- About Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Return to School/Work
- Posters
- General Information
- Governor’s Education Related Executive Orders and Messages
- ISBE Guidance
- IASA/AASA Guidance
- Information/Resources to Support Students, Parents, and Teachers
- Communications For and From School Districts
- E-Learning Plans
- Homelessness and Food Resources During School Closing
- IDPH Press Releases
- Legal Guidance
ISBE Guidance
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CONSIDERATIONS FOR CLOSING THE 2019-20 SCHOOL YEAR & SUMMER 2020 MAY 15, 2020 PART 1 - TRANSITION PLAN: 05/18/2020
This document from ISBE is Part I of a multi-part plan, though we do not know how many parts there will be at this time. Part I provides academic, social-emotional, and logistical considerations for ending the current school year and entering the summer. It also covers grading and addressing Incompletes in more detail; summer school; and utilizing the summer months for professional development, preparations to assess student learning, social-emotional supports, and device distribution.
REMOTE LEARNING RECOMMENDATIONS DURING COVID-19 EMERGENCY:Clarifications on Return to School- #11 (align to Restore IL Plan); Summer Programming- #26 (with a link to ISBE's Summer School Guidance) and #106; and Special Education Guidance- #107 (with a link to a slightly updated Statewide School Closure Special Education FAQ).
ISBE Guidance to Schools and Districts: 05/04/2020 AND 05/06/2020 (ISBE already made one very minor change to the 05/04/2020 document and posted a newer version two days later.)
So, 05/04/2020 document: School Calendars, #12-25, have been completely updated with clarifying information. Educator Prep & Licensure, # 28-30, and End of School Year Procedures, #33- graduation ceremonies, have been updated to reflect ISBE's recently released guidance. Under the Remote Learning heading, #91- student attendance, #96- graduation requirements, and #106- summer school. Under Special Education, #106, several new resources have been added. AND, from the 05/06/2020 version: one additional change regarding drivers education (#106).ISBE Guidance to Schools and Districts: 04/29/2020Very few changes from the 04/24/2020 version, but they are timely. Look for guidance on End of School Year Procedures addressing graduation (or the lack thereof), and students and staff picking up personal belongings #20-22.
ISBE Guidance to Schools and Districts: 04/24/2020
Changes/additions were made to the following sections: Calendar & Student Attendance #11-13; Educator Prep & Licensure #16; End of Year Procedures #20-23; Grants & Funding #30 & 31 and #40 (Though I don't know how many North Cook districts have an agriculture education program!); Multilingual Education #42 (The document linked there is already posted on our ISBE Guidance page.); Activities #56; Nonpublic Schools #65 & 67; Remote Learning #83; and Special Education #93 (Again, the document linked there is already posted on our ISBE Guidance page.).ISBE Guidance to Schools and Districts: 04/15/2020
Changes/additions were made to the following sections: Emergency Rule Amendments were made to Part 226 and Part 120; Assessments/Accountability #7; Grants & Funding #19, #20-21 (CTE related) and #34-35; a Career & Technical Education Section was added #53-54, Remote Learning #87; and Transportation #97.
ISBE Guidance to Schools and Districts: 04/08/2020
Significant changes/additions were made to the following sections: Assessments/Accountability #5-7; Educator Prep and Licensure #17, Grants & Funding #18, Multilingual Education #32, Nutrition/Meals/Food Service # 38, Scope of Mandatory Suspension of In-Person Instruction #43, Activities #45,Data Collections #48, Nonpublic Schools #52, 54 & 55, Remote Learning #71-76, Staffing #81 and Transportation #89.
ISBE Guidance to Schools and Districts: 04/01/2020
ISBE Guidance to Schools and Districts: 03/27/2020
MORE ISBE GUIDANCE
School Graduation Ceremonies Joint Guidance from IDPH and ISBE (05/02/2020)
This joint guidance document basically states that decisions around whether or not to host safe, socially distanced graduation ceremonies will remain at the discretion of local school boards and superintendents. Districts and schools can choose to honor graduating students in a way that prioritizes the health and safety of participants and complies with state and local social distancing orders and guidelines. This document shares guidance and ideas for virtual ceremonies, as well as ceremonies that "maintain social distancing," such as drive-in or drive through ceremonies, or individualized ceremonies, either at school or at a graduate's home. It includes recommendations that "must be employed," if physical ceremonies of any type are held.
LICENSURE GUIDANCE:
Educator Licensure Changes FAQ (04/27/2020)
This document lays out many exceptions to what had previously been required of people pursuing professional educator licenses and subsequent endorsements in administration and support services. Of note is the fact that there is no change for individuals whose licenses are due for renewal on June 30, 2020. They should make every effort to renew their licenses by that date!
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS GUIDANCE:
Graduation Requirement Changes Per Executive Order 2020-31 andEmergency Rules powerpoint (04/28/2020)
Graduation Requirement Changes FAQ (04/27/2020)
These documents outline exceptions to previous graduation requirements impacted by Executive Order 2020-31 and the new emergency rules to allow eighth grade students and high school seniors flexibility to graduate as planned.
SPECIAL EDUCATION AND EL GUIDANCE:ISBE's Frequently Asked Questions for Special Education During Remote Learning (05/08/2020)
Identical to the 04/20/2020 document described below, but with a more detailed description of Districts' obligations to provide FAPE- #2.This ISBE document is intended to provide information for students with significant intellectual or multiple disabilities during the suspension of in-person instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic.ISBE's Frequently Asked Questions for Special Education During Remote Learning (04/20/2020)
The purpose of this document is to assist schools in navigating special education issues directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Much information regarding Regulatory Requirements, IEPs and Evaluations, and Provision of SPED and Related Services.
