Parent FAQs

Student attendance and monitoring will take place through Skyward using the Parent Attendance Guide available on the Remote Learning webpage. Parents need to mark the designated drop down for the reason for the absence. If you are having difficulty or have questions, please contact Leslie Stoner (leslie.stoner@central301.net) or your building administrator. Please communicate with your child's teacher regarding missing work.

Assignments will be posted by 9:00 a.m. each day. Assignments for students in grades K - 12 will be posted in Canvas. Early childhood assignments will be emailed to parents/guardians.

We expect that all students follow the schedule posted for their grade levels.

Teachers are available all day to respond to questions students and parents may have. They will be directly online with students during the hours of 9-11 am and 1-2 pm. Please see the schedules below to see what else is happening for the day. During times that teachers are not online, they will be busy working collaboratively with their team members, participating in video chats with their administration, reviewing student work and assessments, answering questions, etc. Please note, that non-grade teachers will also be on during this time e.g., physical education, art, music, health, etc. Teachers are expected to check their normal communication avenues regularly and respond to student/parent inquiries. Emails received after 2:00 p.m. will not be answered until the following day, unless there are extenuating circumstances which may require additional time, then it may be up to 48 hours.

In the event a teacher requires an absence from work responsibilities, the teacher shall report such absences to their administrator and the teacher will inform parents/students of the absence. Parent notification will be done via Canvas (K-12) and email for early childhood.

During the month of April, each Monday will be a teacher plan days during which students can make up missed work or complete enrichment activities. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be "B" days and Wednesdays and Fridays will be "A" days. "A" days will include ELA, Social Studies, PE, and Art content. "B" days will include Science, Math, Music, and Health/SEL content. Please visit our Remote Learning Plan for more information. Please note that Friday, April 10th was originally a non-attendance day but is now a student attendance day.

Please visit the Remote Learning Plan for full details. A summary for Tuesdays through Fridays is below: 7:30-8:00 a.m. - MS/HS OT, PT or Hearing direct sessions 8:00-9:00 a.m. - SpEd Resource Direct Instruction 9:00-10:30 a.m. - Early Childhood AM 9:00-11:00 a.m. - General Education Teacher Instruction 12:00-1:00 p.m. - SLP services direct sessions 1:00-2:30 p.m. - Early Childhood PM 1:00-2:00 p.m. - General Education Teacher Instruction 2:00-3:00 p.m. - SW services direct sessions 3:00-3:30 p.m. - Elementary OT, PT or Hearing direct sessions

It is our goal to maintain your child(ren)’s education to the best of our ability. Timelines for annual reviews will be maintained and honored. These meetings will be done via video-conferencing. The district will continue to document all best efforts being made under the current emergency conditions with IEP and/or 504 plans. Please review the district Special Education Guidance document in the Remote Learning Plan for more information. We will structure student engagement in learning according to age appropriate thresholds, align to standards, and be relevant and appropriate for each student. The focus of the individualized instruction is based on the students’ IEPs, their goals, the modifications, and accommodations within the IEP. To ensure this differentiation occurs, there should be communication between special and general education teachers (including bilingual/ESL and dual language teachers), case coordinators, teacher assistants, and clinicians to support students in accessibility and in meeting their IEP benchmarks and goals. If you have questions related to Student Support Services, please email your child's case manager, classroom teacher, or Director Mike Potsic (mike.potsic@central301.net) or Assistant Direct Michelle Vaughn (michelle.vaughn@central301.net).

During the month of April, each Monday will be a teacher plan days during which students can make up missed work or complete enrichment activities. Tuesdays through Fridays will be regular remote learning days. Please visit our Remote Learning Plan for more information. Please note that Friday, April 10th was originally a non-attendance day but is now a student attendance day.

Students have two (2) weeks after the close of the quarter/semester to complete incomplete assignments. If the assignments are not completed within the two week timeframe, and there has been no response, effort or attempt by the student, they will receive a “failed” grade after administration attempts to intervene with parents and students.

Students are expected to complete all assigned work based on a pass/incomplete model. It is assumed that students will complete the tasks at different rates, similar to when they are in school. Teacher feedback should be built in to allow fluid communication to the students so that their instructional needs are met.

