DENISON ISD
2020-2021 RETURN TO SCHOOL PLAN
Acknowledgements:
The Denison ISD District Plan and Campus Plans were developed by a variety of stakeholders including parents, teachers, nurses, administrators, counselors, and custodial, maintenance and transportation staff. We wish to thank all of the individuals who contributed time and perspective to the development of these plans.
Disclaimer:
The conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic are continually evolving, and the Denison ISD Safe Return to School Plan will be constantly evaluated to adapt to the continuing trends of the COVID-19 virus, especially in Denison and Grayson County.
SOURCES:
Texas Education Agency SY 20-21 Public Health Planning Guide – July 7, 2020
Governor Greg Abbott’s Executive Order GA-29
Texas Education Code Section 25.092
TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY DEFINITIONS:
CLOSE CONTACT:
a)being directly exposed to infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on); or
b) being within 6 feet for a total of approximately 15 minutes throughout the course of a day; however, additional factors like case/contact masking (i.e., both the infectious individual and the potential close contact have been consistently and properly masked), ventilation, presence of dividers, and case symptomology may affect this determination.
Denison ISD is committed to ensuring that all students, staff, and community members remain healthy and safe by adhering to best practices in the following areas:
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Virus Prevention Strategies
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Virus Response Protocols
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Virus Mitigation Tactics
UPDATES TO THE PLAN:
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August 27, 2020
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revision C - definitions
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revision D - student assessments
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revision E - re-entry policy
Virus Prevention Strategies
Employee Procedures:
- Denison ISD will require all employees to self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms before coming to school each day.
- All employees will take their own temperature each morning and will self-assess if they have recently begun experiencing any of the following symptoms in a way that is not normal for them.
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Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit
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Loss of taste or smell
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Cough
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Difficulty breathing
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Shortness of breath
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Fatigue
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Headache
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Chills
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Sore throat
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Congestion or runny nose
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Shaking or exaggerated shivering
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Significant muscle pain or ache
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Diarrhea
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Nausea or vomiting
- Any employee who possesses COVID-19 symptoms or is test-confirmed with COVID-19, must remain off campus until he meets the criteria for re-entry listed at the conclusion of this section.
- Any employee who has had close contact with an individual who is test-confirmed with COVID-19 must remain off campus until the 14-day incubation period has passed.
- Close contact is defined as: SEE DEFINITION
- Any employee who has had close contact with an individual who is test-confirmed with COVID-19, or possesses COVID-19 must report this information to the school system. Each employee will report to his Campus Administrator, and complete the Employee Health Reporting Form on the DISD website.
Student Procedures:
- Denison ISD is asking parents to partner with our schools to perform a daily COVID-19 screening of their student.
- Denison ISD will be purchasing an app (Frontline) to track COVID-screening and test-confirmed cases.
- All parents will take the temperature of their student each morning and will determine if the student has recently begun experiencing any of the following symptoms in a way that is not normal for them.
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Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit
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Loss of taste or smell
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Cough
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Difficulty breathing
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Shortness of breath
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Fatigue
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Headache
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Chills
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Sore throat
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Congestion or runny nose
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Shaking or exaggerated shivering
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Significant muscle pain or ache
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Diarrhea
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Nausea or vomiting
- Any student who has had close contact (SEE DEFINITION) with an individual who is test-confirmed with COVID-19 must remain off campus until the 14-day incubation period has passed.
- Any student who develops COVID-like symptoms while at school will remain off campus and are subject to the same re-entry process.
- COVID-like symptoms may be subject to assessment and determination by a Denison ISD staff nurse.
- Parents must ensure that they do not send a child to school on campus if:
the child has COVID-19 symptoms (as listed above) or is test-confirmed with COVID-19.
- the child has had close contact with an individual who is test-confirmed with COVID-19.
- In both cases, parents should opt to have their student to receive remote instruction until the criteria for re-entry which are listed at the conclusion of this section are met.
Visitor Procedures:
- Only essential visitors will be allowed onto Denison ISD campuses.
- Essential visitors will be determined by Campus Administrators.
- All visitors will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms listed above.
- Any visitor possessing a COVID-19 symptom must remain off-campus until he meets the criteria for re-entry listed at the conclusion of this section.
- All visitors will be screened to determine if they have had close contact with an individual who is test-confirmed with COVID-19.
- Any visitor who has had close contact must remain off campus until the 14-day incubation period has passed.
