It will be important to the State of Minnesota that schools keep accurate attendance records. Completion and participation of daily assignments in Seesaw/Schoology will indicate “attendance” at the instructional setting established by the District and teachers will continue to enter attendance in Campus. Other means of checking “attendance” for younger students will be communicated to parents via Seesaw, and they will require parent cooperation.

• Please read more details about checking attendance during Distance Learning from the School Attendance Matters (SAM) team.  

In a Distance Learning environment, teachers will continue to monitor students learning and adjust instruction to meet their needs.

Schoology and Seesaw both have grading features and allow students to receive feedback on their assignments. Individual teachers will be responsible for grading the work of their students and recording those grades.

Grading and assessments may be modified for the students, but it is intended that this model of delivery (distance learning) will meet state guidelines for student credit. Some adjustments have been made to secondary grading to accommodate missed instruction at the end of quarter 3. Students will receive our standard report cards at the end of the school year. 

• 6-8 Grading Adjustment Letter to Staff
• 9-12 Grading Adjustment Letter to Staff

The SPPS curriculum incorporates lessons in digital citizenship at all grade levels.

Our website, Digital Citizenship: A Manual for SPPS Educators, provides guidance for the Distance Learning environment we are implementing.

We encourage families to take advantage of the resources linked there.

The Office of Multilingual Learning commits to providing EL services to the greatest extent possible during this time.

Please see the SPPS Elementary English Learner model and Secondary model for EL Distance Learning. Additional information is available at MDE Guidance on Distance Learning Considerations for ELs.

In a distance learning environment, EL services may include a combination of options below:

• Accommodating general education assignments to meet student needs
• Providing scaffolded on-line assignments 
• Scheduling time to connect online with your students regarding assignments
• Providing direct service to students via a system such as Schoology or SeeSaw
• Developing choice boards for students to work on Language learning goals 
• Providing consistent communication during this time to support students and families

Project REACH is an SPPS shelter and street-based program that promotes school stability and academic success of homeless children and youth. We serve PreK and school age children in temporary housing situations.

 Click Here for to search for REACH Staff Assigned to Support Families Organized by: 

• Shelter Assignment 
• Alphabet of Parent’s Last Name
• Social Work Support By School 

Saint Paul Public Schools REACH team will connect with families and youth currently identified as homeless, to monitor their needs and living situations during times of school closure or distance learning, and to assist them in accessing services.

REACH staff will also be available to work with schools and agencies to identify and verify families and youth who are experiencing homelessness to ensure they can access all necessary resources.

Verification of Homelessness and Referring Students for Support:

SPPS Staff:

• The REACH and Foster Care database are not accessible outside of the district server. Therefore, using email or cell phones is the best way to stay in contact. REACH staff will be available during this time and will have access to the database and cell phone.
• School staff can email Anne McInerney if a family reaches out due to recent homelessness, or if they have needs.  Anne will contact the family and connect with REACH staff. 

Families: 

• If you are a family experiencing homelessness and need additional supports:
• Many resources are available on our REACH website. This site will be updated regularly. 
• Please contact our Homeless Liaison Anne McInerney if you need additional support (anne.mcinerney@spps.org (651) 231-0404).  

Access to Additional Food: 

• REACH staff can be available to identified McKinney Vento families if they need to access the REACH food shelf or other supplies during this time. 
• Saint Paul Public Schools has a meal delivery plan. Details are here. 

Delivery of Ipads and Connection to Internet:

• REACH staff will pick up iPads from schools for at Mary’s Place, Family Service Center and Interfaith Action Day Center and deliver to those students. 
• REACH staff have talked to all the shelters about internet availability and providing SPPS hot spots when needed.
• Community Resources will be shared as we are updated. Information about food shelf, internet access, other available resources will be available on the Project REACH website 

Please contact anne.mcinerney@spps.org (651) 231-0404 with any questions you may have.

Indian Education will continue to provide culturally based services and support for our students and their families, this may also extend outside our communities and nations.

