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Adapt, Advance, Achieve: Connecticut’s Plan to Learn and Grow Together
longer periods of time. For different age groups, multiple variables support the need for full-time
education in school. In some cases, physical safety and access to basic needs such as food,
supervision, and shelter are also strong factors in opening schools to students in the fall.
Another top priority that supports a full-time in-school model is to ensure equitable access to
education, and mitigating any barriers to education or opportunity gaps that increased during the
pandemic. Efforts to support equity, close the opportunity gap, and provide a wide range of support
for students in the state is best achieved with in-person schooling opportunities for all ages.
As noted herein, however, structuring a statewide approach to the operating model and
scheduling will only be successful when implemented in conjunction with a strong monitoring
and containment strategy, which may ultimately result in schools, districts, or regions making
individualized decisions in response to specific student/staff diagnoses, or changing public
health data in a particular school or region. The CSDE and Department of Public Health (DPH)
understand the importance of consistent decision-making should public health data require
either modification of the reopening model, or that in the future students return to remote
learning. Therefore, LEAs should expect forthcoming guidance from DPH to establish a tiered
system to guide decision-making if additional public health and safety restrictions are required.
Temporarily Choosing Not to Participate
Requirements
• Plan for parents and students who may temporarily choose not to participate in the
return to school. There are defined requirements when participation of a student in
the schoolhouse is limited due to a verified medical reason. However, parents and
guardians may also voluntarily choose for students to temporarily engage in learning
from home for a variety of other reasons. LEAs should develop temporary support
options for students who continue remote learning from home, including but not limited
to offering families the robust educational support options outlined in Academics on
page 28. In developing these plans, options include but are not limited to:
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Consider how retired teachers and/or teachers who voluntarily identify as
“high risk” or otherwise need to be accommodated outside of the school
house may support operational needs via remote learning, including but not
limited to the following:
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Working with students (virtually) who are unable to attend school;
Developing and implementing district professional development (PD)
(virtual or in person);
Assisting with continued PD to train teachers who need assistance with
best practices for virtual teaching and learning. See also Staffing and
Personnel, page 44.
Serving as online tutors for those who need additional assistance.
• CSDE, in consultation with stakeholders, will continue to support LEAs in developing
options for students and families choosing not to participate, including by issuing
future guidance.