Employees, Students, or Visitors Confirmed or Suspected with COVID-19 – Exclusion and Re-Entry
- Any individual who is test-confirmed to have COVID-19, or who experiences COVID-19 symptoms must stay home throughout the infection period, and cannot return to campus until the school system screens the individual to determine any of the conditions for campus re-entry have been met:
- In the case of an individual who was diagnosed with COVID-19, the individual may return to school when all three of the following criteria are met:
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at least 24 hours have passed since recovery (resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications);
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the individual has improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and
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at least ten days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
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OR... If the individual has tested positive for COVID-19 and believes the test was a false positive, and wants to return to school before completing the above stay at home period, the individual must either: (a) obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis, though for health privacy reasons the note does not need to indicate what the alternative diagnosis is, or (b) obtain two PCR acute infection tests (at a physician’s office, approved testing location, or other site) at least 24 hours apart that come back negative for COVID-19.
- In the case of an individual who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and who is not evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, such individual is assumed to have COVID-19, and the individual may not return to the campus until the individual has completed the same three-step set of criteria listed above.
If the individual has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to school before completing the above stay at home period, the individual must either
(a) obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis, or
(b) obtain an acute infection test (at a physician’s office, approved testing location, or other site) that comes back negative for COVID-19.
Virus Response Protocols
Denison ISD Action Protocols
Upon identifying a possible COVID-19 case on campus, Denison ISD will:
- Immediately separate the individual who shows COVID-19 symptoms while at school until the individual can leave campus.
- Clean the areas used by the individual who shows COVID-19 symptoms as soon as is possible.
- Perform an immediate temperature check of the individual to determine if he is symptomatic for COVID-19.
Upon learning that a lab-confirmed case has been in a school, Denison ISD will:
- Notify its local health department, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, including confidentiality requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
- Close off areas that are heavily used by the individual with the test-confirmed case (student, teacher, or staff) until the non-porous surfaces in those areas can be disinfected, unless more than 3 days have already passed since that person was on campus.
- Notify all teachers, staff, and families of all students in a school if a lab-confirmed COVID-19 case is identified among students, teachers or staff who participate in any on campus activities.
- Denison ISD will be purchasing an app (Frontline) to track COVID-screening and test-confirmed cases.
Virus Mitigation Tactics
Health and Hygiene Practices - General
- Denison ISD will have hand sanitizer stations at the entrance of each campus and in
every classroom.
- Employees and students will be required to sanitize hands frequently.
- Teachers will instruct students regarding good handwashing techniques and other mitigation practices on the first day of enrollment. Students will wash hands for at least 20 seconds before eating and after using the restroom.
- Students will be taught to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Used tissues will be thrown in the trash, and hands will be washed immediately, or hand sanitizer will be used.
- Denison ISD will employ additional cleaning staff who will be responsible for more frequent cleaning practices to disinfect high-touch surfaces throughout the day.
- Cleaning products will be stored safely away from children.
Health and Hygiene Practice – Face Coverings
- In compliance with the Governor Abbott’s Executive Order GA-29, all Denison ISD employees will wear face coverings.
- All students in Grades 4 through 12 will be required to wear a face covering—unless there is an existing condition that would meet one of the allowable exceptions. Those instances will be handled on an individual basis
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- Out of abundance of caution, Denison ISD is also requiring students in Grades 1 through 3 to wear a face covering.
- Parents of students in Pre-Kindergarten/Head Start through Kindergarten may elect to have their student(s) to wear a face covering.
- Face coverings can include cloth masks, gaiters, face shields or anything else that provides covering over the nose and mouth.
- The district will provide ONE reusable Yellow Jacket face covering, but a student may wear his own school-appropriate face coverings.
- In the event that the student does not have a face covering, the district will provide a disposable mask.
Social Distancing Practices
- Denison ISD will encourage individuals to practice social distancing.
- To the greatest extent possible, desks will be arranged to allow for social distancing.
- In classrooms where students are regularly within six feet of one another, teachers will plan for more frequent hand sanitizing.
- Whenever feasible, physical education and other classes may gather outside to reduce the risk of virus spread.
Denison ISD Staggered Start/End Times
- In an effort to maintain safer transportation for our bus students, Denison ISD is implementing staggered start and end times. The following chart outlines campus start and end times for the 2020-21 school year.
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All campuses will still accept students beginning at 7:30 a.m. for Kindergarten – 12th Grade.
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Pre-Kindergarten/Head Start will accept students at 7:45 a.m.
Early Childhood Beginning of Year Transition Plan
- Denison ISD is preparing a special transition plan to start the school year for Head Start, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten students. Each campus will bring in a small group of students each of the first 4 days of the school year. Individual campuses will be contacting parents to inform them of their designated first day of school. Head Start, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten students will only attend 1 day of the first 4 days of school. (Thursday, August 13, Friday, August 14, Monday, August 17, OR Tuesday, August 18.)
Transportation Procedures
- Denison ISD is asking parents to partner with us to reduce the number of students utilizing school bus transportation.
- For those using bus transportation, students and staff will be required to use hand sanitizer upon boarding the bus.
