Rockwall ISD Board of Trustees hosts work session

ROCKWALL, TX – December 8, 2020 – The following is a summary of the Rockwall ISD Board of Trustees Work Session Meeting on Monday, December 7, 2020:

NOTE: Board meeting summaries highlight different agenda items due to limited audience opportunities at Board meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Board meeting videos are available for viewing within 24-hours of the meeting at www.rockwallisd.com. No action was taken at this Work Session by the Board of Trustees.

Commitment to Change Results for Spring 2021 In-Person and Remote Learning

The Board of Trustees reviewed the preliminary 3rd grading period in-person and remote learning results submitted by parents. The Spring 2021 semester will begin Wednesday, January 6. Moving forward, the District and campus administration will plan for two learning models: in-person 5-days a week (not hybrid) or remote learning for high school students. Safety for students, teachers, and staff continues to be the priority, and our goal is to ensure that we are doing all we can as we plan for the return of students in-person 5-days a week at our high schools.

Spring 2021 Planning for In-Person and Remote Learning

District leadership presented information regarding the planning currently underway for the Spring 2021 semester. The plan includes consideration of staff and teacher responses to the Spring 2021 Instructional Planning Survey for Campus Staff that was conducted in October.

Final plans for grades PK-12 will be presented to the Board of Trustees at their monthly meeting on December 14. Planning items discussed this evening include:

• Procedures for Social Distancing: Lunch procedures, one-way hallways, staggered passing and dismissal periods, shuttle buses to the Dr. Gene Burton College and Career Academy, and training for all in-person students upon their return.
• Remote Learning: Per Texas Education Agency guidelines, the cancelling of remote learning for students in grades PK-12 who have an average of 70 or below in a course or have attendance concerns. Synchronous (live) learning will still be available each class period, every day for remote high school students.
• Chromebooks: Any student who needs a device can request one through onlinecampuslearning@rockwallisd.org. New shipments of Chromebooks will provide enough laptops in each classroom for all in-person students.
• Substitutes: Currently, the District fill rate averages 80%. The District is investigating solutions to assist substitute pool fill rates.
• Attendance: Students who select in-person learning must be physically present in a classroom with a teacher to be considered present. For an in-person learner placed in quarantine due to a close contact or positive COVID-19 test to be counted present, the student will adhere to the remote instruction attendance procedures per the 2020-2021 grading guidelines.
• Safety of Students and Staff: Desk shield will continue to be utilized, deep cleaning will continue at all campuses, PPE items and increased mitigation procedures will be in place for the spring semester.
• Professional Learning Days: Consider the addition of four professional learnings days to the Spring 2021 calendar to provide more planning time for teachers:

o Friday, January 29
o Friday, February 26
o Friday, March 26
o Friday, April 16

Spring 2021 Calendar Amendments for Professional Development Days

Teachers and staff expressed a strong desire for more team collaboration and lesson planning time in the Spring 2021 Instructional Planning Survey for Campus Staff conducted in October. Dr. Kelvin Story, Chief of Student Services, presented an amendment proposal to the approved 2020-2021 school calendar, including four additional staff development days in the spring, allowing teachers and staff to participate in professional learning/planning days. If the days are approved for professional development at the monthly Board of Trustees meeting on December 14, students would not have school on the following days:

o Friday, January 29
o Friday, February 26
o Friday, March 26
o Friday, April 16

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