Consistent with the BOE decision, in 4^th marking period students can only earn an ‘S’ or ‘NG’ for 0.25 credit courses.  If a student earns an A, B, C, or D for the 0.25 credit course, then an ‘S’ will go on the transcript instead of the letter grade, the student will earn the 0.25 credit and the ‘S’ will not affect the student’s GPA (positively or negatively).

Confusion may be occurring because the teacher must enter grades into their gradebook.  The grades eventually are converted to ‘S’ or ‘NG’ by Central Office’s Data Division once grades close.  Parents may see grades in the gradebook right now, but when the report card is issued, there will be an ‘S’ or an ‘NG’ on the report card for the 0.25 credit 4^th quarter course.

AACPS has much to offer.  Please visit our AACPS Summer website to learn about all the various learning opportunities we have available.

First, please know that we are listening. We realize that in some cases the workload is too great and in other cases there are challenges regarding using the technology, spending too much time online, or expecting too much adult support for each learner. But, it is only the first few days of eLearning and we must give some time to teachers and students to listen to one another and reach a balance.

Here are a few possibilities to help relieve stress for you and your student:

• Review the assignments and choose the learning path that will work best for your student.  It may mean that you set a few assignments aside for the time being until your student is ready to tackle them.  You may also wish to break assignments into smaller chunks to minimize frustration during any one learning session.
  
  
• Remember, there is only one assignment per each subject area/course weekly that will be scored and put into the teacher’s gradebook.  It may be wise to organize a strategy where you plan for your student to address these assignments as a priority. In this way, you can offer your student relief from some of the other assignments that may be causing students to feel overwhelmed.
  
  
• We will be posting some “How do I…..?” Information-Directions Support Sheets to help families navigate the world of using some of the tools and software in your student’s Google Classroom’s student resources or materials.  We will also have sheets that describe how to best access some of these tools from your various technologies – smartphone, table, iPad, Windows machine, etc.
  
  
• We are asking teachers to move their due dates for assignments to Sunday evening so students and families have the week and the weekend to work on schoolwork at times that fit best into their families’ schedules and support structures.

Guidance from both the Federal Government and MSDE states that:

“Compensatory services are those services that are designed to remediate the loss of a Free and Appropriate Public Education, including the impact of the loss of services during extended school closures, which may be manifested in the regression of skills or the lack of progress in the general education curriculum or towards meeting annual IEP goals”. 

This guidance also clarifies that:  “if warranted, compensatory skills are not the same as Extended School Year Services, and do not replace existing special education services.  Missed services do not automatically result in a one-for-one award of hours”.  It has been proposed throughout the country that for this COVID-19 situation the term “compensatory services” should be replaced by some other term since these loss in services are not the fault of the public school system.

Once school reconvenes, informal assessments of your child’s skills will be completed to help you and other members of the IEP team in determining the potential need for additional services.  You and they will be looking at your child’s skills prior to the closure, during the closure, and upon returning to school.  In the meantime, we look forward to doing everything we can to minimize your student’s regression and to maximize any opportunities for growth.

We value your interest in working collaboratively with us as we do everything possible to serve your child and appreciate your patience and grace as we navigate these unprecedented times.

We are seeking to create a learning environment for the remainder of the fourth quarter with the least amount of academic and emotional stress possible for students and their families.  As such, we have asked teachers to work with students to be understanding when an assignment is late or to work with a student who needs additional learning support prior to finishing a graded assignment. 

As you know, there is ONE assignment per week per course or subject that is graded for inclusion in the teacher’s gradebook.  This one weekly assignment has the word “Gradebook” in its title when posted inside Google Classroom.  Look for “Gradebook” in the title and you will know which assignments need to be turned in for scoring and inclusion in the gradebook.  Only these “Gradebook” assignments will be used to calculate the student’s quarterly grade. 

Teachers are supporting students to learn the material needed to complete assignments during their Learning Support Time via Google Meet or Google Voice sessions offered throughout the week.  We are working hard to minimize student grade anxiety and as such will not be offering Redos during this time away from school.  If your student has questions and needs help, please have them reach out to their teacher prior to submitting their assignment.

