Task Force on Reopening

Schools
Board of Trustees Presentation
06/16/2020
Task Force Overview

Members:
Leann Kidd, Patti Sanchez, Deonna Dean, Dr. Brenda Ward, Frank Bayardo,
Mark Rustan, Don Schmidt, Jennifer Krueger, Jessica Palomares, Debbie
McNierney, Christina Eckert, Jennifer Benke, Dr. Rene Barajas, Lisa Turner,
Krista Garcia, Susan Cleveland, Nicole Franco, Sonia Almanza, Tesilia Garza
Dr. Woods Charge to the Committee

Task: create a structure for returning students and staff to

buildings that can be implemented with less than two weeks
notice that would put X groups and / or Y percent of kids in
buildings and be nimble enough to change quickly as the public
health situation and student needs change.
Questions for the Task Force:
1. How can we model transporting students to school assuming social distancing is required?
2. How can we model the number of students who could/should be allowed into a classroom/hallway/building?
3. Who should come physically to school? Who should come first? How many hours/days per week?
4. How do we support students served in Distance Learning (DL)? Do they ever come to school physically?
5. Is a college-type schedule (M, W, F/Tu, Th) practical? What are the funding policy implications?
6. What are the cleaning / disinfecting protocols? What do they require by way of people, procedures and product?
7. What are our PPE requirements? Can we acquire them?
8. What are our procedures when someone associated with the school becomes ill?
9. If we have to close a building quickly, how do we transition those students to DL quickly?
10. How do we handle what are traditionally large gatherings like drop off, pick up, meal time, etc.?
11. How do we staff if some instruction is in-person and other is virtual? Do virtual instructors need to be assigned to a
particular campus?
12. What data and what data system can we use / implement that will help us know quickly if a student is struggling and we
need to reconsider their placement?
13. How do we deal with the employment issues that will come up with a staff member refused to come to work even though
their job duties require it?
14. Is there a way to support the children of parents who must physically leave the home for work even if the child is not an
ideal candidate to be in the school house?
15. What are the areas where we need specific state and / or local policy changes – either temporarily or permanently?
Task Force Overview

Objectives:
● Formulate multiple plans to bring students and staff back
to buildings in a manner that is safe and responsive.
● Prepare for gradual relaxations of social distancing, yet
waves of stopping and starting with possible 14 to 28
day rolling closures.
● Consider partial or staggered openings.
Task Force Overview
Novel Challenges:
● Changes in the state of the public health crisis and regulations with preliminary
health guidance that we will not be able to fill classrooms, have crowded
hallways, or cafeteria
● Rolling periods of school closure due to the number of outbreaks in our
community (14-28 days)
● Individual school closure due to an outbreak at one or more campuses (2-5
days)
● Low school attendance
● Learning Loss
● Differentiated strategies based on school level and student vulnerability
LiveBinder
General Considerations
 Regulatory Flexibility
1. State policymakers might consider providing the flexibility for schools to base
student progression on demonstrated mastery of competencies/grades, rather than
on seat time. (Permanent)
2. States should determine what constitutes attendance and a statutory school day in
the context of remote learning and begin to assess how possibly reducing the total
number of in-person class days or instructional hours might change, and needed full
ADA funding. (Permanent)
3. States and the Texas Education Agency should allow school districts to determine
the number of students who fit in a classroom dependent to fulfill social distancing
requirements while considering room square footage. (Temporary) *
4. States should determine what personal protective equipment (PPE) is needed by
school districts and ensure procurement is possible. (Temporary) *
5. USDE should allow more than 15% of Title IV funds be used for technology
equipment. (Temporary)
School Operations
Public Health Accommodations
Public Health Accommodations
Public Health Accommodations
Meal Plan
Transportation
Athletics/UIL/School Activities/Extra Curricular

● Educating our coaches/directors/students on safety guidelines, social distancing, and proper hygiene.

● Procedures on self monitoring, check in, entering/exiting school, and drop off/pick up.

● Guidelines if a student/coach has symptoms or test positive for COVID-19.

● Sanitizing and cleaning procedures of all equipment and facilities.