Students are expected to participate in and complete all assigned work. Fourth quarter grading will be based on a pass/incomplete and possible fail system. Teachers will assess student work based on growth/mastery of standards with a pass. If students do not complete assignments, an incomplete grade will be issued. Students have two (2) weeks after the close of the quarter/semester to complete incomplete assignments. If the assignments are not completed within the two week timeframe, and there has been no response, effort or attempt by the student they will received a "failed" grade after administration attempts to intervene with parents and students. Student work during the suspension of in-person instruction will not negatively impact a student's grades or otherwise impact a student's academic standing. This means that a student cannot get a grade lower than they received in the 3rd Quarter. Grading is based upon the principle of no educational harm to any child. The aim, emphasis, and focus for schoolwork assigned, reviewed, and completed during remote learning is on learning.

Please communicate these issues with your teacher as soon as possible, if possible. Students that need assistance with District 301 specific applications or equipment can email devices@central301.net with details of the issue. If you do not have or have difficulty accessing the Internet, WiFi access is available for students on district property in multiple locations: CHS vet building/student parking lot, CHS football field, CHS upper parking lot, CHS lower parking lot, CHS soccer field (behind HBT), CMS back lot, LL front parking lot, and PKMS south door (near track). Other options may include Starbucks, McDonalds, Panera, etc. parking lots. If your student's Chromebook is not working, please reach out to your school administrator and we will work to provide you with a loaner and establish a time for pick-up.

If your home printer is a USB printer, the Chromebook can be directly connected to the printer through a USB cable. Most home printers can be added to a student Chromebook by using Google's "Set up your printer" page at https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/7225252?hl=en. You can also try Google's "CloudPrint" page. To use this tool, log into a PC or Mac computer, log into the Chrome browser as the student and visit https://www.google.com/cloudprint/#printers. Add the local printer to the student's account. The next time the student logs into their Chromebook they should be able to print from their device.

The Governor suspended all state assessments for spring 2020, including the IAR, Illinois Science Assessment, DLM, PSAT, SAT, and the Constitution test. ISBE has sent a waiver to the federal government to ensure there is no negative impact on the districts in Illinois. The Illinois State Board of Education is working with the College Board to develop options to allow current 11th grade students to take the SAT in the fall.

The process for determining placement for fifth (5) grade students will be similar to how it has been in the past. Previously, we have used NWEA-MAP and reviewed the last three scores obtained by a student. These scores had to be above the 76th percentile. We also looked at the students’ IAR score for students who scored a 4 or 5, along with teacher recommendations. Lastly, the average of common assessments given throughout the year (units 1-6) required students to score at 85% or higher. Placement for 2020-2021 will need to look different. At this time, we will need to review our criteria to establish data points that can be used. With the IAR not being given and with us no longer using NWEA-MAP and going to FastBridge, this would be somewhat challenging. We will continue to look at students’ scores on the common assessments utilized in the district, as well as teacher recommendations. Once the new parameters have been established we will be contacting those students’ parents who qualify.

Yes, Central students will be able to take AP exams in the spring of 2020. College Board, the organization that oversees AP exams has provided the following guidelines: -Students will have the option to take the exam online at home. -College Board has enhanced its online testing security to prevent cheating. -Each exam is estimated to take 45 minutes. -The exam covers content that students learned through March 2020.

All AP students and teachers will be able to draw on the free online resources that were provided to every AP classroom this fall. Additional resources will be made easily accessible to AP students and teachers through mobile phones and other devices. Starting now, students and teachers can begin attending free, optional live AP review courses, delivered by AP teachers from across the country. Courses will be recorded and available on-demand. These mobile-friendly classes are designed to be used alongside work schools may continue to assign. Visit https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/ for more information.

Yes, through collaboration with the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Community College Board and Illinois State Board of Higher Education, Elgin Community College should work with us to transition students to online, remote, or alternative delivery options, consistent with the direction of both the high school and community college system.

Students unable to complete the dual credit course within the semester timeframe may be given the option to receive an “Incomplete,” with an individual plan to complete that work as soon as is possible, within the context of the credit granting higher education institution’s policies for completion of coursework. For all students who are unable to complete a dual credit course through a community college or four-year college or university, the instructor of the course should make every effort to work with the student and, if possible, their high school counselor to contact the community college, college or university to inquire about the college or university’s completion policies for dual credit courses. If an incomplete is granted, institutions of higher education and high schools should work together to support all students with the development of an individual plan for the completion of a dual credit course, with a focus on students who are expected to graduate in the spring of 2020.

