Prior to the decision to extend the District 97 school day, school and district administrators developed equity-based criteria that would accommodate families who were seeking to change their child's learning selection from remote to in person for Trimester 3.
As a part of this process, we are still seeking to maintain our current models of social distancing. This means that it is possible that not all requests can be honored based on our current distancing model. However, should we continue to revisit social distance models, requests will be considered in the order that they were received.
To that end, the district, in alignment with the Equity Policy adopted in March of 2019, is prioritizing the following groups for exceptions to our learning selection protocol and practices:
- Students with disabilities (inclusive of students with academic 504 plans, students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and students currently moving through the evaluation process for an IEP), in alignment with the D97 Equity Policy
- Students eligible for tiered interventions who require academic and/or social-emotional supports outside of the classroom
- Black and Latinx students, in alignment with the D97 Equity Policy (given the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on families of color)
- Students who are chronically absent (absences that total 10% or more of school days of the most recent academic school year, including absences with and without valid cause)
- Students who present with limited engagement as outlined using the continuum of engagement from The Distance Learning Playbook, K-12 by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey and John Hattie
- Students in prekindergarten and kindergarten
- Students who receive free or reduced lunch, in alignment with the D97 Equity Policy
- Teacher and/or administrator recommendation
If you would like to request a return to on-site learning for your child/children, please submit your request directly to the building principal. We are currently planning for an on-site return, if your request is approved, on April 7, 2021, for elementary school students and on April 12, 2021 for middle school students.