34
Adapt, Advance, Achieve: Connecticut’s Plan to Learn and Grow Together
• Identify students who are unable to wear protective personal equipment, practice
social distancing, or adhere to other CDC or CSDE guidelines. In consultation with
your local health department consider the following:
−
−
−
−
−
Environmental modifications
Use of alternative face coverings (clear)
Reduction of class size
Assign staff to specific students/instructional environments to limit exposure
Toileting/ADL protocols
• Consider protocols for community based learning opportunities including for students
whose IEPs require transition services/activities.
• Be prepared that there may be certain high-risk students and/or families who may
require continuing remote instruction full time due to underlying health conditions,
undergoing disease treatment, or those with family members who are at-risk.
English Learners (ELs)
While returning to school will present challenges for all, English learners (ELs) may experience
these challenges to a greater extent than their peers, as they transition back to a school setting
from remote learning and continue to develop their English language proficiency concurrently
while learning grade-level academic content. To mitigate these challenges, schools must
make every effort to provide support to ELs to allow them to access academic content
as well as providing them with their supplemental language instruction program. English
language development is a part of universal instruction. It is paramount that grade level content
provided with adequate scaffolds and supports, so that ELs may access the grade level content
being provided in the classroom while developing language proficiency.
Requirements
• Understand that like all other students, ELs are entitled to FAPE. The Civil Rights Act
of 1964, Title IV, the Equal Educational Opportunities Act (1974) and the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act (1965) provide guidance on the services to which ELs
are entitled. ELs must have access to the general education curriculum as well as to a
supplemental language instruction education program. During school closures due to
COVID-19, ELs continue to be entitled to receive their supplemental EL instructional
program in addition to their general education program of mainstream, grade-level
and content-area instruction. Such language instructional education programs may
consist of a range of services, including bilingual education, English as a Second
Language (ESL), Sheltered Instruction and others. When returning to school buildings,
language instruction education programs must continue.
• Comply with the requirement that eligible students in bilingual mandated districts
are offered bilingual education programs. During COVID-19, school districts that are
mandated to provide bilingual education remain required to offer a bilingual program
to eligible students who have opted into the program. While program implementation
may be altered during COVID-19 as compared to traditional in-building schooling,
students in bilingual programs are still entitled to receive native language support
as part of their school’s designated bilingual program model. As with other language
instruction education programs, when returning to traditional schooling, bilingual
programs must continue.
• Communicate with parents and guardians that have limited proficiency in English in
a language they understand as required by Title III of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act. As during traditional schooling, communications during school
closures due to COVID-19 may be provided through translation and/or interpretation.