Summer Learning and Planning for the Reopening of Schools

- News and Announcements

Day 67 — Summer Learning

This week is the start of the traditional summer break. It is usually a time when students, staff and parents all kick into summer mode, take things a little slower and maybe take a vacation or a few days away. 

For us at ACPS, the first week of the summer break is a little different this year. We are using it to reimagine our preparations and planning for potential ways to reopen our schools in the fall. Our efforts are focused on two key areas: mitigating the learning loss so our students are not overwhelmed by their classes in the fall, and preparing for the reopening of schools — a mammoth task and one that requires us all to live with uncertainty until at least early August, when we should have a clearer picture about the model or models we will need to adopt to ensure all of our students are engaged in the social, emotional and academic learning supports they need to succeed. The start of school is almost certainly going to look different this school year and we need to be prepared for those changes ahead.

Today’s edition is focused on these two critical aspects of our summer work. ACPS Express will continue throughout the summer, but from now on we will have just one edition per week. Each Wednesday morning we will share news, announcements and decisions from the Board meetings; information about summer learning; and information about the reopening planning process. Please keep an eye out for ACPS Express in your inbox as this is where we will be sharing every aspect of our reopening planning process so that we can collect your feedback and ensure the plans we are putting in place work for all of our students, families, staff and community partners.

In the meantime, take a little break before summer learning starts on July 6. Stay safe, stay healthy — and we will definitely keep you informed throughout the summer! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools

Mark Your Calendar for the Start of Summer Learning

During this unprecedented time, ACPS is offering every student the opportunity to expand or refine their learning by providing summer learning through engagement and enrichment. 

Learning loss due to COVID-19 is real. NWEA, a nonprofit organization that develops and offers student assessments, estimates that students may return to school in the fall (in-person, or virtually) with roughly 70% of the learning gains in reading relative to a typical school year. In mathematics, students are likely to show much smaller learning gains, returning with less than 50% of the learning gains and in some grades, nearly a full year behind what we would observe in normal conditions.

To tackle this learning loss, ACPS is offering summer opportunities that will include virtual asynchronous and synchronous learning, learning kits, and enrichment in the arts. The educational programming will include the necessary support for students with disabilities, English learners, and talented and gifted students.

Summer Learning will be offered Monday through Thursday from July 6, 2020 through July 31, 2020. We are encouraging all students to participate in Summer Learning. The majority of summer learning programs are free and open to all. Find more information on the ACPS-At-Home website.

See our “Summer Learning for All, Explained!” video for more information:

Planning for the Reopening of Schools

A couple of weeks ago, the Virginia Department of Education released guidelines on the reopening of schools. Teams across ACPS have been analyzing this guidance and assessing what it could mean for ACPS in the fall.

Northern Virginia has been opening at a different pace than other parts of the state and we will almost certainly need to have contingency plans in place in case our buildings have to remain closed past September. We are looking at three possible models: a traditional opening which most likely will not be an option; continuing with a fully virtual model of learning with refinements based on feedback from students, staff and families; and multiple scenarios for a hybrid of the two to meet social gathering and social distancing guidelines.

Given the guidance from the Virginia Department of Education, it is already highly unlikely that we will be able to fully open our schools in the usual way in the fall. This is going to require flexibility from all of us. There are so many unknowns out there that we need to work through before we can decide on the best options for our students, families, staff and community partners in the fall. Please offer us some grace during this unprecedented time. We will share any new information as we get it.

You can find all the details about our reopening schools planning process on the ACPS-at-Home website under the Update Center tab.

The process to define plans for the reopening of our schools is multi-step. It involves:

  • Collecting guidance from our Thought Partners: a group of key leaders from the city, citywide community groups and ACPS staff.    
  • Collaborating with other school divisions in the Northern Virginia region to ensure alignment across key areas.
  • Five ACPS Cross-Functional Planning Teams, who utilize guidance provided by the Thought Partners and the Virginia Department of Education and establish plans to implement under the three models (shared above). Each of the five areas will have representatives from the following key stakeholder groups: student, staff, parent and community partners. This work is coordinated across the school division by team leads.
  • Feedback focus groups. It will be essential to have focus groups of principals, staff, students, parents and community partners to ensure we are addressing the needs of all students and that all concerns are addressed prior to implementation.
  • Feedback via question and answer webinars with the superintendent and a feedback form, so that we can hear from staff, students, parents and community partners before finalizing the model we will be adopting in the fall.

