technology Services
CWAS Updates
PSS incidents (typically an alleged threat to self or others) will continue to be monitored.
Responding to a student at their place of residence will be Metro Patrol. Metro Patrol will conduct the preliminary assessment.
If the incident is a viable threat, Metro Patrol coordinates with the local law enforcement agency to respond in order to complete a thorough threat assessment.
CWAS social workers will do any necessary follow up.
Metro Patrol Contact:
Chief Perez, 562-888-3788