SASED will roll open to blended hybrid and intensive in-person service models on a classroom by classroom, student by student basis according to each host district’s return to school framework and guidance from the DuPage County Health Department, Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois State Board of Education, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Students who have elected to remain in remote learning and those who can not safely return to a blended remote/hybrid model will stay in full remote learning.

The feasibility of return to in-person has been reviewed on a program-by-program, classroom-by-classroom, and student-by-student basis to determine students that will return to some in-person instruction and those who will stay in full remote learning.  These decisions are being made in consideration of the following factors: 

• host district instructional frameworks for in-person learning opportunities
• classroom composition and diverse learning/ functional needs
• need to comply with social distancing and mask wearing
• parents’ choice for remote learning
• staff allocation
• balanced access to in-person instruction, if selected

Remote learning refers to learning that happens outside of the traditional classroom because the student and teacher are separated by distance and/or time.  Remote learning can be real-time or flexibly-timed, and it may or may not involve technology.  These days are counted as pupil attendance days for calculation of the length of the SASED programs official calendar under 105 ILCS 5/10-19 and 5/10-19.05, added by P.A. 101-643.  Five remote learning planning days, taken consecutively or in separate increments, may be used to develop, review, or amend SASED’s plan or provide professional development to staff about remote education; i.e., Remote Learning Planning Days. See 105 ILCS 5/10-30, added by P.A. 101-643.

Blended remote learning days refers to school attendance days during which SASED provides hybrid days of in-person and remote instruction to students.  Once the State Superintendent of Education declares that SASED must use remote learning days or blended remote learning days, the Executive Director implements these days in collaboration with member districts for grades pre-kindergarten through 12.  These days are counted as days of attendance and are pupil attendance days for calculation of the length of a school term under 105 ILCS 5/10-19 and 5/10-19.05, added by P.A. 101-643.  Typical blended remote learning days include remote instruction with ½ day to full day in-person two to four times per week.

Blended remote with intensive in-person service refers to a specific type of blended remote learning day during which SASED provides a hybrid model consisting of remote instruction with 15-90 minute in-person instruction for related services and 1:1 instructional stations one or more times per week.

Synchronous Learning occurs when there is a scheduled time for the educator and students to meet together virtually for instruction in real time.

Asynchronous Learning occurs when the student is working independently at their own time and pace without real time live instruction or interaction with the educators or other students.  Learning in this mode may include virtual instruction through pre-recorded content.

Remote learning and blended remote learning activities in SASED programs will be designed around the Illinois Learning Standards for K-12 (including Essential Elements Standards), the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards for Pre-K, and the SASED Transition Outcomes for students aged 18-22.  For additional information, refer to the Student Instruction/Engagement section of this document, and to the Illinois Priority Learning Standards for the 2020-2021 School Year.

• Staff will plan instruction for at least a 5-hour day, including at least 2.5 hours of synchronous learning for resources.  Refer to your PLT, Seesaw/Teams/Google Classroom/and curriculum materials online training & resources sites, the Return to Learn area on the front page of MySASED, and the classroom planning workbook for resources.
• Planning time will typically occur outside of the 5-hour instructional day, but within the 7-7.5 hour workday.
• Meeting time will occur outside of the 5-hour instructional day, but within the 7-7.5 hour workday, to the greatest extent possible.
• Staff will work as teams to contact families to create each student’s remote learning plan based on the IEP.
• Staff will work as teams to obtain signed consent for group services from families.
• Staff will work as teams to create and send to students/families a weekly schedule for each student, including specific times for all whole group, small group, and individual synchronous learning activities that includes related services and progress monitoring times.
• Staff will use the curricular resources and materials identified by their program/service in the classroom planning workbook.
• Class teams will create/adapt paper packets and other non-digital student materials as appropriate.
• Class teams and itinerant staff will engage in planning for a transition to the host district hybrid or in-person model, if applicable.
• Students, parents/caregivers, and staff will be provided with resources and participate in training to ensure that they can log in and use the learning management system (e.g., Seesaw, Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom) and instructional technology (e.g., Wonders, Unique Learning) that will be utilized for their class.
• Students and parents will respond to contacts from their student’s team in a timely manner to support the planning process.

