By Justin Hsieh
UPDATE 8/28/20:
In a StudentSquare communication to families on Friday, Aug. 28, HBUHSD announced several updates to their school reopening plan.
Among these was that “all students will remain enrolled in their current school and students will remain with their assigned teachers from their school of attendance for the entire year,” regardless of whether they enrolled in the Hybrid or Virtual Model instructional program, so that “students will maintain access to teachers and courses offered at their school” and will be able to take zero period courses and participate in co-curricular activities.
This announcement marks a departure from the original HBUHSD School Opening and Safety Plan, in which the district left open the possibility of students enrolled in the Virtual Model having teachers from other school sites.
HBUHSD also released the distance learning schedule for the beginning of the school year, and said that school will begin online and will not transition to in-person instruction without students and families receiving at least two weeks of advance notice.
The district also gave details for signing into Aeries to see class schedules, join virtual classes, and help the district test network connectivity prior to the first day of school. For further details, the full update can be read on StudentSquare.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE, PUBLISHED 8/12/20:
The Huntington Beach Union High School District (HBUHSD) unveiled yesterday its plan for conducting online instruction and reopening schools, elaborating on its earlier announcement that it would start the school year online and offer families a choice between remaining fully online or eventually participating in a hybrid learning program.
The 2020-2021 School Opening and Safety Plan, voted on and approved last night by the district’s Board of Trustees, is centered around the differences between the district’s hybrid and virtual instructional programs and details regarding their implementation.
The plan includes information about online learning standards, campus health and safety precautions, learning environment considerations for families choosing between instructional programs, provisions for technology and connectivity access, family and community resources and protocols for employee screening and confirmed cases of COVID-19 on campus.
The information in the plan is intended to address community questions and concerns relating to reopening, and to help HBUHSD families decide on which program they will enroll their students in. This morning, HBUHSD informed families that they would need to use the Instructional Program Registration form sent to them through ParentSquare (the district’s communication application) to choose a program by Aug. 17. Students who do not register for a program by Aug. 17 will be assigned to the hybrid instructional model.
Instructional Programs: Hybrid vs. Virtual
While all instruction must remain online until Orange County has been off the state COVID-19 watchlist for 14 days, per Governor Gavin Newsom’s mandate, HBUHSD is requiring families to choose between a fully online ‘Virtual Instructional Program’ (also referred to as a ‘Virtual Model’) or a mixed in-person and online ‘Hybrid Instructional Program’ (also referred to as a ‘Hybrid Model’) to participate in when schools are cleared to physically reopen.
The Virtual Model is a “100% distance learning option” in which students will never visit campus and partially pace themselves at home. The Hybrid Model will involve a mix of online and in-person teacher-paced learning, with students spending one day a week attending all of their classes online and the remainder of the week attending three periods a day in person.
While both programs will teach NCAA, A-G approved courses, require daily student-teacher interaction and provide access to college credit courses; classes in the Hybrid Model will be taught by teachers from respective school sites, while classes in the Virtual Model will be taught by HBUHSD teachers (who may be from a different school site than a student).
Additionally, while Hybrid courses will use content developed and delivered by HBUHSD teachers, Virtual courses may use both pre-built online curriculum and content developed by HBUHSD teachers.
HBUHSD encourages families to consider aspects of the learning environment in both models when choosing their enrollment plan. While the Virtual Model presents a lower safety risk, for example, the district plan also acknowledges that fully online learning will limit direct interaction with other students and may require parent support.
On the other hand, the Hybrid Model allows students to return to a “traditional structured learning environment in a familiar face-to-face setting”; but the plan notes that details of that physical environment will be different to accommodate for required safety precautions like social distancing and personal protective equipment (PPE).
After registering for one of the models, students will be enrolled in that instructional program for at least the fall semester. HBUHSD’s suggested commitment for the Virtual Model is a full year, but students will have an opportunity to request changes in their instructional model at the semester. For students hoping to switch from Virtual to Hybrid, however, space will not be guaranteed.
Online Learning Standards
A concern for students and educators across the country as school districts have begun planning for the fall semester is the potential for online educational models to lead to significant “learning loss” in comparison to traditional in-person models, especially in light of nationwide data showing that many students fell months behind in last semester’s hastily arranged distance learning programs.
In response, HBUHSD has included in its plan a set of online learning standards to help implement distance learning more rigorously and effectively in both of its models.
These standards include a requirement of ‘Daily Live Interaction,’ with students’ daily attendance and engagement with online meetings to be monitored and reported. Grades, which were assigned on a “hold harmless” system last semester, will be based on academic performance.
