In accordance with Section 10-20.56 of the School Code, school districts may establish an e-Learning Plan to address student learning in an e-environment. School District 54 will utilize this e-Learning Plan to allow e-learning on emergency days. Our students are familiar with digital learning experiences in the classroom, which enables teachers and staff to take educational experiences beyond the walls of the classroom and comply with the statutory requirements. Due to the state legislation and our current technology infrastructure, CCSD54 can meet the statutory stipulations to use e-learning days in a manner that permits students to use digital tools to access learning opportunities from e-locations. The approval of the e-Learning Program Verification Form along with the e-Learning Plan allows CCSD54 to move forward with the overarching plan for e-learning for emergency days.
District 54 shared a 3-year plan to utilize e-learning during select emergency school closure days. The current calendar year is set to end on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. In the event of emergency closings, the first two closures would be traditional cancellations. Additional days (up to three), would follow the e-learning structure. Students in kindergarten through eighth-grade would access asynchronous digital learning, while Early Learning Center students would complete non-digital activities. Pending Board of Education approval at the October Board meeting, the plan would be submitted to the North Cook Regional Office of Education.
Teaching, Learning, and Curricular Connections
Student learning activities will be tied to the existing curriculum within Schaumburg CCSD54. Learning objectives align with the content and skills students must master to be successful in each course during a given academic year. Teachers will collaborate on their course and grade-level teams to develop activities in line with the expected curriculum, as is done currently on a regular basis. Suggested activities will align with a student’s current instructional program (i.e. reading, math, fine arts, etc.). Learning activities will be varied, balanced, and meet the requirements of the e-Learning Plan.
Student and Staff Access and Connectivity
Student learning will be implemented utilizing a Learning Management System such as Google Classroom or Seesaw, and can be completed on a district-issued iPad or Chromebook. Learning experiences may be non-digital in nature if that makes educational sense for the unit and/or grade level. Teachers will monitor student involvement and completion of e-learning activities. Students identified as having limited or no access to reliable internet at home will be provided with resources, which may include mobile hotspots.
School Day and Student Attendance
The school day during an e-learning day will consist of asynchronous instruction to mirror the regular school in-person day. Student attendance and monitoring will take place through the Learning Management Systems of Google Classroom and Seesaw, and will be based on work or learning activities performed on these days. Attendance may also be collected via Google Form for some classes.
Students with Unique Needs
Students will have the opportunity to continue to receive learning activities from their special education teacher, related service provider, and/or emergent multilingual teacher based upon the requirements of their individual plans. Students will be afforded reasonable accommodations and modifications outlined in their IEP, Section 504 plan, and/or support plan(s).
Notice to Bargaining Unit
Discussions with the Schaumburg Education Association (SEA) occurred given the possibility of inclement weather days in future years. At that time the e-learning plan was drafted and updated by the leadership team in collaboration with our SEA leadership.
Staff Training
Continual professional learning on technology use occurs throughout the year for all staff in CCSD54. Similarly, the staff understands how to use age-appropriate digital resources for student work and collaboration. District technology support will be available to support staff in the implementation of e-learning and on e-learning days.
Benefits of e-learning for Emergency Days
- Allows for the end of the school year to be predictable and constant, regulates the number of emergency days.
- As structured, it allows educators to advance learning more effectively, given the ability to plan within the normal school year.
- It supports educators with families while maintaining the long-term fidelity of course/class scope and sequence, in that educators will have a reasonable amount of time to post assignments and are not expected to be available at all times, yet they can still provide meaningful educational experiences.
- Promotes flexible learning and operations in the digital age.
- Promotes learning beyond the school walls.
E-learning Structures & Rationale
There are a number of ways to implement e-learning within any school district. This update for Schaumburg CCSD54 seeks to continue to offer high quality academics for all students that advances learning within each class/course. Students in kindergarten through grade 8 will participate in e-learning with information being pushed out to students via an online portal (example: Seesaw, Google Classroom, etc.). Students in the Early Learning Center will receive activities aligned with the content and skills taught during their academic year. The experiences likely will require a device unless adequate notice is not able to be given in preparation for the emergency day.
The e-learning day shall be made up on the day of the emergency day. This updated plan will maintain a consistent end to the school year while ensuring that educational time is compensated for with fidelity.
The procedure for conducting an e-learning day (emergency day) will begin with alerting parents, students, and staff that an e-learning day is taking place and links to assignments and/or activities will be posted no later than 9 a.m. This will allow educators time to post e-learning plans that align with curriculum content and pacing.
It is important to note that attendance on the make-up day will be counted as an assignment. Students will have five school days to complete the requisite work. This allows families the flexibility to demonstrate the learning on their own timeline with little disruption to the general or special education programming.
Communication will be a critical piece in implementing e-learning on emergency days. CCSD54 issues annual communication to families regarding inclement weather procedures. Additional communication will include details regarding the concept of e-learning on emergency days and infrastructure to what this experience would look like for children at different levels.
Proposed E-learning Structures for Personnel
Educator Expectations
Purpose
To define the expectations of an e-learning day for general education teachers so that they can adequately plan and implement lesson plans within the CCSD54 framework.
Definition
If the e-learning option is exercised, the day shall be made up on the date of the emergency event.
Communication
It is expected that educators are notified of the emergency day per the usual CCSD54 communication protocols.
Learning Experience Expectations
- Learning target(s) and experiences are posted no later than 8:30 a.m. (Junior High) and 9:30 a.m. (Elementary) on the e-learning day.
- Students will have five school days to complete the learning experience. Attendance will be tied directly to completion/demonstration of the learning experiences on the day in question or within the five school day window.
- Attendance will be entered on the sixth school day following the e-Learning day. Building administrators will send a reminder for staff to complete this.
- Learning experiences will be developed and posted for student interaction. Students will complete an experience in each content/special area, as outlined in their daily schedule.
IEP Procedures
Special education and related services will be afforded to students with IEPs. Special education services may be provided in a number of ways, including but not limited to asynchronous learning, videos and posting on digital platforms to mirror the regular school in-person day. Learning activities will be developed by special education teachers and related service providers.
Education Support Personnel (ESP) Expectations
Purpose
To define the expectations of an e-learning day for non-certified personnel so that they can adequately plan and make proper use of their work time and professional development.
Definition
- If the e-learning option is exercised, the day will be made up on the date of the emergency event and it will count as a day of work for ESP personnel. There are many different and essential roles that ESP staff serve within CCSD54. Depending on the role, the experience will be differentiated to meet the needs of the employees and students.
Work Plans
It is important that supervisors communicate the ESP expectations on these days clearly to their employees. The supervisor’s expectations will be the most important piece in defining the workday for CCSD54 ESP employees.