Weekly assigned work is due on Sunday evening according to the timeframe noted by your student’s teacher in their Google Classroom.  Work must be turned in to be graded.  However, a student who is working with their teacher to grasp a concept or overcome the burden of a lack of reliable Internet connectivity, may be given some additional time to complete the work. This will be handled on a case by case basis by your student speaking and working with their teacher via Google Voice or through their Google Classroom communication.  NOTE: No assignment that is attempted and turned in for scoring will receive less than a 50% grade.  

Todos los padres pueden apoyar el aprendizaje de sus hijos, y los maestros están disponibles para explicarle el trabajo a través del sistema telefónico Language Link. Si necesita ayuda para entender las tareas o la tecnología, o necesita ayuda para comunicarse con el maestro de su hijo, comuníquese con el facilitador bilingüe de su escuela.

• Bilingual Family and Community Outreach Facilitators —SY 2019-2020

All parents are able to support their children’s learning, and teachers are available to explain work to you through Language Link.  If you need assistance with understanding the assignments or technology, or you need help communicating with your child’s teacher, please contact your school’s bilingual facilitator.

• Lista de Facilitadores Bilingües año escolar 2019-2020

Initially, it is important to note that the assignments are meant to be worked on over the course of a week.  We suggest that each student spends 2-3 hours per day on their school work. This may include watching assigned videos, reading, solving problems, and doing small assignments across all subject areas.  We do not expect that students will be ‘glued’ to their computers or smart devices for several hours per day.

Most importantly, take care of your family and yourself.   If your child is participating in the general education classrooms, please note that the activities being graded are in bold font and should have the word ‘Gradebook’ in the title.  Focus on supporting your child in mastering those activities first.  The work that your child does with their special education teacher and service providers is also key as it is designed to prevent regression and promote growth on the Individualized Continuity of Learning Plan goals. 

If anything above and beyond this work is overwhelming, please don’t feel like you must address the activities.  If within a key learning opportunity, the number of resources are too great for your child, please assist them in selecting one or two of the supports (video, article to be read…) to use to address the content.

 

Los estudiantes en el programa ESOL participan en sus clases del nivel del grado y sus clases de ESOL a través de Google Classroom. Sus lecciones de inglés continúan en el aula de ESOL en Google Classroom, y el maestro de ESOL está disponible para apoyarlos a usted y a su hijo. Los maestros proporcionarán apoyo adicional y adaptaciones para los niños que están aprendiendo el inglés. Los niños en los grados 3-12 también pueden usar el programa Imagine Learning Language and Literacy para continuar aprendiendo inglés.

Students in the English Language Acquisition program participate in their grade level classes and their ESOL classes through Google Classroom.  Their English lessons continue in the ESOL Google classroom, and the ESOL teacher is available to support you and your child.  Teachers  will provide additional support and accommodations for children learning English.  Children in Grades 3-12 can also use the Imagine Learning Language and Literacy program to continue learning English.

Our AP teachers are working hard to ready all AP students for the upcoming AP tests.  They are offering content and testing support through their Google Classrooms. AACPS also sent home a letter with AP text/exam information on April 20, 2020.  

In addition, The College Board is offering webinars with teacher, student, and family AP support.Here is the best College Board AP resource website for you and your student to review

This Google Meet Microphone & Camera Infosheet can be used to turn your camera and/or microphone off when in Google Classroom or Google Meet.

We don’t require your student to show their face when working with their teacher in Google Meet.  Simply turn off your camera and your student will not be seen by the teacher or their classmates.

When in Google Classroom or Google Meet it is wise to mute your microphone when not speaking so no background noise is captured and shared with the other people in the online environment. You can teach your student to unmute their microphone when they wish to speak.

Beginning 4/14/20, teachers will be holding daily Office Hours and offering daily online Learning Support time for students.  This will be the first week that teachers will be collecting, grading, and counting assignments.  The daily office hours and learning support hours will be set by the teacher and posted inside your student’s Google Classroom. 

AACPS eLearning – learning online -  will not run like a typical school day. Students should be engaged in core learning for a few hours each day. The number of hours will be flexible based on the grade level of your student with the older high school student most likely spending more time in independent learning than younger students.  Your student’s physical, social-emotional and learning needs and your family’s needs will also play a role in how you and your family decide to plan the “school day” for your child(ren).

No, all online resources are approved as AACPS learning tools for our students. In fact, many of these materials are actually built into our daily curriculum.