Early Learning
The New York State Education Department鈥檚 (小妲己直播) Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Early Learning (CIEL) has compiled the following answers to questions collected from the field regarding 小妲己直播鈥檚 July 2020 School Reopening Guidance: Recovering, Rebuilding and Renewing the Spirit of New York鈥檚 Schools (鈥渞eopening guidance鈥).
- Scheduling
- Unit of Study/Instruction/Unit of Credit
- Academic Intervention Services
- Arts
- Physical Education
- Athletics
- Science Labs
- CTE
Scheduling
Unit of Study/Instruction/Credit Requirements
- meaningful and frequent interaction with an appropriately certified teacher;
- academic and other supports designed to meet the needs of the individual student; and
- instructional content that reflects academic expectations consistent with those which would be required for in-person instruction.
- completing online modules or tasks;
- viewing instructional videos;
- responding to posts or instructor questions;
- engaging with other class participants in an online or phone discussion;
- conducting research; 飩 doing projects; or
- meeting with an instructor face to face, via an online platform, or by phone.
Q4.听The reopening guidance states, 鈥淎ny alternative instructional experience must include meaningful feedback on student assignments and methods of tracking student engagement.鈥 How can educators provide meaningful feedback when they鈥檙e not engaged in in-person instruction?
A. Meaningful feedback can be provided whether students are engaged in in-person, remote, or hybrid (combination of in-person and remote) instruction. For example, a teacher may provide meaningful feedback by physically marking students鈥 work and returning it to them when in-person (if engaged in a hybrid approach), or via a delivery system established by the district or a digital platform, phone, email or text (if engaged in remote instruction).
Q5.听The reopening guidance states, 鈥淎ny alternative instructional experience must include meaningful feedback on student assignments and methods of tracking student engagement.鈥 How might educators and schools track students鈥 engagement in alternative instructional experiences?
A. Students鈥 engagement in alternative instructional experiences can be tracked by recording students鈥 inclusion in any instructional experience, including, but not limited to, time spent:听
- completing online modules or tasks;
- viewing instructional videos;
- responding to posts or instructor questions;
- engaging with other class participants in an online or phone discussion;
- conducting research;
- doing projects; or
- meeting with an instructor face to face, via an online platform, or by phone.
Q6. Do students need to participate in a specific number of minutes of instruction in order to earn a unit of credit?
A. The unit of study requirement of 180 minutes of instruction per week, or the equivalent, represents the educational opportunity provided for students鈥 engagement in a course of study. While schools should consider the time requirement of 180 minutes of instruction/week as a benchmark for comparison when designing and delivering aligned to the commencement level standards in alternative modalities, the instructional priority should be to prepare students to meet the learning outcomes for the course. It is required that students have substantive interaction with a certified teacher so that their learning is supported. Actual time spent to meet the learning outcomes may vary by student. Any student who achieves the learning outcomes for the course must be granted the unit of credit for such course, if applicable.
Q7. What should be considered when designing quality remote instruction?
A. Remote instruction must be thoughtfully and strategically designed and will vary based upon available resources, and both student and teacher access to technological tools and connectivity. When designing the instruction that will be delivered remotely, schools should strive to provide an educational program that is comparable to that which students would have received if they were in attendance at the school building. The following questions should be considered when designing remote instruction:听
- Is the remote instruction standards-based?
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Are all instruction, curriculum materials, assignments and projects based on the NYS learning standards?
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Is the remote instruction student-centered and differentiated to meet individual students鈥needs?
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Does the provided instruction support students鈥 prior knowledge?
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Is the provided instruction designed to progress learning?
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Are students鈥 personal circumstances, level of home support, knowledge oftechnology, materials and access to connectivity and devices considered?
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Does the provided instruction accentuate student voice and choice?
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听Is the remote instruction interactive?
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Are there ample opportunities for students to connect and communicate with teachers and peers, utilizing one or more of the following:
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email,
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text,
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exchange of written, audio, or visual communication (i.e., mail exchange,transfer of data storage device, etc.),
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phone calls and teleconferencing, and/or
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real-time video conferencing?
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Does the remote instruction include personalized feedback to inform students of theirprogress, support students toward meeting the intended learning outcomes, and guidefuture instruction?
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Is teacher feedback provided on independent and group assignments?
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Are there opportunities to provide and receive peer feedback?
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Do students have opportunities to self-assess their learning?
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Are students provided opportunities or methods to seek support from teachers,as needed?
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Do teachers provide and allow time for reflective questioning during live discussion groups?
