The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has released its guidelines for reopening schools this fall.
The DPI published Education Forward, an 83-page document that details plans for a safe return to school.
"While I expect schools to reopen this fall, they will undoubtedly look different," State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor said.
The guidelines offer three tiers of instruction, ranging from in-person to virtual, as well as four schedule scenarios if the decision is made to incorporate in-person teaching.
Below are scheduling scenarios released by DPI:
Four-day week:
- Each student level (elementary, middle, and high school) reports to school, outdoor learning spaces, or community-based organizations four full days a week.
- Schools are closed on the fifth day to allow for deep-cleaning.
- Students are provided with virtual learning materials—digital, analog, or a combination of the two formats—to support learning on those days when they do not report to school for in-person learning.
- All English learner, special education, gifted and talented, and resource teachers work with small groups of students to reduce the student-teacher ratios to 10/1 or fewer in each learning environment.
- Learning in outdoor spaces or partnerships with community-based organizations may be needed to keep student-teacher ratios to 10/1 or fewer.
- One day per week is used for teacher planning and professional learning. On this day, students do not report to school but virtual learning continues.
Two-day rotation:
- All students report to school, outdoor learning spaces, or community-based organizations two full days per week (Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday).
- Students are provided with virtual learning materials —digital, analog, or a combination of the two formats— to support learning on those days when they do not report to school for in-person learning.
- All English learners, special education, gifted and talented, and resource teachers work with small groups of students to reduce the student-teacher ratios to 10/1 or fewer in each learning environment.
- Learning in outdoor spaces or partnerships with community-based organizations may be needed to keep student-teacher ratios to 10/1 or fewer. • One day per week is used for teacher planning and professional learning. On this day, students do not report to school but virtual learning continues.
A/B Week Rotation:
- Half of the student population reports to school, outdoor learning spaces, or community-based organizations four full days per week for in-person learning while the other half of the school population participates in virtual learning at home. The two student groups alternate between in-person and virtual learning weekly. All grade bands are included.
- Students are provided with virtual learning materials—digital, analog, or a combination of the two formats—to support learning on those days when they do not report to school for in-person learning.
- All English learner, special education, gifted and talented, and resource teachers work with small groups of students to reduce the student-teacher ratios to 10/1 or fewer in each learning environment.
- Learning in outdoor spaces or partnerships with community-based organizations may be needed to keep student-teacher ratios to 10/1 or fewer.
- One day per week is used for teacher planning and professional learning. Students do not report to school on these days but continue learning independently.
Elementary face-to-face and secondary virtual learning:
- Elementary students start back to school first, before other levels.
- Elementary students attend four full days per week and are distributed across multiple sites (e.g., elementary and middle school buildings) to reduce the student-teacher ratio in accordance with physical distancing recommendations.
- Secondary students continue to engage in virtual learning.
- Students are provided with virtual learning materials—digital, analog, or a combination of the two formats—to support learning on those days when they do not report to school for in-person learning.
- All English learner, special education, gifted and talented, and resource teachers work with small groups of students to reduce the student-teacher ratios to 10/1 or fewer in each learning environment. Learning in outdoor spaces or partnerships with community-based organizations may be needed to keep student-teacher ratios to 10/1 or fewer.
- One day per week is used for teacher planning and professional learning. Students do not report to school on these days but continue learning independently.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the inequities existing in Wisconsin," Taylor said. "As we look to address these inequities and the planning around the pandemic, the DPI is focused on providing school districts the necessary supports and regulatory relief to pursue innovative strategies to ensure equitable access to learning."
"I like the four days a week with a nice clean up day on Friday, or Monday, or whichever they decide, or middle of the week," Dana Tingley, a Howard-Suamico School District parent said. "I thought that was kind of a neat model. If it's still looking icky, I did like the model where they have kids in school Monday-Tuesday, clean on Wednesday, swap those kids out and have those kids go home Thursday and Friday."
"Whatever it is, if we can look at it and know that it's going to be pretty consistent, I think I'm more likely to send them back, but we're also looking at home school," Erin Pennings, a parent with one child in the Unified School District of De Pere. "It would be temporary and it would be for consistency's sake."
To read the full DPI guidelines, click here.