• Staff will deliver remote synchronous and asynchronous learning activities for 5-hours each day using the materials designated in the classroom planning workbook.
• Class teams will rotate through their weekly schedule to provide group and/or individual synchronous and asynchronous activities.
• Recording of any activities will not include students.
• Staff will include teaching/reteaching of CHAMPS, including STOIC, practices during the first week of school, as well as teaching of any new or modified classroom routines, and classroom management practices that have been modified for remote learning.
• Class teams will assign work tasks that students will turn in for feedback/grading.
• Class teams will regularly monitor progress on IEP goals.
• Class teams will take and record student attendance daily.
• Class teams will log all activities available to students daily for future planning.
• Class teams will create paper packets and other non-digital student materials as appropriate.
• Class teams will provide opportunities for at least 30 minutes daily for students/caregivers to contact them for questions and support (e.g., office hours).
• Class teams will monitor students’ social emotional well-being and will contact their program administrator with any concerns, including any time a student has not actively participated in remote learning for 2 consecutive days.
• Program administrators will contact the parents/caregivers and the resident district administrator whenever a student has not actively participated in remote learning for 2 consecutive days.
• Staff and students/caregivers will utilize the learning management system, instructional technology, and non-digital materials as defined by their program.
• Students will actively participate in the synchronous and asynchronous learning activities for 5-hours each day.
• Students will complete and turn in assigned work by the due date.
• Refer to Fall 2020 Learning Recommendations (Illinois State Board of Education5, 2020) for additional information.

Providing specific, timely feedback to students, including IEP updates and grades, is important to student learning (Illinois State Board of Education5, 2020).  In addition to IEP updates and grades, student feedback and assessment should include regular, on-going formative and summative assessments to monitor student learning.

• SASED staff will assess students during the first 4-6 weeks of instruction:
  • Current progress/baseline IEP goals
  • Screening assessments in English Language Arts, Math, and Social Emotional Learning will be conducted.
• SASED staff will provide regular, timely feedback on formative and summative assessments (e.g., assignments, work samples, tests).
• Classroom and/or grade level teams (GLTs) will review data from these assessments and will plan instruction and intervention to meet students’ instructional needs.
• Example documentation for assessment planning can be found on the Assessment-Progress Monitoring tab of the Classroom Planning Workbook.
• SASED will work with host and resident districts and families to ensure that all students have access to devices and connectivity at home before normal grading is used during remote and blended remote learning.  Every effort should be made for collaboration between case managers, service providers, and general education staff when determining a summative grade for the quarter.  This is especially important for students who split time between a SASED program and general education classes.
• Review tool psychometrics to determine if telehealth or caregiver coaching/completion are valid and reliable methods to complete the assessment tool, if this is the only method that will address the health and safety needs of students and staff.
• Grading policies and practices will be evaluated and modified as needed to ensure that grades are not negatively impacted when students do not have the necessary technology, tools, and/or teacher supports to complete assignments, assessments, and projects in a timely manner.
• Refer to Fall 2020 Learning Recommendations (Illinois State Board of Education5, 2020) for additional information.

• Staff will create a schedule of subjects/services that will be provided in-person, and those that will be provided remotely. Refer to Fall 2020 Learning Recommendations (Illinois State Board of Education5, 2020) for additional information. The schedule will be documented in the Classroom Planning Workbook.
• Staff will create a socially distanced classroom by arranging the desks at least 6 feet apart on all sides and remove any soft items and non-essential items from the classroom.
• Staff will ensure that the classroom has all needed cleaning and PPE supplies
• Staff will plan instruction for at least a 5-hour day, including 2.5 hours of in-person & 2.5 hours of remote learning using the materials designated on the Curricular Materials tab of the Classroom Planning Workbook.
• Staff will contact families to create each student’s blended remote learning plan based on the IEP.
• Staff will obtain signed consent for remote group services from families.
• Staff will create and send to students/families a weekly schedule for each student that includes specific times for all remote learning activities, including any synchronous learning activities.
• Students and parents will respond to contacts from their student’s team in a timely manner to support the planning process.
• Students, caregivers, and staff will be provided with resources and participate in training to ensure that they can log in and use the learning management system (e.g., Seesaw, Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom) and instructional technology (e.g., Wonders, Unique Learning) that will be utilized for the remote learning portion of the day.