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Academic Intervention Services (AIS)
- Developmental reading assessments;
- Benchmark and lesson embedded assessments;
- Common formative assessments;
- Unit and lesson assessments;
- Results of psychoeducational evaluations; and
- Diagnostic screening for vision, hearing, and physical disabilities as well as screening for possible disabilities pursuant to Commissioner鈥檚 Regulations Part 117.听
Arts
- 听(Commissioner鈥檚 Regulations 搂100.4(c));
- 听(Commissioner鈥檚 Regulations 搂100.5(a) and (f)); and
- 听(Commissioner鈥檚 Regulations 搂100.2(h))
Physical Education
Q11.听What is meant by understanding that hybrid schedules may limit face-to-face class time with a certified Physical Education instructor?
A.听Instructional experiences in physical education shall include all learning experiences that are aligned with the New York State Physical Education Learning Standards. Such experiences are not limited to in person and/or screen time interaction but also include alternative instructional experiences under the guidance or direction of a certified physical education teacher. Any alternative instructional experience must include meaningful feedback on student assignments and methods of tracking student engagement. For听additional information on instructional experiences, reference question 3 of this FAQ.
While schools should consider the time requirement of instruction/week as a benchmark for comparison when designing and delivering instruction aligned to the commencement level standards, the instructional priority should be to prepare students to meet the learning outcomes for the course.听
Additional information on the inclusion of physical education in reopening plans can be referenced on pages 101-103 of the 小妲己直播鈥檚听Recovering, Rebuilding, and Renewing: The Spirit of New York鈥檚 Schools 鈥 Reopening Guidance.
Athletics
- ;
- New York State听; and
- New York State Education Department鈥檚听Recovering, Rebuilding, and Renewing: The Spirit of New York鈥檚 Schools 鈥 Reopening Guidance.
The following guidance also exists to support reopening of sports and recreation programs:
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- , Guidance as of June 12, 2020
- , Guidance as of June 12, 2020
Science/Laboratory Requirements
Q14.听What experiences can fulfill the laboratory requirements during the 2020-21 School Year?
A.听Per Commissioner鈥檚 Regulations 搂100.5(b)(7), courses that culminate in a Regents examination in science must include 1,200 minutes of laboratory experiences. Due to the possibility of a hybrid or fully remote model of instruction as a result of COVID-19, the 1,200- minute lab requirement can be met through hands-on laboratory experiences, virtual laboratory experiences, or a combination of virtual and hands-on laboratory experiences coupled with satisfactory lab reports for the 2020-21 school year. This laboratory requirement is in addition to the听course requirement and entitles a student to admission to a culminating Regents Exam.
Q15.听What is a school district鈥檚 responsibility regarding laboratory instruction during the COVID19 time period?
A.听The school district is responsible for aligning laboratory experiences specific to each science course; determining the mode or modes of instruction; and identifying a viable vetted list of acceptable virtual labs or a combination of virtual and hands-on labs that a student would need to complete for each science course that culminates in a Regents examination.听
Schools must determine a method for students to record laboratory experiences and satisfactory lab reports. In a virtual environment, emphasis should be placed on the quality of the experience and the satisfactory completion of each laboratory experience rather than the time spent in completing such laboratory experience. Any student who has completed all laboratory experiences in accordance with teacher expectations shall be deemed to have met the 1,200-minute requirement.
CTE
Q16.听As part of the reopening plans, our CTE Programs are planning to incorporate and adopt (as best possible) the industry standards now in place during this crisis for the corresponding program of study e.g., PPE, Social Distancing requirements, use of and cleansing of equipment & tools, etc. With that said, much of the industry standards pertain to the cleaning/sanitation of workspace, tools and equipment after employee use. Will CTE programs be allowed to continue to incorporate the sanitation and safety curriculum based on the program鈥檚 industry standards (which may lead to credentials and/or certifications,听i.e., ServSafe) that involve cleaning, sanitation and safety? (Ref: NYS Guidance Document, page 43: 鈥溾tudents will not be present when disinfectants are in use and should not participate in cleaning and/or disinfection activities鈥.鈥)
A.听CTE programs are allowed to continue to incorporate the sanitation and safety curriculum required of the program, and based on industry standards, that involve cleaning, sanitation, and safety. The reference cited, 小妲己直播 Reopening Guidance, page 43, focuses on school districts鈥/buildings鈥 cleaning protocols. If students are participating in CTE programs where cleaning and disinfection are skills being monitored and assessed (in some situations leading to credentials/certifications) within the context of curriculum, then schools/districts should continue to offer these opportunities to students under the supervision of appropriately certified staff and while adhering to all state and federal health and safety guidelines.
Additional information on science laboratory requirements can be referenced on pages 98- 99 of the 小妲己直播鈥檚听Recovering, Rebuilding, and Renewing: The Spirit of New York鈥檚 Schools 鈥 Reopening Guidance.