Olney ISD Updates for 2020-2021 School Year
This will be the first of several documents we post as we continue to plan for the 2020-2021 school year. Subsequent postings will cover each aspect of school operation such as health protocols, extracurricular activities, and transportation of students. We continue to appreciate your patience as our entire staff works at systematically addressing the issues associated with Covid-19 and the resulting guidelines and mandates from the State, the Texas Education Agency, and the University Interscholastic League. Below are our initial remote/online instructional guidelines.
This plan is as of July 22, 2020 and can change as a result of guidance from the federal, state, and/or local governmental entities, local health authorities, Olney ISD Administrative staff, or the Olney ISD Board of Trustees.
For the 2020-2021 school year Olney ISD will offer parents the options of either daily face-to-face instruction or online (virtual) instructional delivery. Parents must contact the school during scheduled registrations, or at any time prior to 4:00 pm Friday, August 7, 2020 to indicate their preference. We encourage parents to contact campus administrators as soon as possible. This will be of great help as we plan for the 2020-2021 school year,
On Campus Learning: In the school building, Honors/Pre-AP/AP courses, Daily temperature checks, Social distancing to the extent possible, Extracurricular activities,
Remote Learning: 100% online learning at home, Honors/Pre-AP/AP (with synchronous components), Daily login and access 8:00 am-3:45 pm, Reliable internet required. At this time no extracurricular activities. Health concerns requiring remote learning would indicate that a student is not able to participate in extracurricular activities where exposure might be greater.
Olney ISD’s Remote/Online Instruction Learning Model will require support from adults at home and within the online/remote classroom environment during regular school operating hours. Courses and course content will ensure that students continue learning at the pace of the current Olney ISD scope and sequence and continue to gain appropriate academic growth. Whether face-to-face or virtual, parents are required to opt in by 6-weeks grading period. Changes from one method to another must be requested at least two weeks prior to the end of each 6 weeks.
Through the Remote/Online Instruction Learning Model, students will continue to meet their goal of being academically prepared. Classes within the Remote/Online Instruction Learning Model are created, taught, and/or managed by Olney ISD teachers and staff and will generally follow a schedule of classes similar to those at the student’s home campus. We will ensure open lines of communication between teachers, students, and parents.
IT IS CRITICAL TO NOTE: The level of rigor, workload, time commitment, timing of classes, and expectations will be substantially different from the distance-learning plan implemented in the spring of 2020. Students 100% online who take CTE courses, such as welding, food science, or ag mechanics, will be required to attend face-to-face classes for any handson instructional components of the course. STAAR testing will be conducted online during testing windows and the remote student will be required to test on site in a secure, safe, and distanced environment.
Olney ISD will structure the students’ Remote/Online Instruction schedule to require students to participate in an asynchronous model (flexible scheduling during the regular school day) with synchronous components (two-way, real-time, live instruction between teachers and students). The synchronous component will target specific courses and specific grade levels at the discretion of campus administration and instructional staff. The school district, parents, and students will operate under the following general guidelines for remote/online instruction.
Students are required to lease/insure and use a district issued Chromebook for all work. The lease fee is the nonrefundable amount of $40.00. Olney ISD has purchased Chromebooks for each student in the district and each student in a household will have access to their own individually assigned device.
Students must check-in with each teacher daily during regular school hours for each class. This will be accomplished through email, video-conferencing, texting, and the use of imbedded messaging within learning management systems such as Google Classroom, Edgenuity, Study Island, etc.
Students must complete asynchronous classroom activities each day during regular school day operating hours as well as any daily assignments.
Students must show proof of participation in daily remote instruction by satisfactorily completing assigned tasks to demonstrate evidence of student learning, i.e. video, picture, or activities submitted as lessons, and/or completing assignments. Please Note: All lessons must have an assignment. There will be teacher discretion on the number of assignments as they follow the Olney ISD grading guidelines.
Students and parents will communicate with the teacher when needing additional assistance, tutoring, etc. Remotely instructed students are not eligible for participation in extracurricular activities.
Dr. Greg Roach Superintendent Olney ISD