● Current guidelines- Indoor activity 1 coach per 10 students, outdoor activity 1 coach per 15 students.
Starting June 22- Indoor activity 1 coach per 15 students, outdoor activity 1 coach per 25 students

● Ensure all schools are creating a safe and comfortable environment for students return to campus.

● Individualized plans for each sport based on level of contact when allowed.

● Effective plan on communicating with parents/guardians.

Meetings & Professional Development
Personnel
Personnel
● Update leaders on latest legal requirements

● Procedure for employees not wanting to return in person

● Options for employees in vulnerable populations

● Process to report concerns

● Recommendations for possible policy changes

● Work with Academic Sub-Committees on lunch and planning periods

● Guidelines for in-person teachers and distance learning teachers

● Work with School Operations Sub-Committee to ensure safe work

environment

● Procedure for employees with COVID-19 absences (FFCRA)

Academics
 Academics - Elementary
#s of Students:
0% - 25%: less than 8 students/room
26% - 50%: 9-12 students/room
51% - 75%: 13-15 students/room
76% - 100%: Parent choice
Recommended Students in Priority Order
Self Contained Settings: Life Skills, BMC, and AU
Newcomer/Refugee Students Recommendation:
Homeless/Foster/Migrant Create 4 groups of students
Academically At-Risk based on need in order of priority
returning to in-person learning.
Group 1
Group 2
Children of NISD Employees (District determines Group 3
where this goes on the priority list) Group 4
Children of Essential Workers (Health Care, First
Responders)
 Academics - Elementary
Model at 25%

Recommendation: Group Group 1 students are always in-person

Create 4 groups of students based Group 2-4 students are always virtual
on need in order of priority
returning to in-person learning. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Group 1 1 M,T,W,TH,F in-person in-person in-person in-person in-person

Group 2 2 virtual virtual virtual virtual virtual

Group 3 3 virtual virtual virtual virtual virtual
Group 4
4 virtual virtual virtual virtual virtual
 Academics - Elementary

Model at 50%

Recommendation: Group Group 1 students are always in-person

Create 4 groups of students based Group 2 and 3 students are always in-person on M,W OR T,TH
on need in order of priority Group 4 students are always virtual
returning to in-person learning.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Group 1
1 M,T,W,TH,F in-person in-person in-person in-person in-person
Group 2
2 and 3 in-person virtual in-person virtual virtual
Group 3 M,W or
T,TH virtual in-person virtual in-person virtual
Group 4

4 virtual virtual virtual virtual virtual

 Academics - Elementary
Model at 75%

Group Group 1 students are always in-person

Recommendation: Group 2 students are always in-person on M,T,W,TH
Create 4 groups of students based Group 3 students are always in-person on M,W
on need in order of priority Group 4 students are always virtual
returning to in-person learning.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Group 1
1 M,T,W,TH,F in-person in-person in-person in-person in-person
Group 2
2 M,T,W,TH in-person in-person in-person in-person virtual
Group 3
3 M,W in-person virtual in-person virtual virtual
Group 4

4 virtual virtual virtual virtual virtual

Academics
Secondary

Academics
Secondary
#s of Students:
0% - 25%: less than 8 students/room
26% - 50%: 9-12 students/room
51% - 75%: 13-15 students/room
76% - 100%: Parent choice
Recommended Students in Priority Order Recommendation:
Life Skills, BMC, and AU Create 4 groups of students
Current students “not connected/not engaged” based on need in order of priority
English Learners: Beginner, Intermediate returning to in-person learning.
Homeless/Foster/Migrant
SE
504 (Dyslexia)
Group 1
Free/Reduced Lunch Group 2
Chronic Absences
Group 3
Other Student considerations:
AVID Group 4
Industry Certification Programs
Extra curricular activities
Children of NISD Employees (District determines
where this goes on the priority list)
Children of Essential Workers (Health Care, First
Responders)
 Option 1: Rotating Traditional Schedule

Academics Model A

Secondary Maintains the current daily class schedule for both middle and high school students.

Recommendation:
Create 4 groups of students based
on need in order of priority
returning to in-person learning.

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4
 Option 1: Rotating Traditional Schedule

Model B
Academics
Secondary Maintains the current daily class schedule for both middle and high school students..

