FAQs - Hybrid Learning

Music, PE, and Library will continue in distance mode during the time that elementary students are at home.

Students in elementary dual language programs will be with one teacher for two days (M/T) and with the other language teacher for two days (Th/F). Teachers will also provide independent and online activities for students to do in the other language so they can continue to practice both languages.

Elementary students will have at least 3 hours of instructional time a day, including in-person instruction and Zoom classes with music, PE and library specialists. They may have additional instructional time in small groups with paraeducators.

During the independent learning time, elementary students will engage on Zoom with specialists (PE, music and library), and there may be small group learning. Students will also be working on assignments and activities that align to their in-person learning goals and content.

Teachers have flexibility to design the structure of the class period. They can choose whether  to teach both groups simultaneously or in separate groups. Here is one resource for teaching concurrently from the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching. We will share other resources with teachers, as well.

The secondary model was based on a review of models from around the state, analysis of state guidance, transportation constraints, and the goal of avoiding class and teacher reassignments. Input was given by the superintendent's student leadership team, principals and labor partners. 

A student's Running Start schedule is determined by the college they attend. This spring the vast majority of colleges will continue to offer remote learning only.  Colleges are still determining if they will continue with virtual, return to in-person, or start hybrid for fall quarter 2021.

We will practice safety measures based on the K-12 guidance from the Washington State Department of Health.  

• Physical education class activities will be held outside as much as possible, unless weather makes it unsafe to be outside.
• Physical Education activities will focus on individual skills or activities that can be done while maintaining six feet of distance and wearing a face covering.
• Gyms will be used when necessary and all CDC and Department of Health guidance will be followed for social distancing and masking.
  • Large gyms will be divided into smaller areas for small student groups that will be together for the duration of a class period.
• Locker rooms will only be used for restrooms and handwashing.
• Students will not be required to change clothes for PE class. Students are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing and shoes on days they have PE.
• Students should bring a personal water bottle.

We will follow safety measures based on the K-12 guidance from the Washington State Department of Health.  

• All students playing wind and brass instruments will be provided with PPE specifically appropriate for the instrument that they play, including specialized masks and bell or instrument covers. 
• Vocal and theatre students will be provided with a 3-layer surgical style, well-fitting mask.
• Classes with wind/brass instruments and choirs will be limited to singing/playing for 30 minutes per session.
• All students will practice safe physical distancing during class:
  • In choir, band and drama, students will have a minimum of 9 feet between and in front of other students and the instructor, conductor, or accompanist. 
  • String orchestra, percussion, and general music will be spaced at a minimum of 6 feet.
  • Groups will be limited to 15 students maximum for indoor spaces.
• Students will stop playing or singing 15 minutes before the end of class to allow time for air to be exchanged before the next group of students enters the room. 

If a student in the hybrid program cannot physically attend for an extended period of time but can participate remotely, they should notify the school. Schools will provide daily live instruction to students throughout the time of their remote learning.  

Staff will receive training on meeting the social-emotional (SEL) needs of students, specifically, addressing the different impacts of this unusual school year and returning to school.  Our Highline SEL team is creating lesson plans for instructional staff to use with students. The daily elementary schedule has an established social-emotional block for explicit teaching for community building and teaching SEL skills and strategies, and we acknowledge that SEL will be integrated throughout the instructional day.

Students with IEPs will receive services through a combination of in-person instruction, live remote instruction, independent learning, SeeSaw or Google Classroom, and small group instruction provided by general education and special education staff. Since every IEP is unique to the student, please contact your child's IEP case manager to discuss how your child's needs will be served.

Highly capable services will continue to be provided in both hybrid and fully distant models. Students served on Highly Capable Learning Plans will continue to work toward identified goals with support from their classroom teacher. Students served in our Challenge program will continue to be served in classrooms with peers who are also receiving highly capable services.

Elementary classroom teachers will continue to monitor student engagement during the independent learning time when they are not teaching other in-person students. Activities for independent learning will include lessons and work aligned to the content taught during the in-person session, possible small group work, specialist participation (PE, music, library) and independent reading and writing.

