Shakopee Public Schools 'Board Meeting Brief

Press release from the Shakopee Public Schools:

January 26, 2021

• How will the determination be made for the Secondary IHD program transition from distance to hybrid learning?

Last night at the January 25, 2021 school board meeting, a recommendation from the Shakopee Public Schools Pandemic Response Advisory Team (PRAT) was approved for the determination of how to begin a learning model transition in the IHD program at East Middle School, West Middle School, Shakopee High School, and Tokata Learning Center. (Please note, Tokata follows components of the IHD program, but has additional flexibility in providing services due to the unique nature of their programs.) Secondary schools in the IHD program will transition from distance to hybrid learning when the 14-day COVID-19 cases per 10,000 residents in Scott County enter a range from 15 to 25 cases. Case rates are determined by the tracking of initial confirmed COVID cases as reported daily by the Minnesota Department of Health. Steps for this determination process are below:

• The district’s Pandemic Response Advisory Team (PRAT) meets on Thursday afternoons and examines the COVID-19 cases per 10,000 data for the preceding fourteen days.
• When the cases enter the range of 15 to 25 cases per 10,000, the learning model will change from distance learning to hybrid learning for all secondary IHD students.
• The transition will occur 10 days after the date of the Pandemic Response Advisory Team meeting.
  • For example, if the case numbers are in the range of 15 to 25 at the Thursday, January 28 meeting of the Pandemic Response Advisory Team, then students in grades 6-12 will begin hybrid learning on Monday, February 8.
  • Should the case numbers remain above the range of 15 to 25 at the January 28 PRAT meeting, no transition of learning models will be initiated. Case rates will then be examined at the next PRAT meeting on February 4, with a possible transition to hybrid learning for secondary students beginning on Tuesday, February 16 (due to the February 15 holiday).
  • Should the cases per 10,000 data examined at the February 4 meeting still remain greater than 25 cases per 10,000, this same process will continue on successive weeks until the number is in the 15 to 25 range.

Additional Information

• A return to hybrid learning in the secondary schools IHD program means a return to the alternating A/B schedule, with one day onsite for one group of students followed by a second day offsite for the same group of students.
• An updated district calendar would be provided, with A/B rotation for secondary IHD students, once a formal hybrid transition date is announced.
• In accordance with the Governor’s executive order, there will be two planning/preparation days for teachers and staff prior to changing from distance learning to hybrid learning. The two transition days will be held on the two school days prior to the week before the start of hybrid learning. Transition days are no school days for only the students in grades 6-12 in the IHD program.
  1. For example:
     • If February 8 is the first day of hybrid-- planning/preparation days for teachers would be February 4 and 5.
     • If February 16 is the first day of hybrid-- planning/preparation days for teachers would be February 10 and 11 (February 12 is already a no school day for students).
• Students in the Shakopee Online program will remain in the same program.
• Students in grades K-5 IHD program will remain in-person.

Once the secondary schools in the IHD program are operating in hybrid learning, they will follow an updated structure for monitoring COVID-19 cases and determining future changes from hybrid to distance or in-person learning.

• New parameters for use in determining COVID-19 cases per 10,000, which impact the secondary learning model

Important Future Secondary IHD Communication

• Friday, January 29: The district will communicate an update of the Pandemic Response Advisory Team meeting on January 28

No School Days
These are no school days on the school calendar that will not be altered by changes in the secondary IHD program:

• Friday, January 29, 2021: No school ALL PreK-12 students, including Shakopee Online, Shakopee IHD and Pearson Early Learning Center; end of second quarter
• Friday, February 12, 2021: No school, ALL PreK-12 students including Shakopee Online, Shakopee IHD and Pearson Early Learning Center
• Monday, February 15, 2021: No school, ALL PreK-12 students and staff (includes Pearson Early Learning Center); observance of Presidents Day

This press release was produced by the Shakopee Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.