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Adapt, Advance, Achieve: Connecticut’s Plan to Learn and Grow Together
4. Priorities
The chart below addresses the priority requirements and considerations based upon questions and
feedback received to date. These issues are addressed in more depth further in this document.
Fall Reopening Model
LEAs should plan to have all students, in all districts, return to schoolhouses for fulltime
instruction at the beginning of 2020–2021, so long as public health data continues
to support this model. This model will be supported with more intensive mitigation
strategies and specific monitoring, containment and class cancellation plans.
In addition to full-time instruction plans as indicated above, LEAs must be prepared to
modify their plans to support a partial reopening or to allow for scaling back at a future
date if the public health data changes.
Priorities:
Operational Model:
Equity:
• Prepare to initiate in-school instruction accessible to the full student
population.
• Plan for educational opportunities to be primarily in-person, but allow for
students and parents to choose not to participate based upon individual
considerations.
• Establish a continuum of strategies for implementation of in-person schooling
that anticipates potential alternative programs and robust blended learning if
future public health data requires class cancellations. This will require engagement
of contingent plans for blended learning, including but not limited to a mix
of remote blended learning, synchronous and asynchronous class meetings,
and other educator and staff outreach to students. Remote learning is defined as
situations where students and educators are not physically present in a traditional
classroom environment, and where instruction is relayed through technology,
e.g., learning management systems.
• Identify gaps and develop action plans for reopening that specifically address
inclusion, equity, and access for all learners with strategies and clearly defined
action steps.
Cohorts:
• Emphasize grouping students by the same class/group of students and
teacher (into a cohort) so each team functions independently as much as
possible.
• Consider this methodology by grade levels. Placing students in cohorts is
strongly encouraged for grades K–8, and encouraged where feasible for
grades 9–12.