Secondary teachers will be working with students in person and remote during the same instructional period. There will be flexibility for teachers to design what the 80-minute period looks like. It could be simultaneous instruction for the opening and then small group break-outs for in-person and remote students, as well as many other variations depending on the subject and teacher preference.

The state schools superintendent (OSPI) requires us to take daily attendance.

We recognize that family schedules vary, and we will give maximum flexibility in counting attendance.

If students are not able to attend live instruction, they can meet attendance requirements by completing work at other times of day.

Ways to Show Attendance

For middle and high school students, attendance will be taken in each class, including Advisory.

Students will be counted as present for the day, if they:

• Log into Classlink
• Log into Zoom
• Complete an assignment or access content on:
  • Seesaw
  • Google Classroom
  • Zoom
  • Screencastify
     

What to Do During a Power or Internet Outage

The state schools superintendent (OSPI) has applied to the federal government for a waiver that would reduce state testing this spring. OSPI proposes testing a statistically representative sample of approximately 50,000 students across the state, rather than the full scale of 700,000 students. We are waiting for federal approval of that waiver. 

If approved, schools would be randomly selected for participation, and the length of math and English language arts tests would be reduced by one-third. We will update staff and families on the outcome of the waiver approval process.

All students grades 6-12 who opt in to hybrid learning will begin the week of April 19.

We are asking secondary families to commit to hybrid or fully remote instruction for students in grades 6-12 via a family survey launching March 18 and closing March 25.

Our secondary hybrid model was developed to have minimal impact on the master schedule and teacher/student assignments. Maintaining the schedule prioritizes relationships and mental health interests. Secondary students will be in school buildings 2 days per week for live in-person instruction. Three days per week will be fully remote at home.

Students will be placed in either an A or B cohort that determines which days they attend in person. 

• Cohort A: Mon/Tues  in person
• Cohort B:Thurs/Fri in person 

Wednesday will be a remote learning day for all and the schedule will look similar to what it is now.

Students will attend school half-days four days per week, Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday. The a.m. cohort will attend 9:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., the p.m. cohort will attend 1:45 - 4:00 p.m.

Students will learn in classrooms either in the morning OR afternoon. They will learn at home the other half of the day and all day on Wednesdays.  See a sample schedule here.

When selecting a model for hybrid learning, we considered two different schedules: two full days each week or four partial days (AM/PM). Based in part on teacher and principal feedback, the half-day model was chosen for elementary school students.

In the AM/PM model, students have more consistent contact with their teachers (almost daily, as opposed to five days without contact.) Teachers can use in-person time to prepare students for the remote work they will complete in the next 24 hours. If students have questions, they can receive real-time in-person support from their teacher the next school day.

The AM/PM model has the same amount of instructional time as the two-full-day model. (In AM/PM, students are at school for fewer minutes because they don't have lunch or recess on site.)

AM/PM session times are based on the contracted teacher workday (8:45 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.) and the need for time between cohorts for transporting students and cleaning classroom surfaces.

We had to build elementary classes based on the number of students returning for in-person learning, so accommodating changes will be challenging. There may be limited opportunity to change from one model to the other depending on space in the classroom.

If elementary or secondary families change their minds after commiting to hybrid or distance learning, they will have the option to request a change through the district change in assignment request process. 

Transportation will be provided for students who typically qualify for transportation to and from school.

Elementary students will not eat meals at school. Breakfast and lunch will be provided via weekly meal kits, which families can pick up. Please see our School Meals webpage for more information.

We will provide more information about school meals for secondary students as soon as possible.

Our goal is to set up our transportation routes so that elementary students in a family attend school during the same times. (We will update this answer when we have more information about hybrid learning for secondary students.)

Class sizes will be small enough to accommodate six-foot distancing

Bus transportation will be provided to and from childcare sites located in the school's service area.

Highline will continue its partnership with the YMCA to provide childcare (before/after school care and full-day care.) The YMCA site will be at one location. Highline will provide transportation to and from this site.

There will be far fewer students on each bus in hybrid, compared with normal times. Buses will be at about 33 percent capacity on elementary routes. This assumes that all students who are eligible to ride will take the bus, rather than be dropped off by a family member.