Recognizing that students may be experiencing varying mental and physical health challenges at this time and may have very different access to support and technology at home, grading should strongly consider the principle of “No educational harm to any student.” High schools and institutions of higher education should be actively engaged with each student to ensure he/she is not penalized by this situation. With oversight authority from the Illinois Community College Board and the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Dual Credit Quality Act was enacted to protect the academic standing of students. See 110 ILCS 27/15, to wit: Sec. 15. Student academic standing. Institutions may adopt policies to protect the academic standing of students who are not successful in dual credit courses, including, but not limited to, options for (i) late withdrawal from a course, or (ii) taking the course on a pass-fail basis, or both.

Beginning March 31, all districts must provide remote instruction to all enrolled students, including students with IEPs and 504 plans. Districts should modify work provided to general education students for special education students, as appropriate based on each student’s IEP/504 and individual needs. In addition, during this period, districts should document the provision (or attempted provision) of all special education services to eligible students, including special education instruction and related services. Both OSEP and ISBE have provided resources and recommendations to further support districts in designing instruction for students, including special education students, in their Supplemental Fact Sheet and Remote Learning Recommendations documents available on the Remote Learning webpage.

In short, school districts should do their best, act in good faith and focus on the individual needs of each student as outlined in their IEP/504 plan. Ultimately, the answer to these questions depends on each student’s programming and services. School districts should continue to provide instruction, related services, and accommodations/modifications that can be delivered remotely to students based on their IEPs and 504 plans. Based on guidance from ISBE, OCR and OSEP, we developed a Remote Learning Plan designed to deliver special education services, related services, and accommodations with access to the general education curriculum.

Parents of special education students have the option to opt-out of video instruction during the mandated school closure. A video letter was sent to parents/guardians of all special education students who receive direct services on Friday, April 3rd. Those wishing to opt-out of video instruction special education services must contact Mike Potsic or Michelle Vaughn from the District Student Services Department by 3:00 pm on Monday, April 6th. Video instruction services for special education services will begin on Tuesday, April 7th. Mike or Michelle will notify school psychologist and case manager about the parent/guardian’s decision. Mike, Michelle and Kate will work with you and your team to develop an alternate plan to support appropriate and reasonable service provision. To maintain privacy and confidentiality for all participants during video instruction, please refrain from recording sessions on any application or device. Please note that teachers and related service providers are also prohibited from recording video instruction lessons and/or capturing, posting or otherwise sharing screenshots without student and parent/guardian permission. We ask that students and families follow these same guidelines related to recording, screenshotting and otherwise sharing and/or posting content that could pose a violation to student privacy.

Yes. Neither the DOE nor ISBE is allowing for the extensions of evaluation or meeting deadlines. In its March 21, 2020, guidance, OSEP confirmed that, to date, there is no current flexibility for school districts’ requirement to comply with federal and state special education timelines. OSEP encourages public agencies to work with parents to reach mutually agreeable extensions of time for mandated timelines, as appropriate. If updated guidance is received regarding IDEA we will share it with you.

School districts must continue to review IEPs annually and complete initial evaluations and triennial reevaluations within the 60 school day timeline. In Central 301, meetings will convene virtually or telephonically and this will be listed on all conference notices. As a district, we are utilizing Google Hangouts/Meets to conduct digital IEP and 504 meetings. If your child has an IEP meeting during the school closure, a school psychologist will contact you to discuss scheduling and explain how to use Google Hangouts/Meets. If your elementary or middle school child has a 504 meeting during the school closure, an Assistant Principal will contact you to discuss scheduling and explain how to use Google Hangouts/Meets. CHS Guidance counselors will reach out to schedule 504 meetings for high school students. We are committed to satisfying all mandated meeting timelines. If you are unable to meet virtually or telephonically during the school closure period, your child’s team will work collaboratively with you to reschedule annual reviews, triennials, eligibility, and 504 meetings when school resumes. With respect to reevaluations, school teams can complete a reevaluation through “a review of existing data” (a file review).

