UPDATED Monday, March 30, 2020

Dear Puyallup School District Students and Families,

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) changed its guidance for schools last week regarding student support and learning during our state-wide school closure. OSPI’s guidance for school districts is centered around the following three principles:

• • Keep Focused on Students
• • Design Learning for Equity and Access
• • Assess Student Learning

OSPI expects school districts to develop and implement a multi-phase student support and learning plan by today, March 30, 2020. Our school district leaders, school administrators, and teacher leaders have been working since the start of the school closure on March 16, 2020 to create a sustainable plan that will support and move learning forward for Puyallup School District students.  Phase 1, as noted below, was completed by staff last week, and Phase 2 starts today.  Phase 1 and Phase 2 are outlined below:

Phase 1: Develop District-Wide Student Support and Learning Plan (Completed)

• • Communication  
  •  » Call students and families and determine access to resources (technology, internet, etc.)
  •  » Identify and prepare plans for documenting contact with students
  •  » Develop a plan for each student to receive at least one contact prior to the end of the week. For example, using email or another notification method to send a class-wide message.
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• • Student Learning 
  •  » Establish plans to reach special populations of students, including students with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, those who are medically fragile, and students experiencing homelessness.

Phase 2: Implement District-Wide Student Support and Learning Plan (In Progress)

• • Communication 
  •  » Send weekly emails to students and families (calls to those who do not have access to email)  
  •  » Establish a plan to communicate with students and families each week
  •  » Answer new questions and problem solve  
  •  » Develop weekly schedules for students to follow

• • Student Learning 
  •  » Deliver content in a flexible and adaptable way that is accessible for all students (printed learning materials, phone, email, video, or other online means) 
  •  » Continue to provide support and intervention for students 
    •   – Monitor student progress  
    •   – Provide individual performance feedback 
    •   – Feedback can be given by phone, email, video, Schoology, or other online means 
    •   – If students are only completing paper packets, progress can be monitored by calling families and providing support and guidance 

In addition to the multi-phase student support and instructional plan described above, there is specific information pertaining to our high school students and grading practices for all students detailed below:

• • High School Students (Grades 9 – 12)

•  » Seniors: The state created potential waivers for graduation requirements for the Class of 2020 and the State Board of Education is drafting rules for these waivers, which they plan to finalize by the end of April. District leaders, high school administrators, on-time graduation specialists, and counselors have worked to determine the best way to address the needs of our seniors through a variety of pathways. Individual students at risk have been identified and staff are reaching out to provide support.
•  » AP Exams: All 2020 AP exams will be administered electronically, allowing students to take exams at home in response to school closures related to the COVID 19 pandemic.  Specific details are listed on the College Board’s AP website here: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update. The College Board now offers free online AP exam study resources for all subjects: Click Here to learn more. All AP students will receive additional information about this year's exams on April 4th.

 • Grading

» The grading practices described below are in place until April 27, 2020 and is subject to change if the Governor extends the school closure. Performance-based feedback may be delivered through email to a student’s parent or guardian that shares evidence of academic growth from an assignment, activity, or discussion that occurred.  In addition, the following grading practices will apply starting now until the end of the school closure.

The Puyallup School District is dedicated to keeping students at the center of our work through this six-week school closure. We will provide instruction and student supports, that build upon students’ strengths, interests, and needs. The focus for our educators is to plan for student learning, develop a weekly plan and schedule, contact families, teach content, deliver flexible instruction, and engage and support families by navigating this new world together.