Students will sit one to a seat unless they live in the same household. On many routes, students will be able to sit farther than one seat apart. Students will all wear masks. Windows will be open for ventilation, all roof vents will be open, and the heating system will be set to fresh air. Bus drivers have been equipped with a misting disinfectant applicator and sanitizer solution, hand sanitizer, gloves, disinfecting wipes, and disinfecting aerosol spray. Each school bus will carry spare disposable youth masks for students who lose, soil, or forget their mask.

Families are asked to fill out the daily health screening form (also called an attestation) online at least 30 minutes prior to the start of school. The health screening forms must be completed on the day the student will attend. All students must have this completed before entering a district building.

Staff also complete an attestation before entering a building. 

If a student arrives at school without having completed the health screening form, they will be screened at school.

Students who do not pass the screening will wait in an isolation room until they can be picked up by a family member.

We will start by setting expectations and teaching students why masks are so important.

• Before hybrid learning starts, teachers will pre-teach what it looks like to be safe by wearing masks in different settings and activities. Teaching and Learning will provide lesson plans.
• Schools will communicate clear guidance on mask-wearing for adults and students and will post signage and images that reinforce the requirement at entries to the school and classrooms.
• Classes will update their classroom charters to emphasize being and feeling safe.
• Schools will give positive incentives for mask-wearing and safe behavior.
• Teaching and Learning will provide additional lessons and resources teachers can use to reinforce mask-wearing. Lessons can be integrated into various content areas.

If a student does not follow the expectation to keep their mask on, we will use progressive discipline, as with any other behavior issue.

• Staff will re-teach the expectations and work with the student to correct the behavior using goal-setting and other behavior modification strategies.
• Teacher or staff will call the student's family to reiterate expectations.
• If a student refuses to wear a mask after attempts to change the behavior, the student may be returned to fully remote learning.

Masks will be available for students who need them. Students are also invited to wear their own, which may be more comfortable for some students.

Desks or tables are spaced six feet apart, and interactions closer than six feet will be limited. Facilities staff have installed directional signage, spacing signage, advisory signage, and floor markings in all school buildings. Plexiglass dividers have been installed in all classrooms and office spaces.

The guidelines from the state schools superintendent (OSPI) are to maintain 6-foot distance “as much as possible.” The guidelines state that passing briefly in a hallway, especially when everyone is wearing a mask, is low-risk.

We will continue to provide meal pick-up.

Elementary students: Because students will be in school partial days, we will not serve meals at school. This also decreases the chance of spreading the virus.

Secondary students: We will provide more information about school meals for secondary as soon as possible. 

Students will stay in their classrooms. Teachers will rotate into classrooms.

Since community transmission is now widespread, any student--new or existing--may be exposed to the virus in the community. New students will be screened just as every student is screened each day.

We are part of a testing pilot program, working with community partners. This pilot will start small and may expand if there is opportunity. To begin, we will deploy testing to a school or site that reports a positive COVID case. Testing will be voluntary for students and staff. Students will need parent/guardian permission to be tested. More information will be shared as the pilot gets up and running.

Vaccine requirements are set by the state, not by local districts. We will adhere to whatever the state requires. Currently, a COVID vaccine is not required for staff or students. While vaccination is a personal health decision, all staff are encouraged to be vaccinated. 

Our COVID dashboard shows the reports of positive COVID-19 cases among staff and students on campus and in our hybrid learning model. Please look there for up-to-date numbers. 

Since November, 17 of our schools have been conducting in-person learning with 155 students and 144 staff members participating. 

We do not have funding for a full time nurse at every school. The state funds us for just six nurses for the entire district; we hire 12.5 additional nurses with local levy funds. Staff who do temperature checks will be trained and equipped with PPE. Principals or cabinet members will supervise symptomatic students in isolation rooms until they can be picked up.

Once all surfaces have been wiped down and cleaned, we use the Clorox Total 360 System electrostatic sprayer in each area.  This machine kills pathogens that are airborne, including under desks, walls, ceilings and in small, hard to reach spaces.    

• The area/room is ready for occupancy 20 minutes after is has been sprayed.
• The Clorox Total 360 System can cover up to 18,000 sq feet per hour.
• Surfaces do not require wiping after they have been sprayed.  Mirrors or glass may need to be cleaned only to remove visible residue