Continuity+of+Learning

//(Adopted from iNACOL - International Association for K-12 Online Learning)//
 * Critical Questions in Assessing Pandemic Readiness  **


 * School Districts Need to be Prepared to Answer the Following Questions **


 * Immediately Survey Administration, Faculty, Parents, and Students **



Conduct an Inventory of student and teachers access to the computers and reliable Internet connections in their homes. · Do you know which teachers have home computers? · Do you know which teachers have Internet? · Do teachers know how to deliver a lesson online and collect student work? · Do teachers have all home phone numbers and backup cell numbers for every parent and student? · <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you know which students have a computer and Internet at home? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What will you do for students who have no computer or Internet? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Based on the inventory, is there a plan on how to get computers/hardware to each of the students who do not have access to them. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Is anyone dependent on having Internet connection and how will you provide that in a natural disaster? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How can quarantined students be given access to computers without contaminating them?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; msofareastfontfamily: Arial; msolist: Ignore;">1. ****<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Access Inventory **

<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you have a plan and mechanism in place for quick communication with teachers, parents and students? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you have the ability to electronically transmit student records/transcripts? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Do your managers have contact data for all their employees in hard copy? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How will you deal with keeping parents and media informed? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Who will deal with media questions? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If your school is not functional, who will inform the community about the changed communication methods? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Who will change your website? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Who will change your school phone message? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Who will push a broadcast message to parents? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Are parent cell phones included in broadcast messaging if landlines are down? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you have an emergency call tree and have you tested it? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you know the critical roles that must be filled and who is capable of filling them? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Does every person in a critical role at a minimum have a full copy of your learning continuity plan at home in hard copy? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you have a consistent plan for backups of important information from personal computers to a common location? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you know the threshold of affected people before you must close your school? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Have you considered partnering with community leaders, organizations and businesses in planning for delivery of instruction to ensure learning continuity during pandemic or disaster situations? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If social-distancing is enacted, or your school becomes a temporary medical clinic, how will your school: <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">a. Deliver instruction? b. Communicate with parents? c. Communicate with media? d. Keep IT structures running? e. Ensure students are supervised at home? f. Provide counseling needs? g. Provide class schedule changes if the disaster falls during that period of the year? <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Content and curriculum resources should be in place and teachers and students trained on how to use them before a plan is implemented. Working with these resources will ensure a smooth transition into the learning continuity plan.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria,Bold','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Cambria,Bold'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Cambria,Bold'; msobidifontfamily: 'Cambria,Bold'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Cambria,Bold'; msolist: Ignore;">2. ****<span style="font-family: 'Cambria,Bold','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Cambria,Bold';">Communication **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria,Bold','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Cambria,Bold';">3. Instructional Resources **

<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What content is available in a digital format to provide to students from a distance? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you have an online repository of all district curriculum offerings? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How is digital content/curriculum created or selected? How is it organized and aligned to individual state standards? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How is the digital content/curriculum managed, housed, updated, and delivered? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What types of assessments are provided? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How are assessments created or selected? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What other tools will be needed to deliver instruction in the short term? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Long term? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Vendors and partners could assist with enrolling and tracking students in e-learning programs. Should they be organized nationally, regionally, by state, district, or school? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">What type of technical support will be needed for thousands of users new to online learning systems? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Is there availability of online courses through the school and/or through partnerships? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">What types of course design/instructional design is appropriate for elementary, middle, and high school? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">What is the lead-time for teachers to have their course curriculum on line before students begin? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Should the curriculum mirror what is being taught in the face-to-face classroom? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Should educational activities be sustained for all courses or limited to core courses? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">What is the role of textbooks? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Should policy require that all content be available digitally? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">What student support strategies are appropriate for elementary, middle, and high school students? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Do you have emergency lessons prepared for students for short-term school closures? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">How will students receive the lessons? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Are teachers aware of what their team members are teaching in the event that they must temporarily take over a class? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">How will you deliver instruction to a child who is quarantined or socially distanced? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">How will teachers deliver and collect student work? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Do students have a backup syllabus or lessons available in print form in a safe location at home? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">How will you decide what lessons to make available for an immediate continuity need since you will not know where you are in your teaching plans if a disaster strikes? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Do you know what happens if social distancing takes place during a state or school mandatory testing period? <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Technology tools should be in place and teachers and students trained on how to use them before a plan is implemented. Working within these tools will ensure a smooth transition into the learning continuity plan.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria,Bold','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Cambria,Bold'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Cambria,Bold'; msobidifontfamily: 'Cambria,Bold'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Cambria,Bold'; msolist: Ignore;">4. ****<span style="font-family: 'Cambria,Bold','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Cambria,Bold';">Technology **

<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Does your staff have access to a distance-learning platform/ Learning Management System (LMS)? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Is there an inventory of computers and mobile devices that are accessible to students/teachers/administrators outside of school to develop a 1:1 computing environment using a combination of student owned and school owned devices? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Have you conducted an analysis of critical learning transactions that can be carried out on mobile devices vs. computers?

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;">International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;">http://www.inacol.org <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;">, 1934 Old Gallows Road, Suite 350, Vienna, VA 22182 <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;">phone: 703-752-6216, email: <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;">info@inacol.org <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;">