Students will also receive “a minimum [four hours] of daily instruction that can be met by a combination of teacher instruction and ‘time value’ of work assigned” (meaning that time spent by students working on assignments will be counted toward their four hour minimum, even when they are not actively meeting with or receiving live instruction from teachers).
HBUHSD also says it will “work to re-engage students who are absent from online learning” and “provide accommodations necessary to serve students with special needs.”
Safety Precautions
Prior to the release of the School Opening and Safety Plan, many students and community members wondered how HBUHSD would address health and safety issues when rolling out an in-person instructional model.
“My initial reaction [was] to choose the hybrid plan,” rising senior Nelson Boyack said. “This being said, I [was] only comfortable choosing this option if the appropriate precautions [were going to be] taken (social distancing, masks, cleansing stations, etc). Without these precautions in place I would opt for 100% online, but if these safety standards are met, I would opt for the hybrid plan.”
In its plan, the district has detailed a number of precautions it will take in bringing students back to campuses. They include:
- Self-Screening at Home:
Families will be urged to self-screen for high temperatures and COVID-19 symptoms every day before sending students to school, and illness-, quarantine- or symptom-related absences will be excused per district policies. - Face Coverings
Face coverings will be required on campus (accomodations can be made for students with disabilities). Personal face coverings must follow the dress code. - Social Distancing
Social distancing will be required on campus. Office areas with face-to-face interactions will have physical barriers to ensure distancing. Entrance, exit and transition routes will be designated and separated when possible. - Disinfection
Common touch surfaces and classrooms will be cleaned regularly. Campuses will follow guidelines from the California Department of Public Health for cleaning, disinfecting and ventilating. - Classrooms
Non-essential furniture will be removed from classrooms to provide maximum space for students and teachers. Students will sit in desks arranged to face the same direction and will be spaced six feet from teachers. - Sanitizing and Hand Washing
Hand sanitizer dispensers will be available in classrooms and offices, and staff and students will be expected to wash and/or sanitize their hands regularly. - Other Precautions
School meals will be bagged, non-essential visitors will be restricted and group activities will be limited. Arrival and dismissal protocols will be established to minimize contact. - Transportation & Students with Disabilities
Precautions will be taken to minimize risk in transportation services and accommodations will be made for students with disabilities and staff working with students with disabilities (more details are available in the full plan).
The plan also includes information about exemptions from face coverings, protocols for COVID-19 cases and procedures for employee screening.
Technology Support and Family Resources
HBUHSD has taken a variety of measures to provide technical, social and emotional support for families participating in distance learning.
To support online learning, HBUHSD will be continuing its 1:1 Chromebook program. Incoming freshmen will be issued Chromebooks before instruction begins, and technical support and insurance for Chromebooks will be offered to all students.
HBUHSD will work to provide free hotspots to students without reliable home Internet access; more information about this program will be available in student registration packets.
HBUHSD will also provide access to mental health services; community resources including food and clothing; college and career advising; 24/7 live tutoring support, and support with enrollment, transfer, registration and navigation of online learning platforms.
Sports and Co-Curricular Activities
HBUHSD announced in its plan that athletics, performing arts and other co-curricular activities have been postponed until further notice, pending guidance from the Orange County Health Care Agency and California Department of Public Health.
Before athletics fully resume, coaches will undergo mandatory COVID-19 online training and HBUHSD will develop phased levels of return in keeping with local and state guidelines.
Students’ reactions to the district’s options have been mixed. Some, like rising sophomore Peyton Sherwood, are optimistic about the Hybrid Model and the chance to return to campus.
“I chose hybrid learning because of a few different reasons,” Sherwood said. “One of the reasons was because at home I get distracted easily, whereas in class I’m [more] focused and I just learn better when I’m being taught in person. Another reason is because with hybrid it will almost be like I’m at school again, which is a lovely feeling. And there’s always the chance I’ll get to see my friends.”
Others were more hesitant to attend school physically.
“Although the end of last year was hard to get through with all of the online learning, I feel that I can go into the next school year confidently because I am already familiar with distance learning,” said rising freshman Nicole Robson. “Also, I’ll be happy that I won’t be at risk of getting the virus or spreading it to those around me.”
This article was updated on August 12, 2020 at 4:58 p.m. to include quotes from Boyack, Sherwood and Robson.
This article was updated on Aug 29 at 4:42 with the revised distance learning bell schedule.
