BCSS Academic Continuity Plan

Butler County School System has implemented the first phase of the Butler County Academic Continuity Plan (BCACP) that will provide alternate methods of instruction to students.

The plan has been approved by the State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Eric Mackey, and I am pleased to present it below.

It may also be reviewed on our system’s website at www.butlerco.k12.al.us.

Packets for continued academic support were mailed to all students in grades Pre-K through 11 on Wednesday, April 8, 2020.

Additional on-line resources for students are also available on the system’s website. Seniors who do not fall within the group of those who are graduation ready will be given opportunities to complete work via pen and paper form or online platform(s).

High school principals, guidance counselors, and/or teachers will be contacting seniors who are not currently on track to graduate.

They will schedule meetings with these seniors to develop plans for them to complete the remaining requirements for graduation.

Butler County School System is committed to providing the best possible educational resources for its students during the COVID-19 school closure.

As noted in my last press release, our teachers will communicate with their students regularly within the coming weeks by phone and other electronic methods.

Students and parents may contact the teachers as they will be on-call for questions and assistance Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

As an integral component of the plan, we will work to continue to provide nutritious meals for students during the state-mandated school closure.  The meals may be picked up at numerous sites within our county.

I extend my sincere gratitude to all of our staff members who have worked diligently to prepare and distribute these resources for our students.

I am also very thankful to our students’ families and our community members for their patience, cooperation, and assistance in this process.

Although this situation may not be optimal for educating our students, I am confident that we have done our best with the time and resources we have to provide an alternative access to education in our community.

We will continue to follow our plan and modify our procedures as needed to accomplish our goals.

For questions or additional information, you may contact Superintendent Joseph Eiland at joe.eiland@butlerco.k12.al.us or by phone at 334-382-2665.

 

Grading and Promotion Plans

Grades K4-8

• The 3rd nine weeks grade will be the final grade for the second semester.
• Promotion and Retention will continue to follow current Board Policy outlined in the 2019-20 Code of Conduct.

Grades 9-11

• Traditional & Traditional ACCESS Classes
• The 3rd nine weeks grade will be the final grade for the second semester.
• Promotion and Retention will continue to follow current Board Policy outlined in the 2019-20 Code of Conduct.

Dual Enrollment Classes and ACCESS Credit Advancement Classes

• Students in dual enrollment courses are required to complete courses as directed by their post-secondary institutions. Spring 2020 for post-secondary will end on May 8th.
• If a student has not been contacted by their dual enrollment instructor, call 334-382-2665 extension 1205.
• Final grades issued by the post-secondary institution will be added to high school transcripts as usual.
• RSTC Welding dual enrollment students will receive an incomplete (“I”) for this semester. Students will be given an opportunity to complete courses once Reid State TC resumes courses.
• Students taking ACCESS Credit Advancement Classes must complete the course in order to receive credit

Seniors

• Those seniors whose earned units and 3rd nine weeks grade indicate graduation ready will be deemed as such.
• Seniors currently enrolled in dual enrollment or ACCESS Credit Advancement courses must complete the course to receive credit towards graduation.
• Those seniors who do not fall in the group of graduation ready will be given opportunities to complete work via pen and paper form or online platform(s) prior to May 19.
• A list of seniors not on track to graduate should be compiled by Friday, April 3.
• CTE College Readiness Indicators (CRIs) will no longer be offered. All evidence of earned CTE CRIs must be submitted to the CTE Director by May 19th.

 

Continuing Education Plans

• The district office with guidance from teachers will create packets of work that address the essential content standards as determined by the ALSDE. These packets will be uniform for K4-8 throughout the district for the following areas: 1) ELA 2) Math 3) Social Studies and 4) Science.
• Subject area teachers in grades 9 through 11 will create packets for their subject area.
• These packets will be used as Continued Academic Support to cover essential standards not met during this academic year to prepare for the next school year.
• Links to additional support resources, including but not limited to Alabama Public Television, Dreambox, Lexia, Classworks, Homework Hotline (Alabama Public Library), Khan Academy, ACT Academy, etc. will be provided via link on the district website.
• Special Education Teachers and Speech Pathologists will maintain requirements of the provision of FAPE using the Service Page as guidance through online platform(s).
• Teachers will collaborate with Administrators for scheduling annual IEPs and eligibility.
• OT/PT services are contract services. Helping Hands Therapy is encumbered to provide services through whatever virtual method they choose.
• EL Students will be provided academic support on the four language domains.

 

Teaching Staff Return to School Plans

By April 2, the buildings should have been properly cleaned and ready for teachers to return to pick up essential items they may need to work from home.

Re-entry to the buildings should be in shifts in an orderly fashion determined by the Principal that follows the current guidelines provided by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in regards to 10 or less in a ROOM or gathering with strict adherence to social distancing guidelines of a six feet or greater distancing process.

During the instructional time-frame from April 6-May 19, teachers will be required to maintain contact students under their instruction.

This communication must be documented and recorded.  Contacts may be individually or by group email, text, or Google Hangouts Meet/Zoom.

Teachers who are working from home are considered “on-call” from April 6-June 5 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Teachers must be accessible to their administrative staff, students, and parents by either phone, email, or text and are required to respond when information or data is needed.

Virtual Professional Development will also be required from April 6-May 21.

One of the first directives we were given by Dr. Mackey was to determine essential personnel needed to maintain operations.

Our essential personnel are ALL extended contract staff (10, 11, and 12 month certified and classified staff).

 

CNP Food Service Plan

Beginning April 6, CNP and AmeriCorps staff will continue current meal prep and distribution on Monday and Thursday each week through June 5.  Pickup will be available at designated sites from 10 – 11 a.m.

Other Support and/or essential personnel may be scheduled to assist, as needed.

 

Transportation and Maintenance Plans

Perform essential duties as needed to keep the facilities functional and provide assistance, as needed.