Families choosing At-Home Learning should ensure their children have adequate space, materials and technology access for their daily online instruction, requesting school assistance to provide a device and internet service, as needed.

Students and parents should also both be willing to meet the following expectations:

Students will:

• Follow the designated schedule communicated to attend class during synchronous and asynchronous learning.
• Complete daily asynchronous activities and assignments.
• Participate daily in scheduled learning activities, including intervention and tutorials.
• Use proper etiquette during online learning.
• Own your learning by seeking help, asking questions, and taking advantage of tutorial sessions.
• Turn in school work daily and/or at the direction of the assigned teacher.
• Show up to synchronous instruction ready to learn, on time, and follow online etiquette including using video and showing your face during class.
• Attend in-person requirements for specified courses.

Parents will:

• Champion the online classroom environment. 
• Check-in to be sure your student(s) are following the designated schedule communicated. 
• Monitor and ensure students completion of daily asynchronous activities and assignments.
• Monitor daily participation in scheduled learning activities, including intervention and tutorials.
• Support proper etiquette during online learning.
• Support student(s) advocating for their own learning. 
• Provide transportation to meet in-person requirements for attendance at school.

Engagement Expectations

• At-Home learners are expected to engage daily in learning activities. This includes following the assigned daily schedule and collaborating with teachers and peers during synchronous and asynchronous assignments.
• Secondary students are expected to log in daily to Schoology/Canvas and follow the agenda of activities for classes that meet on that day. It is recommended that students log in at the start of school and follow their classes at the same time schedule as At-School learners. 

Example: When At-Home students are engaged in Zoom meetings with their class, students should have their videos on

The Texas Education Agency allows school districts to discontinue At-Home Learning for students whose academic performance in one or more classes puts them at significant risk of severe learning loss. 

Families of At-Home learners should watch for communication from teachers about their student’s progress throughout the grading period. Teachers will make efforts to understand a student’s unique situation and partner with families to improve grades.

If grades are below 70 in one or more classes at the end of a grading period (second-12th grades) or progress is not being made in reading or math (kindergarten-first grade), a student may be considered for discontinuation of At-Home Learning. Before this last recourse is implemented, parents will be asked to meet with the campus to develop a specific action plan for the student.

At-Home learners will be taught by certified Belton ISD teachers who have received additional training in best practices for remote learning and the use of online learning platforms. It is possible the teacher may not be from your student’s home campus, although your student will remain associated with the home campus even as an At-Home learner (i.e. receiving weekly principal emails, participating in PTA, inclusion in yearbook and clubs, etc.).

At-Home teachers will be available during designated times to provide additional support to students by answering questions and providing feedback. To enhance the At-Home learning experience, staff such as interventionists, librarians, and instructional aides will provide support when applicable.

At-Home learners will be expected to meet daily attendance requirements in accordance with state compulsory attendance policies. Those requirements could include daily progress demonstrated through engagement within the learning management system, participation in a student/teacher interaction, and/or the completion or submission of an assignment. Providing appropriate documentation of a verified absence would be required by state attendance and truancy compliance.

Clarification updated 11/19/20:

• To be counted present for the day, At-Home learners must meet each teacher’s daily engagement expectations. This could include engaging in learning activities either during scheduled class time, through a learning management system or in an alternative manner approved by the teacher.
• When At-Home learners are “absent,” documentation such as a note from a parent or doctor is required to determine if the absence is excused.
• Being an At-School or At-Home learner is not a daily choice. Families should coordinate with campus staff to consider changes between learning environments.

Our At-Home Learning experience for pre-K through 12th grade will include synchronous and asynchronous instructional delivery methods which means sometimes students will learn individually and other times they will learn together with their classmates.

Asynchronous

• Students engaged in learning independently
• Examples: discussion boards, digital documents, pre-recorded lessons, reading assignments

Synchronous

• Students engaged in learning with others
• Examples: live classroom presentations, small groups held via Zoom, project collaboration via Google docs

At-Home learners will be able to pick up Grab-and-Go breakfasts and lunches from their home campus during times that will be announced at a later date. Additional details to know include:

• Only enrolled students are eligible for meal service.
• Parents can pick up meals without the student present if they have the student’s ID card.
• Point of Sale for each meal at each campus will be scanned and hands-free.
  
