Responsible Restart Hybrid Transition Plan DRAFT — AUGUST 14, 2020

The Upper Arlington Responsible Restart Plan, approved by the Board of Education on July 31, calls for operating remotely for the beginning of the 2020-21 school year in accordance with the July 29, 2020 guidance from Franklin County Public Health.

All students will begin the year on Wednesday, August 19 in one of two educational pathways: the UA Online Academy or the school-based pathway. Students in the school-based pathway will engage in the Enhanced Distance Learning (EDL) model from the start of school through at least Friday, September 18.

The guidance from Franklin County Public Health (FCPH) strongly recommending that school districts begin the year operating remotely was based upon multiple data points showing “significant and sustained community transmission” of the virus that causes COVID-19 in the county. Officials at FCPH indicated that, in order for their recommendation to change, they would like to see (1) a four week decline in COVID-19 cases; (2) positivity rates below 10%, but preferably closer to 5%; and (3) improvement in Franklin County’s risk level (i.e., orange).

Upper Arlington Schools leaders have continued to meet weekly with officials from Franklin County Public Health and Columbus Public Health, and the news has been encouraging. As of the Upper Arlington Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, August 11, Franklin County was in the third week of a downward trend in those statistics and, at this point, it appears likely, given these encouraging trends, that the district will be able to begin the in-person hybrid learning model outlined in the Responsible Restart Plan on Monday, September 21.

UPPER ARLINGTON SCHOOLS	1

HYBRID TRANSITION PLAN

In light of this information, the Board of Education directed Superintendent Paul Imhoff, Ed.D., and district administrators to create a plan to ensure a successful transition from EDL to the
in-person hybrid model. A draft of the transition plan was requested by Friday, August 14, and board members agreed to meet again to consider the plan at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 18.

District administrators identified the following as goals for the transition plan:

● Provide additional support when possible for learners with the highest needs served by our moderate/intensive intervention specialists;
● Provide the orientation days usually allotted to students in kindergarten and first grade, sixth grade and ninth grade;
● Provide opportunities for elementary students to become accustomed to new or different learning spaces and facilities; and
● Provide an opportunity for students and staff members to practice health and safety protocols in a smaller-group setting.

The proposed transition plan is illustrated in the graphics below.

In addition to the transition days reflected in the graphics, the Upper Arlington Schools hybrid transition plan provides for special education students who would qualify to attend five days a week during the hybrid model to begin a phase-in to full-time instruction on Monday, August 31. These students will continue to receive full-time, in-person instruction for the remainder of the current EDL period and the hybrid period.

The plan provides students in elementary school with one hybrid transition day in their schools during the week of September 14. The elementary schools will operate with approximately 25 percent of students in the building at a given time during this transition week, allowing students to become accustomed to the facilities and health and safety protocols in small groups.

UPPER ARLINGTON SCHOOLS	2

The in-person transition days will be:

● Monday, September 14: kindergarten through grade 2 students in Hybrid Group 1 (last name beginning A-K)
● Tuesday, September 15: students in grades 3 through 5 in Hybrid Group 1 (last name beginning A-K)
● Thursday, September 17: kindergarten through grade 2 students in Hybrid Group 2 (last name beginning L-Z)
● Friday, September 18: students in grades 3 through 5 in Hybrid Group 2 (last name beginning L-Z)

All students will attend during their regularly scheduled school day hours on their designated transition day. Kindergarten students will attend in their assigned AM or PM schedule. Transportation and nutritional services will be available.

On the days of this week when students do not have an in-school transition day, they will be engaging in independent remote learning assignments or teacher-supported Enhanced Distance Learning.

The plan also provides a transition day for students in grades six and nine. New-to-the district students and students on Individualized Education Plans in grades 7-8 and 10-12 have the option of attending on the transition day that corresponds to their hybrid grouping. For example, a student with a last name that begins with A-K would attend on Thursday of that week.

The in-person transition days will be:

● Thursday, September 17: Hybrid Group 1 (last name beginning A-K) — grades 6 and 9 ● Friday, September 18: Hybrid Group 2 (last name beginning L-Z) — grades 6 and 9

Transportation and nutritional services will be available. On the days of this week when students do not have an in-school transition day, they will be engaging in independent remote learning assignments or teacher-supported Enhanced Distance Learning.

UPPER ARLINGTON SCHOOLS	3

UPDATED HYBRID CALENDAR

The hybrid calendar below from the Upper Arlington Responsible Restart Plan has been updated to reflect the start of the school year in Enhanced Distance Learning and the new hybrid transition plan. All students will begin the hybrid schedule the week of September 21.

CONCLUSION

The recent encouraging trends in local health data have given Upper Arlington Schools an opportunity to create a hybrid transition plan that will provide additional support for our learners with the greatest needs; continue the orientation day model for students in kindergarten, first

UPPER ARLINGTON SCHOOLS	4

grad, sixth grade and ninth grade; allow elementary students to become accustomed to new buildings; and allow students and staff to practice health and safety protocols in a smaller-group setting.

It is important to remember that the ability to implement this hybrid transition plan, along with all aspects of the Upper Arlington Responsible Restart Plan, are subject to change based on evolving conditions, data about the status of the pandemic, and recommendations or guidance from public health authorities and the scientific community.

UPPER ARLINGTON SCHOOLS	5