Want to follow along? All meetings are being recorded and posted to the Reopening Schools Planning Timeline page on the ACPS-at-Home website.

In the meantime, we want to share some key dates for your calendar so that you can be involved at every step of the way in the planning process for the reopening of schools.

Friday, June 26: An outline of the planning process and potential models will be shared with the School Board at noon. Watch the meeting live via the School Board Meetings webpage.

Wednesday, July 1: A summary of the planning process shared at the School Board meeting on June 26 will be shared with you in ACPS Express. This will include a link to watch the section of the School Board meeting that includes the reopening of schools planning process presentation.

July 6 – July 13: Focus groups of ACPS staff, parents, students and community partners will be held to review the proposed options for the fall.

July 6 – July 13: Webinars will be held and feedback collected from the public around the opening of schools.

Friday, July 17: An update on the progress of the ACPS Cross-Functional Planning Teams will be shared at the School Board special meeting. Watch the meeting live via the School Board Meetings webpage.

Wednesday, July 22: A summary of the work being done by the ACPS Cross-Functional Planning Teams will be shared with you in ACPS Express. This will include a link to watch the section of the School Board meeting that includes the reopening of schools planning process presentation from the July 17 meeting.

Friday, August 7: The draft plans for reporting to the Virginia Department of Education will be shared with the public, and focus groups of ACPS staff, parents, students and community partners will be held to review the proposed options for the fall. An overview of the potential models and work completed so far by the ACPS Cross-Functional Planning Teams will be presented to the School Board at noon. Watch the meeting live via the School Board Meetings webpage.

Wednesday, August 12: The final plan for the reopening of schools in the fall will be shared with you in ACPS Express. Frequently Asked Questions will also be provided to help you understand what the plan means for you and your child(ren).

In addition to these key milestones, there will be weekly updates in ACPS Express. 

Your Questions Answered About the Reopening of Schools 

In the last Q&A, Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. answered questions about the guidance provided by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to help schools when planning for the reopening of schools in the fall. Read the Virginia Department of Education guidance (PDF) in full. 

Dr. Hutchings addressed your questions on:

  • Does the Governor expect all students to go back to school buildings on the first day of school?
  • What is the state guidance and what does state planning look like for reopening school buildings?
  • How is the VDOE recommending we ensure equity in our reopening plans?
  • What are the VDOE recommendations regarding the timeline for reopening schools?
  • Is ACPS planning for a reopening that is in line with these VDOE recommendations?
  • Is the VDOE recommending summer school?

Watch both Q&A videos or see answers to these questions in the updated FAQ. 

More information, including the FAQs, is available on the Reopening Planning section of the ACPS-at-Home website under the Update Center tab.

Celebrating Our Retirees

It’s that time of year when we wish some of our employees goodbye and good luck as they begin the next stage of their lives. The ceremony was a virtual one this year. Watch now:

Important Information for 10- and 11-Month Employees

Friday, June 26, 2020 is the last date for 10- and 11-month employees to make any changes to their summer payroll (July 15, July 31, August 15, August 31) for any of the following deductions:

  • Federal/state taxes
  • Direct deposit accounts
  • TSA 403(b) and 457 contributions
  • EAA withholding
  • Credit union deductions

Any changes to your summer mailing address should also be sent to Human Resources or completed on Employee Self Service (ESS) by June 26 as well. Any changes made to your 403(b) and/or 457 contribution during the periods of July and August will be reflected in your first payroll for the 2020-21 school year.

If you wish to make any of the above mentioned changes for the 2020-21 school year, you may submit the new forms to payroll at any time during the school year. The deadline of June 26, 2020 is only applicable to the pay periods of July and August.

Please feel free to contact the Payroll Office if you have any questions.

Our Second Pulse Survey Results Are Here

We received 10,631 responses to our second pulse survey between June 8 and June 14: 1,684 from staff, 3,434 from students, and 5,513 from parents. The survey received almost 1,200 parent responses in languages other than English, up from 700 in the first pulse survey in May.

There was a high overall satisfaction with social and emotional support provided by ACPS, but instruction, school connections, teacher/school communication, and the social and emotional health of stakeholders continue to need focus.

