Safe Return of In-Person Instruction and Continuity Plan
The recently passed American Rescue Plan (ARP) provides substantial federal resources to support states and local school districts. As a result, local school districts are required to develop a plan, which details the safe return to in-person instruction and the continuity of services. This plan is developed with stakeholder feedback and will be monitored and revised based on ongoing review through September 30, 2023.
Mitigation Strategies
The District will return to pre-pandemic mitigation strategies. Should health conditions shift or stakeholder feedback necessitate, the district will assemble its Safety Team to review conditions and mitigation strategies and make revisions.
Physical distancing: The district will return to pre-pandemic protocols.
Handwashing: Handwashing will be emphasized throughout the school day. Hand sanitizer stations are located in each classroom and all common areas. Students are encouraged to sanitize their hands when entering and leaving a classroom. Cough and sneeze etiquette is taught, monitored, and enforced.
Facilities: The district utilizes electrostatic disinfectant sprayers throughout the facilities and on busses. Common areas, such as the lunchrooms, are disinfected between groups. Rugs have been removed from classrooms. Staff and student training is provided to ensure adherence to safety protocols. Signage and public announcements are used to inform the community of expectations. The district is upgrading HVAC systems in some buildings to improve air quality.
Contact Tracing: Contact tracing and quarantine protocols were developed with the LCHD (Licking County Health Department) and are used consistently by staff in all buildings and departments. Reporting and communication with the LCHD is ongoing.
Diagnostic/screening testing: Clinics contain testing and screening supplies. Clinic staff and nurses are trained in screening students and staff and working with parents to advise how to use COVID test kits at home.
Vaccinations: The district will continue to encourage faculty, staff, and students to be vaccinated. The district will serve as a host site for vaccinations when requested by health care partners.
Face Coverings: Face coverings are optional for the 2021-2022 school year. Students, staff, and visitors will not be discouraged to wear face coverings due to personal preference and safety.
Plan for the 2021-22 School Year
The District will return to 5-days per week, in-person instruction for the 2021-22 school year on Monday, August 23, 2021. In-person learning will be the default learning model for all students. We know that students learn best when they are in the classroom with their teachers and their peers. The Educational Options Program will be utilized for students with special health considerations and learning needs, in a similar manner as it was used pre-pandemic but with additional content area teacher support.
Identifying and Responding to Student Learning Needs
In the spring of 2021, K-8 students in the lowest 20th percentile were targeted to participate in a four-week, in-person summer remediation program. This program is focused on literacy skills and math. Teachers have pre-assessed students and designed lessons that will meet learning needs and reinforce the most important skills and concepts from the Ohio Learning Standards at each grade level. Students at the high school level also have in-person summer programs. 9-12 students who have failed courses have an opportunity for credit recovery by attending our in-person program. Students in this program have access to content area teachers who can assist them as they complete their online credit recovery courses. High school students who were not proficient in one or more EOC assessments are also able to participate in a one-week intervention course, followed by an opportunity to retake their EOC assessment.
During the months of July and August, any student in the district K-12 is able to participate in remote learning options. Students access online learning platforms. Teachers are assigned to encourage students, monitor their progress, and provide support to students in making progress on their learning platforms. Hotspots and Chromebooks are provided for any student in need.
We will continue to offer summer learning opportunities for students in the summer of 2022.
As Lakewood students return to full-time in-person instruction in August, teachers will formally and informally assess students to identify individual student goals and needs in literacy and math. Administrators, instructional coaches, and teachers will administer and analyze data from multiple sources throughout the school year to ensure timely identification and response to observed gap areas. Assessments at the elementary level will include KRA, GRA, STAR, Acadience Reading, Terra Nova/Inview, short-cycle assessments, and formative assessments designed by teachers and attendance. Assessments at the secondary level include STAR, OST, EOC, and other state assessments, AP tests, ACT, quarterly assessments, short-cycle assessments, and formative assessments by teachers and attendance.
Data will be analyzed collaboratively to identify students with learning needs and gaps. Teachers will also identify students from daily observations of engagement and performance. Teachers will support students with gaps through the implementation of high-impact instructional strategies that are evidence-based. Students most at-risk with literacy gaps will receive Tier 2 supports in a small group setting to supplement classroom instruction. Identified secondary students will receive additional literacy support during intervention periods. High school students will also access additional instructional support through study halls.
School leaders, instructional coaches, teacher leaders, and MTSS teams will work with teachers to develop personalized goals that address students’ specific learning gaps. They will monitor student progress, achievement, and daily engagement through various data sources and intentionally select high-impact, evidence-based strategies to address student needs. The impact of implemented interventions will be reviewed to determine the necessity of a new or modified intervention.
Student learning plans, RIMPs, and graduation plans will be revised as student progress is demonstrated. Teachers will work to communicate progress with families and engage parents as partners in problem-solving.
Identifying and Responding to Social & Emotional Needs of Students and Staff
Lakewood utilizes Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) throughout K-12. Teachers, counselors, and leaders will observe students within the school setting and identify students with engagement or attendance concerns. The district’s board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) will partner with the classroom teacher to observe students within the learning setting for signs of social, emotional, or mental stress. In addition, building MTSS teams review the mental health concerns identified by students, families, and their teachers. Principals and counselors will make wellness calls and visits to families to discuss student engagement, social-emotional wellness, and mental health concerns. Through this partnership, school teams will identify needed family support. The district has also partnered with The Village Network to bring clinical services into the schools.
Lakewood teachers and staff are committed to ongoing professional development in the 2021-22 school year. All faculty and staff will participate in six hours of Mental Health First Aide/Trauma-Responsive Practices in August. The district will establish a district-wide team to develop an action plan for Lakewood to become a Trauma-Informed District.
The district is committed to meeting the needs of the whole child and understands that student learning is best supported by maintaining positive relationships between family, school, and community within a safe, caring, and supportive learning environment.
Periodic Review
This plan will be reviewed regularly and as new guidelines are released by state and federal agencies. Adjustments to programming, practices, and policies will be made based on data, the impact of programming, and local, state, and federal guidelines.