• During in-person instruction staff and students will wear necessary PPE as identified under current CDC, IDPH, and ISBE guidance.
• If a student receiving related/itinerant services is able to wear a mask during service provision, a related service provider/itinerant service provider will provide services, utilizing appropriate PPE for the activity (mask, face shield, gloves, and/or disposable gowns), while maintaining six feet social distance. If the student requires support through physical distancing within 6 feet, service provision within this boundary will be limited to 15 minutes. In circumstances where a student must be able to see the provider’s mouth (within DHH classrooms, within speech therapy sessions for articulation), a provider may use a face shield while maintaining appropriate social distancing, or use teletherapy options.
• If the student is unable to wear a mask during related service provision, a related service provider will consider what options would be available to the student to provide access to the related service. These options may include: staff member using PPE with student using a desk shield or plexi-glass divider; use of teletherapy; use of asynchronous activities that are sent home.
• Staff and students will follow all procedures for cleaning and social distancing.
• Staff will deliver synchronous and asynchronous learning activities for at least 5-hours each day through a combination of in-person and remote learning.
• Hearing itinerants will advise districts on the use of specialized disinfectant wipes and individual lanyards for Assistive Listening Devices.
• O&M service providers will follow SASED host school guidelines related to movement in school buildings/community. Virtual instruction for O&M will be provided in situations when access to the targeted environment is not available or safe.
• If tele-practice is a modality that is to be used to provide related/itinerant services, use of this framework will be considered to determine how to best meet the needs of the student.
• Class teams will rotate through their weekly schedule to provide group and/or individual synchronous and asynchronous activities through in-person and/or remote learning.
• Class teams will assign work tasks that students will turn in for feedback/grading.
• Class teams will regularly monitor progress on IEP goals.
• Class teams will take and record student attendance daily.
• Class teams will log all activities available to students daily for future planning.
• Class teams will provide daily opportunities for students/caregivers to contact them for questions and support (e.g., office hours).
• Class teams will monitor students’ social emotional well-being and will contact their program administrator with any concerns, including any time a student has not actively participated in remote learning for 2 consecutive days.
• Program administrators will contact the parents/caregivers and the resident district administrator whenever a student has not actively participated in remote learning for 2 consecutive days.
• Staff and students/caregivers will utilize the learning management system(s), instructional technology, and non-digital materials as defined by their program.
• Students will actively participate in the synchronous and asynchronous learning activities both in-person and in remote learning for a total of 5-hours each day.
• Students will complete and turn in assigned work by the due date.

Providing specific, timely feedback to students, including IEP updates and grades, is important to student learning (Illinois State Board of Education5, 2020).  In addition to IEP updates and grades, student feedback and assessment should include regular, on-going formative and summative assessments to monitor student learning.

• SASED staff will assess students during the first 4-6 weeks of instruction:
  • Current progress/baseline IEP goals will be obtained.
  • Screening assessments in English Language Arts, Math, and Social Emotional Learning will be conducted.
• SASED staff will provide regular, timely feedback on formative and summative assessments (e.g., assignments, work samples, tests).
• Classroom and/or grade level teams (GLTs) will review data from these assessments and will plan instruction and intervention to meet students’ instructional needs.
• Assessment planning will be documented on the Assessment-Progress Monitoring tab of the Classroom Planning Workbook.
• SASED will work with host and resident districts and families to ensure that all students have access to devices and connectivity at home before normal grading is used during remote and blended remote learning. Every effort should be made for collaboration between case managers, service providers, and general education staff when determining a summative grade for the quarter. This is especially important for students who split time between a SASED program and general education classes.
• Grading policies and practices will be evaluated and modified as needed to ensure that grades are not negatively impacted when students do not have the necessary technology, tools, and/or teacher supports to complete assignments, assessments, and projects in a timely manner.