Virtual School: Framework and Norms for Schools

Takeaway: 

When disasters or crises hit, schools need to be ready to go online or virtual for learning. Providing clear, consistent, and empathetic expectations along with accountability maximizes student learning and teacher effectiveness.

Virtual School:

Across the world leaders, teachers, students, and parents are adjusting to school cancellations and the transition to virtual learning. For most, this is the first time that learning and instructing has taken place without face to face teacher-student interaction. This change can be very distressing for all who are impacted, but none more so than the teachers and families who are responsible for continued learning.

In moments like these, we should look to the helpers, quipped beloved children’s TV host Mr. Rogers. This means our teachers - as they are often the ones who will make the biggest impact on our children in trying times.

To enable our teachers to be the helpers that our students need, schools must clearly communicate expectations to them before, during, and after major transitions. These expectations need to be very thoughtful with a heavy emphasis on:

1. Empathy and understanding of each teacher’s unique situation - Teaching from home as a parent of three children can be very stressful! Not everyone has the ability to put in 8-9 hours a day for virtual learning.

2. Sustainability for the teachers and students - Burnout and failure will be at an all time high, understand that humans are finite resources and that leaders need to help them ensure their workloads are manageable.

3. Clear communication - Confusion and ambiguity are the enemy when change is required, be sure that expectations are crystal clear, but also provide room for autonomy and adjustment. Most of the time, teachers know best.

4. Consistency - Begin with the end in mind. Keep the framework and norms as similar to the current school processes as possible. Familiarity is important and brings about a sense of normalcy. However, reduce these processes to only the essential, cut out what is not absolutely necessary. If leaders cannot hold their teachers accountable for an expectation, consider dropping it.

Below is the framework that we developed with feedback from administration, counselors, and teachers (here is a Google Doc link). It has been adjusted so that any school can use it with minimal changes if preferred. It is free to use and I hope it will be a help to you and your community. It was designed with block scheduling in mind, but can be easily altered if needed.

Virtual School Framework

Outline:

1. Teacher workload

2. Student workload and accountability

3. Student assignments and timeline

4. Student assessments and timeline

5. Planning

6. Video conferences

7. Communication

8. Grades and reporting

9. Late work and late assessments

Teacher workload and recording

• Teachers are expected to be able to maintain a similar workload to typical in-class school days.  There will be times that this workload is higher or lower, but understand that we recognize more time is needed when investing in new platforms (such as Virtual School).  

• However, please make sure that your workload is reasonable and sustainable as well as consistent as possible. We trust that you are doing your best.

Student workload and accountability

• While teachers are not meant to be the holders and distributors of knowledge, teachers are the guides to understanding and accessing it.  When assigning work, ensure that it is meaningful and allows:

  • The student to practice or demonstrate their learnings or skill development.

  • The teacher to receive the necessary feedback on said learnings or skill development.

• Class routines may need to be adapted to virtual learning.  If so, teachers should move towards less assignments, with an increase in application, depth of learning, and student reflection.

Student assignments and timeline

• All assignments must be posted on Learning Management System (LMS) and on the assigned class day by 3pm local time.  Those posted after 3pm must be given an additional cycle (two school days for block scheduling) to complete.

• Any assignments posted must be given, as a minimum, until 3pm during the next cycle day (two school days) to complete.  For example, if posted on April 1 by 3pm, the earliest the assignment can be due is on April 3 by 3pm.

Student assessments and timeline

• Both formative and summative assessments should be provided to students at a somewhat regular pace.  Teachers need these assessments to increase their understanding of student learnings or skill development.  Students need these assessments to better understand their own performance.

• If an assessment must be scheduled, do so during your typical class time.  Be sure to register this assessment in the school’s assessment calendar to ensure students do not have more than two per school day.

• Students who are unable to take a scheduled assessment due to time zone differences, traveling, or other circumstances out of their control must be given another opportunity at a time that is mutually agreed upon by the teacher and the student.  This must take place within two school days of the original assessment if possible.

Planning

• Teachers are asked to create a timeline as far in advance for their students as possible.  This timeline will allow students to better budget their time to ensure they are completing all assignments and assessments on time for their classes.

• Teachers are asked to share this timeline with their students through our online LMS.

Video conferences

• Teachers must host group 30 minute video conferences for each unique course twice per week during designated school hours (8am to 3pm).  Please try to do this during your scheduled class time whenever possible and schedule your conference in the video conference spreadsheet.

• For example, if a teacher has 3 sections of Geometry and 2 sections of Trigonometry, this teacher must host two 30 minute conferences for Geometry total per week and two 30 minute conferences for Trigonometry, for a total of four 30 minute conferences.

Communication

• Communication to students needs to be through our online LMS.  This can take the form of class updates, individual messages, etc.

• Communication to parents should be through the online LMS, although there may be times that email is more appropriate.

• Communication to staff members should be through email.

Grades and reporting

• Ideally, teachers are able to report grades and provide feedback on student performance within two school days of the due date of the assignment or assessment.  If you are unable to do that, please communicate with your students about your delay and provide a date in which grades are expected to be complete.

• If students are at risk of earning a D or F for the quarter or semester, be sure to communicate with the student and their parents so they are aware of this possibility, along with solutions to prevent it.

Late work and late assessments

• Latework will receive a reduced grade per assignment of 10% per two day cycle unless communicated and approved by the teacher in advance or an unexpected excused reason afterwards.

• Assessments will receive a reduced grade per assignment of 10% per two day cycle unless communicated and approved by the teacher in advance or an unexpected excused reason afterwards.