For all students either currently in the evaluation pipeline OR students who need to be evaluated during the school closure period, districts can request agreement from parents to extend or delay the evaluation and eligibility determination until school resumes. If parents agree to extend the 60-school day timeline to support additional testing once school reopens, districts should document an agreed “extension” and memorialize the parent’s agreement. For situations where the parent does not agree to amend the existing domain and provide new consent, we will finish the evaluation process to the best of the team’s ability and reflect in the evaluation summary those assessments that could not be completed due to lack of direct access to the student.

Currently there is no flexibility from the federal and state requirement to ensure that a child transitioning from an early intervention program has either an IEP or continued IFSP in effect on the child’s third birthday. Early Childhood evaluations will consist of parent/guardian interview(s), child care provider interview, rating scale(s), review of Early Intervention (EI) records, review of medical reports (if applicable), and video clips provided by parent/guardian of the child. If needed, it will be reflected in the evaluation summary any assessment(s) that could not be completed due to lack of direct access to the student.

Parents/guardians will contact Nicki Coulter (nicki.coulter@central301.net), Student Services Administrative Assistant, to schedule a screening. Screenings will continue to occur monthly. During Remote Learning Days, D301 will utilize Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) to screen children. If there are speech concerns, parents/guardians will be provided with some prompts and asked to record their child’s responses. Parents/guardians will return the ASQ-3 and speech sample video to the Early Childhood Coordinator. The EC Coordinator will follow up with parents/guardians regarding the results of the screening and any follow up actions needed.

Where possible, parents should be offered copies of domain forms, with the option to electronically sign and return. The district will use an online platform to acquire signatures and continue to share IEP paperwork electronically through Virtu so this information is sent securely. For parents/guardians who are unable to complete this task, teams may accept oral consent, then documented on the form by staff, in lieu of written consent. Any communication regarding evaluation consent should be documented and shared with the parent/guardian.

Yes. Districts are required to provide parents/guardians with progress updates for students with disabilities during the school closure.Because it is possible that the school closures could last through the end of the 2019-2020 school year, districts should encourage staff to, “think outside the box” on progress monitoring for the remainder of the school year, e.g., developing a progress monitoring tool during remote learning in each domain, collaborating on goal implementation and data collection with students using virtual platforms, use work samples, etc. That said, even with the provision of remote learning, students may demonstrate skill regression and may not meet their IEP goals. Staff should do their best to provide necessary services and collect data towards student progress. Progress monitoring data collected through methods deemed reasonable and appropriate by the team may be used for fourth quarter goal updates.

The next five Mondays (4/6, 4/13, 4/20, 4/27 and 5/4) will serve as teacher remote learning planning days. Teachers, case managers and related service providers will provide synchronous and asynchronous instruction on Tuesdays-Fridays. In an effort to minimize lost instructional time and provide students with full access to the general education curriculum, we’ve developed a weekly schedule that allows students to access special education resource minutes and related services without missing synchronous instruction from their classroom teachers or losing asynchronous lesson time. Case managers and related service providers will contact you and your child directly to share additional information related to direct service including video instruction session dates/times. Direct video instruction (synchronous learning) and asynchronous lessons/extension activities will focus on your child’s IEP goals. Your child’s case manager will work collaboratively with the general education/classroom teacher(s) to ensure differentiation of instructional materials and use of accommodations. Special education case managers and related service providers are also available to consult and partner with you to support your child during remote learning.

ISBE recommends a common platform for communication and instruction. Therefore, due to the district being a Google and Instructure (Canvas) district, we will be using the Canvas platform. All teachers in grades K-12 will utilize Canvas. Use of Canvas modules, Canvas Conferences, Google Docs, Google Slides and Google Hangouts Meet maintain continuity and consistency through this period for students in K-12 grade. Early Childhood will be using Google Hangouts Meet, Google Docs, and Google Slides for communication and instruction.

We are here to support your child’s learning, which means helping students and parents/guardians access our digital learning platforms. Per the ISBE guidance, our goal is to provide services to the best of our ability using appropriate modes and methods. If your child encounters any technical issues on a Remote Learning Day, the technology staff and the administration will be available. Please reach out to the building administrator to provide issues relevant to technology. Teamwork is important and we are here to help make this experience as positive as possible for your child and for you!

