5
Adapt, Advance, Achieve: Connecticut’s Plan to Learn and Grow Together
Facilities:
• Prioritize collection of data from families to confirm the intent to participate,
as that may affect facilities and operations planning.
• Review building space and reconfigure available classroom space, such as
gymnasiums and auditoriums, to maximize social distancing, consistent with
public health guidelines in place at that time.
• Review community and municipal spaces with local stakeholders to determine
additional capacity and availability if school building space is inadequate.
Technical support will be available as needed.
Transportation:
• Plan for buses to operate close to capacity with heightened health and
safety protocols, including requiring all students and operators wearing face
coverings. Plans must be developed to activate increased social distancing
protocols based upon community spread.
Health and Safety Policies and Protocols:
• Expect all students and staff to wear a protective face covering or face mask
that completely covers the nose and mouth when inside the school building,
allowing for certain exceptions.
Monitoring, Containment, and Class Cancellations Plan
• Develop robust monitoring and containment protocols, and class cancellation
plans, in the event there are public health indicators that may require
temporary closure of the building, such as evidence of community transmission
in the school.
• If public health data requires partial reopening, or if schools’ containment
efforts require partial closure, prioritize the return of vulnerable learner groups,
with specific protocols to increase the in-school population over time until full
in person instruction is achieved.
Fall Reopening Model
In assessing the approach to a required operating model, the Connecticut State Department
of Education (CSDE) considered input from school representatives, educators, families and
students, educational stakeholders, advocacy organizations, and union representatives, and
conducted a review of nationally and globally published school reopening plans for the 2020–
2021 school year.
Due to positive containment efforts in Connecticut, reopening schools in person can be
successfully achieved based upon current data. Connecticut has determined it is appropriate
to plan a consistent approach to the operating model, but be prepared to modify plans as
necessary. Ultimately, the importance of access to in-person schooling rose as a priority related
to educational opportunities, student safety and well-being, and social-emotional learning.
Maximizing in-person instructional time after the current period of disruption is critical. However,
given the uncertainty planning for reopening months from now, schools must be prepared to
modify their reopening model to support a partial reopening if the public health data changes.
LEAs made strong and often very successful efforts at safeguarding students’ social-emotional
learning opportunities, and emotional safety during the spring of 2020 when in-person classes
were canceled. Nonetheless, isolation outside of the schoolhouse is not ideal for students over