Areas of strength:

  • Parents (78%), students (85%) and staff (80%) continued to report a high level of satisfaction with instructional and academic supports. 
  • The majority of parents (74%), students (75%) and staff (83%) were also satisfied with social and emotional supports, although these declined slightly between the two surveys. 
  • Staff (82%) and students (72%) continue to manage their stress well.

Areas of continued focus: 

Second round results were largely the same as the first round. Areas of focus identified in the first round (primarily student engagement) did not improve between surveys #1 and #2, and in fact slightly declined. 

  • Teachers reported less student engagement in the second round, with 63% reporting that less than half of their students engaged in class within the last week (compared with 54% in round 1). 
  • The feeling of connectedness between families and teachers also declined (74% to 70% for students feeling connected to teachers, 81% to 74% for parents feeling connected to the school, and 68% to 63% for teachers feeling connected to students.)

The results are being used to assist with the implementation of the summer learning plan (3.0) and planning for the reopening of school (4.0). 

Data will be shared with the Reopening Cross-Functional Planning Teams, including results from open-ended comments from participants on what ACPS should focus on to make them feel comfortable returning to school. Data is also being used to investigate and highlight any inequities.

The full report will be posted to the ACPS-at-Home website as soon as it is available. 

Watch Friday’s Board Meeting 

During the School Board meeting on Friday, the Alexandria City School Board affirmed their stand against racism on Juneteenth by signing a resolution condemning systemic racism and affirming a commitment to educational equity for all students, families and staff.

The School Board voted unanimously to approve the resolution on Juneteenth — the day known as Freedom Day, which honors the ending of slavery in the United States.

The Board also discussed: 

  • Educational Facilities summer projects
  • The calendar revision for the 2020-21 school year for Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School
  • The adoption of the new social studies textbooks
  • The results from the second COVID-19 pulse survey

If you missed it live, you can still watch it. Watch the School Board meeting and see the agenda.

Information on how to give feedback to the School Board can be found on the School Board Meetings webpage.

Important Food Access Changes for July 4 Weekend

Meal distribution locations and pop up sites will not operate on Friday, July 3, ahead of the Independence Day holiday. However, additional meals will be provided on Wednesday, July 1 to cover the following holiday period. The normal meal distribution service will resume on Monday, July 6. 

NEW! ACPS has added an additional weekend meal to our program. Meals distributed on Fridays at all meal distribution locations and pop up sites will cover Friday, Saturday and now Sunday meals.

ACPS’ current food distribution model will remain the same throughout the summer until August 21, 2020.

For all information on food distribution, see the Food Access page on the ACPS-at-Home website.

Temperature Screening at ACPS Buildings

Anyone requiring access to an ACPS facility or school will be required to undergo a temperature check to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Testing stations will be established at seven locations, at or close to ACPS meal distribution sites and locations where major summer construction will take place. Screening will take no more than three minutes to complete and will involve the use of a clinical forehead thermometer.

All those with a temperature of 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower (per Alexandria Health Department guidelines) will be given a dated wristband and be cleared to work as long as they are in possession of appropriate personal protection equipment consisting of masks and gloves.

Should an individual record an elevated temperature, that person will be informed that they are unable to report to work at an ACPS site and will be advised to call his or her supervisor.

Find out more about this measure in this Board Brief.

WANT TO HELP?

Please consider donating through ACT For Alexandria and the COVID-19 Response Fund if you are able. 

Community members who would like to volunteer should reach out to www.volunteeralexandria.org or 703-836-2176 to register for any additional potential volunteer opportunities.

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

Continuity of School Support and Academic Advisement

School Student Support Team staff, including school counselors, school nurses, school psychologists, and school social workers will be available during school hours throughout the closure. Monday — Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. staff will be connecting with students and their families. The Department of Student Services, Alternative Programs and Equity staff members are also available during this time and can be contacted by voicemail and at student_services@acps.k12.va.us.

Emergency Supports

If there is a crisis or emergency during the time of the closure, students and families can access the supports below:

We know that this is a challenging time. ACPS will continue to share information through the ACPS website, social media, and email. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your student’s school counselor or school social worker with any questions.

HEALTH REMINDERS

Don’t Feel Well?
Contact your primary health care physician.

Have questions, concerns or feedback? Contact us or contact your direct supervisor.

HR Questions? Contact hr@acps.k12.va.us.

Stay Healthy!
Wash your hands regularly. Regular soap is OK.