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Superintendent’s Update

Shared with the Corvallis School Board during the August 6, 2020 meeting

Planning for the 2020-21 School Year

Superintendent Noss kept the focus on the two educational options available to students for the 2020-21 school year. The information below was shared with families on August 6, 2020.

Option 1: Hybrid Model

The Hybrid Model is designed to be responsive to our changing community health environment – fluctuating between in-person classes when it is safe and virtual classes when safety concerns are present. This flexibility has already been put into practice – on July 27, we announced that Hybrid Model will open in a remote learning phase for the first six weeks of school.

Option 2: Corvallis Online

Corvallis Online is specifically designed to offer education online all year long. This program gives families who may have health concerns an option to participate in a Corvallis School District education without physical attendance.

Registering for the 2020-21 School Year

It is important to know that equity and inclusion are at the heart of our planning. These options include significantly more accountability than the emergency Distance Learning offered last spring. We are committed to providing care, connection, and strong instruction this fall.

The two options for families have prompted numerous questions from families, students and staff about how this fall will be different from what school looked like last spring. To help you compare the two, please see the table below. Social-emotional (SEL) support from counselors and teachers will be available in both models, even when students meet virtually. Creating connections between students, teachers, and support staff is a priority.

Hybrid ModelCorvallis Online
Grading: Elementary student progress will be measured by progress towards proficiency. Following guidance from ODE, we anticipate that middle and high school students will earn letter grades based on current standards.SAMEGrading: Elementary student progress will be measured by progress towards proficiency. Following guidance from ODE, we anticipate that middle and high school students will earn letter grades based on current standards.
Credits: Similar to prior years, students can earn up to 8 credits this year. Classes will be semester-long. Middle school students will take 4 classes fall semester and 4 different classes spring semester. High school students will take 3 or 4 classes fall semester and 3 or 4 different classes spring semester. (4 credits per semester for students in grade 9 and 3-4 credits per semester for students in grades 10-12). 24 credits required for graduation.SAMECredits: Similar to prior years, students can earn up to 8 credits this year. Classes will be semester-long. Middle school students will take 4 classes fall semester and 4 different classes spring semester. High school students will take 3 or 4 classes fall semester and 3 or 4 different classes spring semester. (4 credits per semester for students in grade 9 and 3-4 credits per semester for students in grades 10-12). 24 credits required for graduation.
Instruction: 5 days of learning. The first six weeks of school will be fully remote with 4 days face-to-face (virtual) teacher-led and facilitated instruction and project-based learning. When buildings open, 2 days in school and 3 days including at-home project-based learning. Daily attendance expected for both in-person and virtually scheduled class sessions.NOT THE SAMEInstruction: 5 days of learning. Fully online curriculum with goal setting and progress monitoring with Corvallis School District teachers. Daily individual progress expected. (Fully self-paced, independent learning, using online curriculum monitored by a teacher.)
Corvallis school buildings and staff: Register and attend boundary area/transfer school with boundary/transfer school teaching and support staff (either remote or in-person).NOT THE SAMEFully remote with CSD teachers: Register in Corvallis Online with assigned CSD teaching staff (remote only). Students will return to boundary school/transfer school in the 2021-22 school year.
Remote, with plans for in-person: First six weeks of fully remote learning, returning to in-person classes when safe to do so. When it is safe to resume in-person instruction, students will be assigned to two in-person attendance days per week. If a student is not able to attend in-person, they will still have remote access.NOT THE SAMEFull-year remote option: 100% virtual learning, using a different curriculum than the Hybrid Model. Similar to a mid-year school transfer, the process to transfer to the Hybrid model mid-year starts with discussing the need to shift with the school administrator.
Dual Language Immersion: DLI students are strongly encouraged to register for the Hybrid Model. Key elements of DLI include language modeling, language interaction, and cross-cultural interactions, which will be built into the DLI Hybrid instructional model. Classes will be taught by Garfield, Lincoln, LPMS, and CHS DLI teachers and staff. Families with health concerns will be working closely with school staff to ensure continued education.NOT THE SAMEDual Language Immersion: DLI students are strongly encouraged to register for the Hybrid Model. Key elements of DLI include language modeling, language interaction, and cross-cultural interactions, which will be built into the DLI Hybrid instructional model.
Life Skills: Students who are placed in CSD Life Skills programs are strongly encouraged to register for the Hybrid Model. Key elements of this program require the complete suite of professional services available in the home schools. Schools housing our Life Skills students are prepared to deliver this instruction in the Hybrid Model. Classes will be taught by Jefferson, Linus Pauling, and Corvallis High School teachers and staff. Families with health concerns will be working closely with school staff to ensure continued education. If in-person school resumes, students in Life Skills will not be required to attend in building instruction.NOT THE SAMECorvallis Online is a fully online, mostly independent program and does not offer the complete suite of professional services available at home schools.
Courses/Electives: Similar to prior years. Course offerings are based on the course catalog and student choice.NOT THE SAMECourses/Electives: Courses will be aligned with courses currently offered at CSD schools. Some middle and high school electives may not be available.
Curriculum: Standards-based curriculum with a focus on strong instruction, collaboration, and connection. Teacher leaders are working to develop further guidance and resources in each curricular area for at-home learning. Students will have access to Hybrid model learning curriculum only. Teachers will be adapting current curriculum to the Hybrid format.NOT THE SAMECurriculum: Courses are developed specifically for self-paced, online learning. Students will access Corvallis Online courses only through the Florida Virtual School or APEX learning platforms.

Additional information is available on the CSD website on a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions page.

A registration email will be sent from each student’s school starting Friday, August 7. Families will be asked to complete the registration process by August 17, 2020.