English Learners- Provisional Identification and Placement Procedures DuringRemote Learning SituationsGrades Pre-K to 12 (04/22/2020)
This procedure provides a means of provisionally identifying English Learners (ELs) if face-to-face screening is not possible during remote learning situations. This process may not replace the formal identification process when face-to-face screening is possible; formal screening for any student who has been given a provisional statusmust take place as soon as possible once school resumes normal operations.
US Dept of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR) & Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): Supplemental Fact SheetAddressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Preschool, Elementary and Secondary SchoolsWhile Serving Children with Disabilities (03/21/2020)
This document from these 3 Federal offices addresses some key misconceptions and misunderstandings in relation to serving all students during this national emergency. It's fairly short, and the first two pages are a "must read."ISBE Special Education Guidance (03/18/2020)
Along with ISBE's Guidance, this also has links to U.S. Dept of Ed SPED/504 Guidance and OCR Guidance. ISBE's document provides guidance regarding IEP Timelines (this is pretty complex, worth a read and potentially warrants a call to your legal department), FAPE, compensatory and related services, and private SPED schools.
ISBE EMERGENCY RULES:
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These changes address the suspension of many of the requirements needed to obtain a PEL including coursework, student teaching and testing. It also includes similar waivers for paraprofessionals, support staff, and administrative endorsements.
- Part 1, Subparts 1.30, 1.420, 1.425, 1.430, 1.440, 1.445, and 1.465 (04/28/2020)
These changes address the suspension of state assessments, some requirements regarding the school year and school day, some graduation requirements such as: consumer education, health education, P.E. (including health related fitness exam), Constitution and US History exams (both 8th grade and high school), coursework minimums, career and technical education, and foreign language. - Part 120, Subpart 120.30 (03/30/2020) allows all transportation expenditures that support the health and well-being of Illinois prek-12 students – such as costs related to the distribution of food and instructional materials and the use of buses to provide WiFi – to be reimbursed by ISBE’s regular transportation reimbursement formula. Edits are at the end.
- Part 226 (03/25/2020) allows all approved special education private facilities to continue to invoice school districts and requires school districts to continue to pay the per diem approved by the Illinois Purchased Care Review Board under Section 14-7.02 of the School Code.
- Part 5 (03/27/2020) allows the State Superintendent to declare a requirement to use Remote Learning Days for a district, multiple districts, a region, or the entire State. During the Remote Learning Days, schools must conduct instruction remotely.
- Part 235 (03/27/2020) allows currently funded early childhood block grant programs that voluntarily choose to provide care for children of essential workers to use funds in excess of what is necessary for the program to provide at-home materials for children in the program and to purchase supplies and equipment while caring for children of essential workers.
**NEW POSTING FROM 03/30/2020 – FERPA and Virtual Learning During COVID19 Webinar
Answers these questions and more: can you allow visitors/parents in your virtual classroom? Can you record virtual classes for students who aren’t able to “attend”? Can you conduct a candid parent-teacher conference with a family while your spouse can overhear?
ISBE & IARSS School Calendar Guidance 03/22/2020
In a nutshell, don't worry about your school calendar right now. ROEs/ISCs will help districts figure it out in June.From ISBE Recap of Sunday, March 15th Tele-Town Halls on Statewide Mandatory School Closures [Dated 03/16/2020 at 7:17 p.m.]
ISBE has updated its statewide school closure guidance. You can find the updated guidance below, attached, and online at www.isbe.net/Documents/Statewide-School-Closure-Guidance-3-16-20.pdf. The guidance includes questions we received during yesterday’s tele-town halls, as well as new information from today’s Executive Order providing flexibility to Open Meetings Act requirement and new guidance today from ISBE, the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services, and the Illinois Department of Human Services regarding early childhood programs and childcare centers.
From ISBE Recap of Sunday, March 15’s Tele-Town Halls on Statewide Mandatory School Closures [Dated 03/15/2020 at 5:48 p.m.]
Please be prepared to serve meals in non-congregate settings beginning on Tuesday. Our goal is that every school district has submitted the ISBE Unanticipated School Closure Non-Congregate Meal Form by the end of the day tomorrow (03/16/2020).We ask that you respond to the E-Learning Technology Needs Survey at the bottom of www.isbe.net/covid19 as soon as possible to tell us exactly what you need to move to a 1:1 environment at all grade levels and to provide online instruction to students.E-Learning Technology Needs Survey at the bottom of www.isbe.net/covid19
Mandatory Statewide School Closure Guidance for Illinois Schools and School Districts (Last updated: 03/16/2020) [PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS LINK GOES TO A PDF, NOT A WEBPAGE. NORTH COOK WILL TRY TO KEEP THIS LINK AIMED AT THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION, BUT PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK AT https://www.isbe.net/Pages/covid19.aspx TO BE SURE.]
ISBE School Closure Guidance for Schools and Districts (new 03/13/2020)
Letter and information from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala
Education-Related Guidance for Illinois Schools and School Districts Regarding Coronavirus/COVID-19 linked here (updated 03/12/2020)
Among other things, it explains that decisions to close schools are local decisions to be made with guidance from IDPH. It also talks about emergency days, e-learning days, act of God days and offers guidance as it relates to travel, both students returning from other countries and school trips.
ISBE’s School Health Issues
This is ISBE’s pages for all things related to school health issues. The top portion is currently dedicated to Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates and Resources.
Executive Order in Response to COVID-19 (03/13/2020)
Governor Pritzker's Executive Order suspending school from Tuesday, March 17th through and including Monday, March 30th; and granting e-learning day waivers. -