• No cash transactions will be allowed. Payment can be made into student a counts  online, by mail or in person on campus at designated times.

At-Home Elementary School - Sample Schedule / En español

Pre-Kindergarten

Asynchronous instruction is the model approved by the Texas Education Agency for this age group. Belton ISD At-Home will offer activities:

• Daily teacher-student interaction (check-in) through a video-conference.
• Families will be provided with manipulatives and other resources to complement the curriculum.
• Teachers may schedule individual tutorials and interventions* as needed.
• May include some face-to-face opportunities for outside social distancing activities to support the class community.

Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade

Core area instruction will include:

• Daily teacher-student interaction (check-in) through SeeSaw. 
• Assignments completed and turned in by students on a daily basis.
• Teachers may schedule individual tutorials and interventions* as needed.
• May include some face-to-face opportunities for outside social distancing activities to support the class community.

Music, physical education, gifted and talented, and all other special program services will be provided through asynchronous instruction via SeeSaw.

Third Grade, Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade

Core area instruction will include:

• Daily teacher-student interaction (check-in) through Google Classroom. 
• Assignments completed and turned in by students on a daily basis.
• Teachers may schedule individual tutorials and interventions* as needed.
• Regular grading policies will be utilized.
• May include some face-to-face opportunities for outside social distancing activities to support the class community.

Music, physical education, gifted and talented, and all other special program services will be provided through asynchronous instruction via Google Classroom.

*Interventions

Intervention time will be scheduled for students to best meet their academic needs. During this time, students may engage in individual and/or small group instruction. Teachers will communicate with students their plan for the designated time.

Regular grading policies will be utilized as students engage in a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction based on:

• Completion of daily assignments.
• Scheduled tutorials and interventions.
• Teachers/student check-ins.

At-Home Middle School - Sample Schedule / En español

Electives

For most elective courses, teachers will post lessons in Schoology and students will complete work independently (asynchronous instruction). 

Because of the nature of assignments, some courses will require students to attend in-person instruction:

• Elective Courses with In-Person Attendance Requirements

At-Home learners enrolled in Robotics will receive instruction in computer coding.

Athletics

All athletic courses will require in-person attendance at practices and competitions. Participation in the athletic period is strongly encouraged but not required. If you are unable to attend the athletic period you may be required to come before or after school to make-up the workout. Contact the individual coach or campus girls or boys coordinator if you have any questions. 

Students wishing to earn a PE credit may take that course through Edgenuity. Please contact the campus counselor for more details.

Intervention

Intervention time will be scheduled for students to best meet their academic needs. During this time, students may engage in individual and/or small group instruction. Teachers will communicate with students their plan for the designated time.

Students will receive a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction. 

• Completion of daily assignments.
• Scheduled tutorials and interventions. 
• Teachers establishing mandatory, synchronous check-ins as needed.
• Regular grading policies.

At-Home High School - Sample Schedule / En español

Career & Technical Education

CTE courses will require At-Home learners to meet in-person on a high school campus for activities that cannot be reasonably completed at home. Activities could include the use of specialized equipment, direct supervision of hands-on activities, assessments, science labs, collaborative presentations or other teacher-directed learning. This combination can occur in a multitude of ways and may include smaller groups and staggered attendance for competency-based, hands-on learning. The amount of time for in-person instruction required will be communicated prior to the beginning of school.

The following CTE document outlines the CTE courses that will require some in-person instruction for At-Home learners.

Dual Credit

At-Home learners will have the opportunity to take dual credit courses with UMHB, UTPB and Temple College. Each college or university has its own plans for the 2020-2021 school year and may require some in-person attendance. Questions may be directed to the high school counselor.

High School Elective Areas

Elective courses will be offered for At-Home Learning either by a Belton ISD teacher or through the Edgenuity platform.