Indian Education will:

• Engage American Indian students in online language and cultural groups
• Engage American Indian students in online SEL groups in a culturally responsive manner
• Engage American Indian students in online college and career exploration groups
• Engage American Indian students in online chemical-use prevention groups
• Engage American Indian Families in online cultural programming
• Develop and offer professional development for SPPS staff
• Serve as a bridge between American Indian students/families and the school district

There will be cases when teachers are unable to teach on a given day, and alternate instruction will be provided. The instructional plan will continue to be in place even when the teacher assigned to the students is unavailable. If there is no replacement teacher available on a given day, parents will be notified of that situation and the options for continuing instruction.

In the event that the technology used to deliver instruction does not adequately meet the requirements of Minnesota statutes, alternative solutions will be implemented.

In the event that the District’s plan for using iPads/Schoology/Seesaw does not sufficiently meet District expectations or Minnesota statutory requirements, the District would need to extend the school year beyond the scheduled last day of school long enough to meet State requirements. 

There is a small difference in the number of the District’s scheduled days in session and the statutory requirement for time in session, and that would enable the District to meet some of the time away from school without making up time. It is not possible to estimate before a closure event how much time would be required to make up days required by law.

SPPS has developed materials for educators to support the transition to Distance Learning.  Resources available through Schoology include Distance Learning guides and professional development courses. See PDExpress to register, pdexpress.spps.org. Content area specialists are providing information that helps adjust standards and instruction to the new learning environment and school calendar. 

• Approved apps and websites
• All apps and websites accessing student data must be approved for content quality and security guidelines. 
• Staff should not add students, data and information to free accounts or resources not approved through the SPPS App Approval Process.
• Google Meet Guidelines
• Updates from the Office of Teaching and Learning, including links for content area resources
• Updates from the Office of Early Learning
• SPPS Virtual Library and Library Go 
• Employee Assistance Program

SPPS will apply our Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Framework as we transition to Distance Learning.  Please see SEL activities during prep for Distance Learning for recommendations to maintain and strengthen relationships between staff and students as we all prepare for new ways to offer classes and engage in learning.

SPPS Support Services Staff are ready to continue to provide high quality service to students, families and staff using our SPPS Distance Learning platforms. Through direct services to students as well as collaboration and consultation with other educators, families, and community partners, we will provide proactive and responsive support to meet the needs of our community. 

Social Workers 

• School social workers provide direct social/emotional instruction and counseling services to students in the distance setting while collaborating with educators to eliminate barriers so all students can continue to make progress. 
• School social workers connect community resources to families based on need and are sharing information about self-care and support during the Covid-19 pandemic with both educators and families.

School Counselors

• School counselors working in a virtual setting provide a school counseling program through the use of technology and distance counseling with the same standards and adherence to ethics as school counselors working in traditional school settings. (American School Counselor Association)
• Focus on academic success, career and college readiness as well as social emotional support
• Working with each developmental level to provide core counseling curriculum for all, and individualized counseling support
• For detailed information: SPPS Distance Counseling

Health Start clinics at Como Park Senior High School, Harding Senior High School and Gordon Parks High School will remain open for well-care, nutrition support, mental health support and health education during the school closure. The clinics provide a space for youth who feel healthy to have their preventive and emotional needs met. Information about the clinics is posted on the district’s Coronavirus website, spps.org/covid

Students with Individual Education Plans (IEP) or Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) & 504 Plans

The District will ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, each student with a disability can be provided the special education and related services identified in the student’s IEP or IFSP developed under IDEA, or a plan developed under Section 504. (34 CFR §§ 300.101 and 300.201 (IDEA), and 34 CFR § 104.33 (Section 504).

• View the Office of Specialized Services Model for Distance Learning for details. 

In a distance learning environment, special education services and 504 supports may include a combination of options below:

• Co-teaching and designing assignments with general education teachers
• Adapting and/ or modifying general education assignments to meet student needs
• Providing adaptive on-line assignments 
• Scheduling time to connect via a telecommunication system with students regarding assignments
• Providing direct instructional/therapeutic service to students via a telecommunication system
• Developing choice boards for students to work on goals 
• Providing regular email communications to parents/ guardians to support student special educational needs. 
• Special Ed. IEP Team or 504 meetings with families will be done virtually. *trained interpreters will be available to support communication with families

Special Education Supervisors and Coaches will be supporting special educators when designing and supporting Distance Learning Plans for students in special education. For questions, visit our website.