Teaneck Public Schools

Emergency Remote or Virtual Instruction Plan 2024-2025 School Year

Contact Information

County
	
Bergen

Name of District, Charter School, APSSD or Renaissance School Project:

Teaneck Public Schools

Chief School Administrator/Charter or Renaissance Leader Name/APSSD Leader:

Dr. Andre Spencer, Superintendent of Schools

Phone Number of Contact:
	
201-833-5509

Pursuant to P.L. 2020, CHAPTER 27, in the event that a school district is required to close the schools of the district for more than three consecutive school days due to a declared state of emergency, declared public health emergency, or a directive by the appropriate health agency or officer to institute a public health-related closure, the commissioner shall allow the district to apply to the 180-day requirement one or more days of virtual or remote instruction provided to students on the day or days the schools of the district were closed if the program of virtual or remote instruction meets such criteria as may be established by the commissioner.

The TPS Emergency Virtual or Remote Instruction plan will be implemented during a closure lasting more than three consecutive school days due to a declared state of emergency, declared public health emergency, or a directive by the appropriate health agency or officer to institute a public health related closure. A day of virtual or remote instruction, if instituted under a program approved by the commissioner, shall be considered the equivalent of a full day of school attendance for the purposes of meeting State and local graduation requirements, the awarding of course credit, and such other matters as determined by the commissioner.

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Ensuring Equitable Access and Opportunity to Instruction for All Students

Equitable Access to Technology
● The district has a 1:1 Chromebook/student ratio.
● A survey will be conducted by all eight schools to ascertain internet connectivity and device needs. ● In the case of an emergency closure, The Teaneck School District will set up “Chromebook Depots”
or strategic technology distribution sites to distribute both Chromebooks and mobile hotspots to families requiring this technology.
● Document cameras will be provided to all teaching staff members in order to deliver high-quality remote instruction.
● Parents/guardians, students and staff will use the following email address techhelp@teaneckschools.org to reach the technology department for technical assistance.
● Chromebook depots will be utilized to distribute devices to families and receive broken devices in need of repair.

Ensuring Equitable Access and Opportunity to Instruction ● Pre-kindergarten learners
○ Pre-kindergarten learners will receive a blend of synchronous and asynchronous instruction throughout the day.
○ Synchronous and streamed activities will be available via Google MEET. ○ Links will be available in the pre-kindergarten Google Classrooms.
○ Asynchronous learning opportunities will be housed in the teacher’s Google classroom, and will be written in parent-friendly language to ensure that activities can be completed in partnership with an adult and/or sibling.
● Elementary and Secondary Learners:
○ All core subjects and intervention periods will utilize synchronous, interactive instruction for educating at-home learners in accordance with the district’s distance learning schedule.
○ Google classrooms will house Google Meet links, class assignments, homework and assessments.
○ Teachers will assign homework to be completed during times outside of the class period. ○ Students will be assessed, remotely, utilizing both teacher-created assessments and
district-provided assessments.
■ District assessments will be given in accordance with the District’s Assessment Calendar.
■ The Teaneck Public Schools’ District Assessment Calendar will continue to be posted on the district’s website as a reference for both families and practitioners.
○ Teachers will meet in remote professional learning communities bi-weekly to analyze student data and determine student learning needs.
○ The district will make every attempt to provide synchronous instruction for all courses including elective classes; however, asynchronous instruction may be provided for courses or classes where it may be impractical to stream live learning, such as physical education or culinary arts.

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Addressing Special Education Needs

● If a program of virtual or remote instruction is implemented for the general education students the same educational opportunities shall be provided to special education students, to the extent appropriate and practicable.
● Students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) will receive modifications and accommodations according to their individual needs to the greatest extent practicable.
● Related services providers will provide IEP/504 mandated services virtually to the greatest extent possible as identified in the student’s IEP developed under IDEA, or a plan developed under Section 504. (34 CFR §§ 300.101 and 300.201 (IDEA), and 34 CFR § 104.33 (Section 504).
● Special education and related services, including speech language services, counseling services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and behavioral services, may be delivered to students with disabilities through the use of electronic communication or a virtual or online platform and as required by the student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP), to the greatest extent practicable.
● IEP implementation, tracking and progress monitoring will continue to take place through the district’s online IEP program.
● Case managers will continue to communicate with families and practitioners to ensure services are rendered via electronic platforms.
● Case managers will engage parents through virtual and other remote platforms to hold IEP and other meetings to identify, evaluate and or reevaluate students with disabilities.

Addressing English Language Learners (ELLs)

● The district will continue to employ the High-Intensity ESL instructional model as per the district’s Bilingual waiver.
●	English language learners will be provided with at least two periods of instruction by a certified ESL teacher. One period will be the standard ESL class, and the other period will be a high-intensity tutorial or ESL reading class. All courses will take place virtually using synchronous, live instruction.
● The Teaneck Parent Advisory Committee will continue to convene remotely.
● During TEPAC meetings, committee members will continue to provide input about our language instruction program. Each meeting will continue to have a specific focus, and at the end of each session, committee members will have an opportunity to ask specific questions, make recommendations and/or provide suggestions for improving our support services.
● The district will continue to utilize translation services to translate written documents, and language translators will be available to assist with verbal translations for families, when needed.
● The Director of School Innovation, English and ESL will provide school-based training, during virtual faculty meetings, on best practices for socio-emotional learning, culturally responsive/sustaining instruction and trauma-informed sensitivity training for multilingual learners.