Identified courses will require some in-person attendance when access is needed for specialized equipment and direct supervision of hands-on activities. The amount of time required will be communicated prior to the beginning of school.

• Elective Courses with In-Person Attendance Requirements

Athletics

All athletic courses will require in-person attendance at practices and competitions. Participation in the athletic period is strongly encouraged but not required. If you are unable to attend the athletic period you may be required to come before or after school to make-up the workout. Contact the individual coach or campus coordinator if you have any questions. 

Students wishing to earn a PE credit may take that course through Edgenuity. Please contact the campus counselor for more details.

Intervention

Intervention time will be scheduled for students to best meet their academic needs. During this time, students may engage in individual and/or small group instruction. Teachers will communicate with students their plan for the designated time.

At-Home Learners and their parents will have access to the same counseling support and guidance from their home campus school counselor in these ways:

Elementary

• Classroom teacher support in providing guidance lessons for social emotional learning and other state-mandated topics as needed.
  
  
• Available to meet with students via phone or online with parent consent.
  
  
• Provide crisis response services to students receiving according to the Belton ISD crisis response protocol.
  
  
• Maintain current information regarding mental health and community services for students, families, and staff on the district COVID-19 counseling resources webpage.

Middle School

• Provide instruction as needed regarding individual planning and guidance curriculum.
  
  
• Classroom teacher support in providing instruction for social emotional learning and other state-mandated topics as needed.
  
  
• Available to meet with students via phone or online with parent consent.
  
  
• Provide crisis response services to students according to the Belton ISD crisis response protocol.
  
  
• Maintain current information regarding mental health and community services for students, families, and staff on the district COVID-19 counseling resources webpage.

High School

• Provide information to the Class of 2021 on graduation, post-secondary opportunities, FAFSA, etc., via text, email, campus websites, and Schoology.
  
  
• Provide students access to Xello (college and career readiness software). 
  
  
• Provide instruction as needed regarding individual planning and guidance curriculum.
  
  
• Classroom teacher support in providing instruction for social emotional learning and other state-mandated topics as needed.
  
  
• Available to meet via phone or online with parent consent.
  
  
• Provide crisis response services according to the Belton ISD crisis response protocol.
  
  
• Maintain current information regarding mental health and community services for students, families, and staff on the district COVID-19 counseling resources webpage

Special education services for students participating in the At-Home Learning option will be a blend of live, two-way teacher interaction and independent practice. Accommodations, modified curriculum, alternate curriculum, and/or related services will continue to be provided for students in At-Home Learning who meet eligibility requirements.

At-Home learners will receive instruction in alignment with their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 accommodation plan as follows:

• Accommodations

Students receiving accommodations will participate in At-Home instruction with a general education teacher. Special education teachers will collaborate with the teacher to assist with the implementation of accommodations documented in each student’s IEP or Section 504 accommodation plan.

• Modified Curriculum

Students receiving modified curriculum will receive At-Home instruction that is designed to address the goals and objectives documented in each student’s IEP. The general education teacher and special education teacher will collaborate to provide modified assignments.

• Alternative Curriculum

Students receiving an alternate curriculum will receive At-Home instruction to implement an alternate curriculum and address goals/objectives as documented in each student’s IEP. Learning tasks will be provided by the special education teacher.

In addition to the information below, Belton ISD has a specific Special Education Plan to provide additional information.

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)

Students will receive asynchronous instruction. Asynchronous instruction is the model approved by the Texas Education Agency for this age group. It is based on:

• Daily teacher-student interaction (check-in) through a video-conference.
• Hands-on manipulatives being provided to support student learning and access to electronic lessons to utilize manipulatives.
• At-Home work can be submitted to the teacher through SeeSaw.
• Individualized resources provided to parents through CIRCLE Pre-K curriculum, Goalbook and/or Vizzle for students in Pre-K and ECSE 4 year-old program.
• Individualized resources provided to parents through Goalbook and/or Vizzle for ECSE students in the 3 year-old program.
• Individual scheduled intervention time as needed.
• Services, accommodations and modifications will be tracked in Easy Sped Tracker by the special education teacher or paraprofessional.