Per ISBE guidance, we will continue monitoring student progress toward BIP goals in a good faith effort to prevent behavioral regression. It will be important to work in collaboration with your child’s special education team to determine feasible options for BIP implementation during Remote Learning Days and the mandated school closure. It may be possible to deliver some prevention strategies, reinforcement, and responses to problem behavior in a remote setting. Communication and partnership will be important in this process and we encourage students, families and teams to work together to determine what is reasonable and appropriate. We are asking that teams focus on maintaining the teaching strategies outlined in the BIP through synchronous and asynchronous instructional activities in an effort to prevent regression. For additional information on Social-Emotional Learning, stress management, behavior support and mental health please review our Social Emotional Learning Remote Learning Resource Document available on the Remote Learning webpage.

Your child’s case manager is your first point of communication. During remote learning, he or she will continue to work closely with your child and your child’s team to manage aspects of the IEP/504 and facilitate collaboration amongst your child’s special education team. If you have questions related specifically to meetings or evaluations, please contact the school psychologist or Assistant Principal at your child’s school. Related service providers like speech-language pathologists, social workers, occupational therapists and physical therapists can provide information on service delivery relative to your child’s IEP; if you have questions regarding a specific related service, you can contact the provider directly. Mike, Michelle and Kate are also available to offer support, answer questions, manage district processes and provide information.

Visit the Illinois State Board of Education website (https://www.isbe.net/coronavirus) for additional information from the state Board of Education, Office of Civil Rights and Office of Special Education Programming.

Central 301’s state mandated closure has been extended through Thursday, April 30th.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced that remote learning will occur for the duration of the mandated school closure. Remote Learning Days will begin for Central 301 schools on Monday, April 6th and continue until schools are allowed to reopen. The Remote Learning Days and Act of God Days count as actual student attendance days and will not be made up. Start April 7th, assignments can be graded and assessed using the pass/incomplete/fail model.

Yes, if your family is in need of support with food, please reach out to Food Service Director Pam Mirenda, (pamela.mirenda@central301.net) and she will explain to you how to have your child(ren) added to our daily lunch counts.

Please email your building level administrator to ensure your access email is correct in Skyward.

If you are in need of social or emotional support, please email our Social Emotional Learning Coordinator, Kate Vincent (kate.vincent@central301.net) and she will assist you with resources.

Yes, when students are using their district issued devices they are filtered and monitored by the district.

If you are experiencing problems with your Chromebook, please email your building principal to set up an appointment to get a “loaner device” or contact devices@central301.net and someone from the Technology Department will reach out via phone or email to assist you. When reaching out to the Technology Department, please include the student's name, student ID number, device number (on white barcode sticker) and a brief description of the issue.

We don't have any current plans to change the graduation ceremony but we are working with the prom venue to determine additional dates in May for Prom. If the State ban on large gatherings continues, we will need to revisit this in May.

All activities/athletics have been suspended during the government shutdown. Additional information can be found at the IHSA website (https://www.ihsa.org/default.asp).

This will be an important aspect when we are able to return to face-to-face instruction. At this time, the district’s focus is to provide the best learning opportunity for our students as possible in the immediate future. Therefore that will be the district’s focus. Once a transition plan is developed, it will be added to this plan and announced to all stakeholders.

Kane County has a 211 helpline that offers assistance with Human Service related needs. One free call to 211 connects you with help for issues related to food, clothing, shelter, housing, rent/utility assistance, counseling and more. Operators are available to answer your questions 24/7. There are also food pantries which may be an additional support for families: Prairie Knolls Middle School Food Pantry (contact Principal Matthew Haug - matthew.haug@central301.net) Burlington-Hampshire Area Food Pantry (847-683-3071) South Elgin Food Pantry (847-931-0563) Salvation Army St. Charles (630-377-2769)

The Lead Area Homeless liaisons and School District liaisons are required to work directly with families during this trying time to make sure that homeless children and youth have all of the materials needed to complete assignments, to provide access to meals, and to ensure the safety and stability of this vulnerable population. If you are experiencing homelessness and need support please contact Superintendent, Dr. Todd Stirn (todd.stirn@central301.net).

You can monitor current health information by accessing links included on our webpage under News: School Closure and Coronavirus Information (https://central301.net/blog/2020/01/29/coronavirus-information/). Health agencies are urging everyone to avoid crowds, practice social distancing, isolate yourself if you become sick, and to call your medical provider before going in for an appointment. The State and local health agencies are asking that we do our part to limit exposure and flatten the curve.