Recommendation:
Create 4 groups of students based
on need in order of priority
returning to in-person learning.

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4
 Option 1: Rotating Traditional Schedule

Model C
Academics
Secondary Maintains the current daily class schedule for both middle and high school students.

Recommendation:
Create 4 groups of students based
on need in order of priority
returning to in-person learning.

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4
 Option 2: Traditional Schedule

Academics
Secondary Maintains the current daily class schedule for both middle and high school students.

Recommendation: Group 1 25% of students return to in-person

Create 4 groups of students based
on need in order of priority
returning to in-person learning. Groups 1 & 2 50% of students return to in-person

Group 1
Groups 1, 2, & 3 75% of students return to in-person
Group 2
Groups 1, 2, 3, & 4 100% of students return to in-person, with
Group 3 consideration for virtual learning if parents opt out
of in-person
Group 4
Distance Learning
Distance Learning
Distance learning must be at the same level of rigor as classroom instruction for the
2020-2021 school year. We can not do that with our current products. The Task Force
recommends several products.

● Learning Management System for Secondary

● SeeSaw for PK-1
● A Video Recording Device
● Student Devices
● WiFi Hot Spots as Needed
● Zoom Central Office Accounts
Distance Learning
Whole Child Supports
Whole Child Supports
Learning Tree
Learning Tree
Summer School
Summer School

● Sites

● Student Need Considerations

● Operational Considerations

● Health & Hygiene Practices

● Bus Planning

● Procedures for Anyone Showing COVID-19 Symptoms

Data
Data
Survey & PTA Town Hall
Superintendent's PTA Town Hall Responses:
June 2020
Superintendent's PTA Town Hall Responses:
June 2020
NORTHSIDE ISD
COMMUNITY OPINION SURVEY
June 2020

Conducted by Baselice & Associates

 Parameters / Methodology

● Baselice & Associates, Inc. programmed the survey

and provided the district with a link and the district
distributed the Internet survey.
● The survey was offered in English and Spanish. 96%
completed the survey in English and 4% in Spanish.
● The median length of the survey was 19.3 minutes
● N = 14,454 Northside ISD parents
● Conducted June 2-7, 2020
 Staff Survey Results
● In addition, a separate survey was sent to NISD staff
(although approximately 7% of the parent survey results
were from staff who also have children enrolled in NISD).
● A total of 6,395 responses were received on the staff
survey, comprised as follows:
■ Teacher - 3,988 (62%)
■ Administrator - 292 (5%)
■ Other - 2,115 (33%)
 Staff Survey Results
● ES (Pre-K and K-5th) represented 54% of the total
teacher responses, MS (21%) and HS (25%).
● 39% indicated that they were both employees and
parents of NISD students, with 61% being employees
only.
 Top 10 Key Findings
● A majority (50%) of parents are very concerned about
COVID-19 impacting their health and the health of those
in their household and a plurality (47%) do not think most
people in their community are taking it seriously enough.
 Staff Survey Results
● Staff indicated that they have similar levels of concern as
the parents, with 47% Very and 38% Somewhat
Concerned, and 50% felt the community was not taking
the situation seriously enough.
 Top 10 Key Findings (Continued)

● 47% of parents say the district has done an excellent job

responding to COVID-19, 40% say it has done a good job,
and 12% say fair or poor.
 Top 10 Key Findings (Continued)
● On average, 58% of parents are concerned about their
child falling behind because of virtual / online learning,
while 42% are not concerned.
 Top 10 Key Findings (Continued)
● Initially, 47% are somewhat or very comfortable sending
their child back to school. Open-ended responses were
collected from respondents in regards to what would
make them feel comfortable sending their child back to
school.
 Initial Comfort Level

● Initially 47% are comfortable (very + somewhat) and

48% are not comfortable (not very + not at all).
Comfort level is correlated with a number of factors
including, respondents view of COVID-19, their
experience with virtual learning, and their expected
household work situation in the fall.
 Staff Survey Results
● Initially, 57% reported they were Very or Somewhat
Comfortable with returning to school in the fall for work,
approximately 10 points higher than parents.
 Top 10 Key Findings (Continued)
● Initially, 23% of parents want school to start as normal,
45% want to start with significant changes for social
distancing and 33% want it to start online only.
 Staff Survey Results
● 20% felt schools should reopen as close to normal as
possible, 53% felt they should reopen with significant
changes, and 27% felt they should be online only, a slight
shift from what the parents felt.
 Top 10 Key Findings (Continued)
● In a scenario where school starts as normal, on
average, 62% would send their child back to school.
 Top 10 Key Findings (Continued)