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Attendance Plan

● The District will continue to abide by Policy 5000 - Attendance
● District Staff will communicate with families when a student is not participating in online instruction and/or submitting assignments.
● Promotion, retention, graduation, discipline and other administrative decisions will be guided by district approved policies.
● Parents will be advised to call the designated school-based employee on a daily basis should their child be unable to complete their assignments, indicating an absence.
● Building secretaries or attendance personnel will record the absences in Skyward based on parent communication via phone call/emails.
● Parent calls will be logged, inputted into Skyward, the district’s student information system, and daily attendance lists will be published to faculty via email.
● Code of conduct expectations are expected to be maintained throughout the duration of the class period/school day.

Protocol for Taking Attendance
● PK/KG Schools (Bryant, AUCC, BDS, Theodora Smiley Lacey): ○ Attendance will be taken in the morning.
○ Homeroom/Classroom teacher will take attendance during homeroom.
○ All students will be defaulted to “Present” in the district’s student information system, Skyward.
○ The homeroom teacher / classroom teacher will mark students “Tardy” or “Absent” in Skyward.
● Elementary Schools (Whittier Elementary School, Lowell Elementary School, Hawthorne Elementary School):
○ Attendance will only be taken in the morning.
○ Homeroom/Classroom teacher will take attendance in the homeroom by 9am.
○ All students will be defaulted to “Present” in the district’s student information system, Skyward.
○ Homeroom teacher / classroom teacher marks “Tardy” or “Absent”.
● Middle Schools (Benjamin Franklin Middle School & Thomas Jefferson Middle School): ○ Attendance will only be taken in the morning.
○ Students will log into their Google Classroom homeroom.
○ Period Zero Teacher will take attendance in the homeroom by 9:30 am.
○ All students will be defaulted to “Present”in the district’s student information system, Skyward.
○ Homeroom teacher / classroom teacher / Zero Period teacher marks students “Tardy” or “Absent”.
○ Attendance calls will go home by 11:50 am for unverified students. High School (Teaneck High School):

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○ All teachers will take attendance each period to mark students “Tardy” or “Absent”. ○ All students will be defaulted to “Present”.
○ The attendance secretary will add notes into Skyward with information procured from parents and/or families.
○ School Messenger will send attendance calls at the end of every period.

Safe Delivery of Meals Plan

● Meals will be available for pick-up Monday - Thursday from 10:45 AM - 1:45 PM.
● Three locations will be designated as family meal pick-up sites: Bryant Elementary School, Whittier Elementary School and Teaneck High School.
● Students not eligible for free or reduced-price lunch or students that wish to purchase any ala carte meal will be able to deposit funds onto their student account through the Pay School on-line platform before they arrive at a meal distribution site.

Facilities Plan

● All use of facilities by outside agencies will be canceled for the affected school(s).
● Custodial maintenance and grounds staff will continue to maintain the buildings and grounds throughout the extended period of closure under the direction of the Director of Buildings & Grounds.

Other Considerations

Social and emotional health of staff and students
● Students in all schools have access to virtual counseling and support services as needed
○ School Based Supports: Outreach Workers (elementary), School Counselors (middle and high school), FORUM Counselors - counseling support at the THS, programs for middle and high school students, Student Assistance Coordinator and CarePlus
●	Mental Health Initiative Clinicians via School Climate Transformation Grant - Counseling sessions provided virtually via Google Meets
●	Webinars will be provided as community resources and supports to families Accelerate Learning Opportunities & Title I Extended Learning Programs
The following instructional supports will be put into place to ensure the academic success of our students as they return from the health-related closure.
● Summer Impact Academy: The Summer Impact Academy will provide an instructional scaffold for students as they transition from one grade level to the next.

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● Students will also have access to the district’s personalized online learning platforms: Freckle, Reflex, Reading A-Z.
● Schools will provide students with after-school intervention/enrichment periods to support learning.
21st Century Community Learning Center Programs

● If the district meets the qualification of a 21st Century Community Learning Center Program, resources will be provided virtually to the school community.
Credit recovery

● Educere, the district’s online credit recovery program, will be used as the platform for assisting students in need of accruing additional academic credits.
Transportation

● Transportation will be provided to school(s) not affected by emergency virtual or remote instruction.
Extra-curricular programs

● School based activities and clubs will take place, as scheduled, in a remote setting utilizing Google Meets.
Childcare

● The district’s School Aged Child Care program will continue to provide services should they be permitted via guidance from the Local Health Department. In the case that the School Aged Child Care program is not allowed to run, the district will provide resources for educational, fun activities to be completed at home with an older sibling or adult.
Community programming

● The district will communicate with families via email and website postings regarding age appropriate community programs.

Essential Employees

● The District will identify and provide a list of essential employees to the county office at the time of the district’s transition to remote or virtual instruction.

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Teaneck Public Schools - Virtual Learning Schedules

Elementary Virtual Learning Schedule

Middle School Virtual Learning Schedule

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High School Virtual Learning Schedule

Times
	
“A” Day
	
“B” Day

8:15am to 9:25 am
	
Period 1
	
Period 5

9:30 am to 10:40 am
	
Period 2
	
Period 6

10:45 am to 11:55 am
	
Period 3
	
Period Seven
	
12:00 pm to 12:45 pm
	Lunch
	Lunch

12:50 pm to 2:00 pm
	
Period 4
	
Period 8

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