Inclusion Support

Students will receive instructional support on assignments provided by the general education teacher. Inclusion support will be provided based on the student’s IEP.

Resource

In English/language arts/reading and math, students will receive a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction including:

• Daily teacher-student interaction (check-in) through SeeSaw, Google Classroom, or Schoology based on grade level. 
• Regular grading policies and individualized grading decisions from the IEP will be utilized.

AIMS

Students will receive instructional support on assignments provided by the general education teacher:

• Daily teacher-student check-in/check-out interaction. 
• Individual scheduled tutorials, intervention and support time as needed.
• Provide social skills lessons a minimum of 3 times per week.
• Provide up-to-date resources on AIMS YouTube Channel as a parent support tool.

Functional Academics & Life Skills

Students will receive a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction including:

• Daily teacher-student interaction (check-in) through SeeSaw or other video-conference option.
• Hands-on manipulatives will be provided to support lessons for At-Home learners.
• Individualized resources provided to parents through Unique, Goalbook and/or Vizzle.
• Individual scheduled intervention time as needed.

Work-Based Learning (high school only)

Students will receive a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction including:

• Daily teacher-student interaction (check-in) through Schoology.
• On-site job coaching may be limited due to COVID-19 guidelines and site availability. Decisions regarding community-based placements will be made collaboratively with parents on a case-by-case basis.
• When job sites are unavailable, teachers will design lessons that target essential job skills.

DELTA (18+ services)

Students will receive a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction including:

• Daily teacher-student interaction (check-in) through SeeSaw.
• Individualized resources provided to parents through Unique, Goalbook and/or Vizzle.
• On-site job coaching may be limited due to COVID-19 guidelines and site availability. Decisions regarding community-based placements will be made collaboratively with parents on a case-by-case basis.
• When job sites are unavailable, teachers will design lessons that target essential job skills.

Speech, Related Services and Other Instructional Support

• Direct services will be provided virtually through Zoom based on the student’s IEP. These services may be one-on-one or in a small group.
• Staff will collaborate with parents to answer questions and provide suggestions on how to help students reach their educational goals.

ARD & 504 Meetings

• IEP and 504 plan services will be honored during At-Home Learning.
• Parents or educators can request an ARD or 504 meeting at any time by contacting their teacher or campus principal. Meetings will be held by phone or using Zoom.

Evaluations for Special Education & 504

Belton ISD is committed to completing special education and Section 504 evaluations for At-Home learners. The latest health and safety guidance will be followed for students requiring face-to-face assessments and observations.

Compensatory Services

Students receiving special education services may qualify for compensatory services due to the Spring 2020 facility closure. The ARD committee will determine if these services are needed. Parents/guardians may contact the teacher or campus principal to request an ARD to discuss these services. For additional information on compensatory services, please read this publication from the Texas Education Agency.

English Learners will receive a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, including:

• Daily teacher-student interaction (check-in) through Seesaw, Google Classroom, or Schoology based on grade level or another video-conference option is expected.
• Hands-on manipulatives will be provided to support lessons for At-Home learners (Pre-K only)  
• Individually scheduled intervention time as needed.
• At-Home work can be submitted to the teacher through Seesaw, Google Classroom, or Schoology. 
• Bilingual staff will collaborate with parents to answer questions and provide suggestions on helping students reach their educational goals.
• Dual Language PK through 2nd grade students will receive a mix of direct and indirect instruction. The language delivery of the direct instruction will be in Spanish to continue with the literacy in their home language. The asynchronous instruction time will be used to deliver the English Learning Development component. The asynchronous instruction will look like English videos of songs, simple activities, and read aloud stories (for second graders) to continue with our implementation's DL framework.

Students served through Gifted and Talented will continue to receive an array of appropriately challenging learning experiences. Teachers will communicate expectations with At-Home Learnings students and their families about advanced-level products.

At-Home Learning students will have live, interactive learning with an assigned dyslexia teacher.