● Measures that are most

supported are students using
hand sanitizer, enhanced
cleaning protocols, and alerts
to parents of new cases.
● The measure least supported is
keeping students in the same
classroom all day.
 Top 10 Key Findings (Continued)
● After learning more about safety measures the district
may take, 40% of parents had an increased comfort level,
with a total of 73% being somewhat or very comfortable
sending their child back to school.
 Top 10 Key Findings (Continued)
● In a scenario where school reopens in an alternating,
hybrid model, on average, 35% would send their child
back to school, and 49% say it would depend on the
model chosen. Alternating full days are most preferred.
 Opinions on Alternatives for Reopening

● In a follow-up preference question, 18% chose half-days, 37%

chose alternating days, 26% chose alternating weeks, and
20% preferred none.
Preferences for “It Depends” Respondents
 Top 10 Key Findings (Continued)
● In a final question, 73% would keep their children at
home if cases were increasing in the community.
Initial Positions on Starting School
 Staff Survey Results
● Only 30% responded that NISD “should focus on trying to
get back to the way things were” while 63% responded
that we “should focus on rethinking how we educate
students”, similar to parents.
Informed Preferences for 2020-2021
 Increasing Comfort Level

● Respondents were asked again about their comfort level after

receiving additional information about safety measures the district
may take. Their comfort level increased.
 Staff Survey Results
● After learning about measures schools may take to
reopen, 33% reported they were Very and 46% Somewhat
Comfortable with returning to school in the fall for work,
slightly higher than the parents reported.
 Staff Survey Results

● If school was open and staff had the option to work/teach

from home, 53% would return to campus, 22% would
work/teach from home 100 percent of the time, and 25%
were unsure.
 Informed Preferences for 2020-2021

● 62% of those with increased comfort would send their

children back to school as normal, with up to 91% sending
their child to school on a hybrid schedule.
● 80% of those who initially wanted an online only
environment would keep their child at home if school was to
open as normal, but that decreases to 42% in a socially
distant alternating, hybrid option.
 Informed Preferences for 2020-2021 (Continued)

● Parents of HS students in UIL are most likely to want their

child to return to school.
● On average, viewpoints about returning to school among
parents of special ed students are similar to the total sample.
● 48% of parents were consistent in their response that
sending their child back to school in an alternating, hybrid
model would depend on the model chosen.
Hypothetical Scenario
 Bus and Transportation
● 28% of respondents say they expect to be dependent on
the bus to get their child to school when school starts in
the fall.
● 84% of respondents indicate they would send their child
to school on the bus if there was social distancing on it and
it were cleaned [Q56, version X]. In contrast, 37% of
parents would send their child to school on the bus under
the usual capacity [Q56, version Y].
 Meals

● 28% of respondents indicate that their family qualifies for

and participates in the free/reduced price lunch program.
● 18% reported taking advantage of free, grab-and-go meals
from the district after schools were closed.
● 11% indicate that due to their current situation, they need
food assistance over the summer before school starts
again.
 Extending School Day / Year

● 68% are supportive of extending the school year a

minimum of one to two weeks (1-2 weeks and 3-4
weeks led with 27% and 26%) and 32% opposed
extending the school year.
● 58% are supportive of extending the school day by at
least 30 minutes (1 hour led with 37%) and 35%
opposed extending the school day.
 Staff Survey Results

● Unlike parents, 45% of staff oppose extending the school year and
49% oppose extending the school day.
● Similar to parents, staff showed the same support or opposition to
the measures school districts are considering:
■ Support strongly hand sanitizer, enhanced cleaning protocols,
and alerts to parents of new cases;
■ Less support for keeping students in the same classroom all day,
restrictions on “high risk activities”, and closing a campus for 2
weeks.