- Students who use bus transportation will be required to wear a face covering—regardless of age or grade level.
- Whenever possible, the driver will open bus windows to allow for greater air circulation.
- Buses will be thoroughly cleaned after each bus trip. Great attention will be given to cleaning high-touch surfaces such as seats, steering wheels, knobs, and door handles.
Entry, Exit, Transition, Breakfast, and Lunch Procedures
- To account for individual differences in school configuration and age of attending students, each campus will be charged with developing entry, exit, transition, breakfast, and lunch procedures. Those procedures will be communicated to parents prior to the opening of school and will be posted on each campus website.
Denison Independent School District
2020-21 Instructional Delivery Models
For the 2020-21 school year, Denison ISD will provide a high-quality education utilizing two instructional delivery models:
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In-Person Learning (Traditional Face-to-Face Classroom Experience with Safety Protocols)
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At-Home Learning (Virtual Learning Experience)
Regardless of the selected instructional delivery model, per Texas Education Code (TEC), Section 25.092, students must attend 90% of the days a course is offered to be awarded credit for the course and/or to be promoted to the next grade level. In addition, students will be allowed to participate in all UIL activities (athletics, band, etc.) regardless of the instructional model they choose.
In-Person Learning
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This delivery method is available for students in PreK through Grade 12.
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Students will attend school on a regular instructional schedule and will engage in face-to face learning on campus all day, every day.
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Classroom instruction will be designed for mastery of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for each content area.
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Expectations for coursework and guidelines for grading for In-Person Learning and At-Home Learning will be the same.
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Student participation is required 5 full days per week.
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Counselors and school staff will provide social-emotional support.
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Accommodations and support services will be provided according to the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP)
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All safety measures and protocols outlined in the first section of this document will be utilized as safety prevention measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
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In the event that a student participating in In-Person Learning should possess COVID-19 symptoms, contract COVID-19, or experience close contact with a test-confirmed COVID-19 case, the student must switch to At-Home Learning.
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For re-entry to in-person learning, refer to the aforementioned Exclusion and Re-entry section of this document.
At-Home Learning
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This delivery method is available for students in PreK through Grade 12.
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Parents of students who select at-home learning are required to attend a DISD At-Home Learning Orientation. This orientation will be provided virtually.
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Students will remain at home and will engage in learning activities that are primarily delivered through an online learning management system.
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Classroom instruction will be designed for mastery of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for each content area.
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Expectations for coursework and guidelines for grading for In-Person Learning and At-Home Learning will be the same.
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Instruction will include teacher-led and independent learning activities.
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Daily attendance will be taken.
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Daily student participation in the learning activities will be required.
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A caregiver will need to be available to support younger students in navigating at-home learning.
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A reliable Internet connection will be required for at-home learning. If needed, Denison ISD will lend a hot spot and district computer device to the family.
Online Learning Management Systems
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The district has identified Google Classroom and Schoology as Learning Management Systems to support delivery of At-Home learning. Google Classroom will be used by students in Pre-K through 6th Grade; Schoology will continue to be used by students in 7th through 12th Grades.
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Resources will be available for parents to learn how to support students in navigating learning through these digital tools.
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In the event that a student participating in In-Person Learning should possess COVID-19 symptoms, contract COVID-19, or experience close contact with a test-confirmed COVID-19 case, the student must switch to At-Home Learning.
Process for Selecting Instructional Delivery Model:
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Beginning July 30, parents will complete an application to inform Denison ISD of their intent to utilize At-Home Learning for their student(s) for the first 6-weeks of the school year.
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Parents are strongly encouraged to complete the application as soon as possible so that the district can determine staffing patterns. If at all possible, the application should be completed by August 5.
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Parents of students who select at-home learning are required to attend a DISD At-Home Learning Orientation. This orientation will be provided virtually.
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There will be a link for the At-Home Application on the Denison ISD website (www.denisonisd.net).
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Paper applications will also be available in the office of each Denison ISD campus and the DISD Administration Building.
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The district will assume that parents who do NOT complete an application intend to pursue In-Person Learning for their student(s) for the first 6-weeks of the school year.
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New applications may be submitted every 6 weeks (see calendar listed below) throughout the entire school year.
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As noted above, a student may move from In-Person Learning to At-Home Learning should COVID-19 concerns dictate a change in the instructional delivery method.
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Students may NOT change from At-Home Learning to In-Person Learning until the next application window.
Social Emotional and Mental Health Support Systems
Denison ISD will address the mental health and social-emotional development of all students, staff and community by following best practices in the areas of:
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School-based mental health services
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Behavioral support systems
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Family engagement and support practices
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Staff supports
Parent Communication
Communication throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic will be extremely important. Denison ISD will use the following channels for parent communication:
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District Website
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Email
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Campus Newsletters
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Social Media – District Twitter Account (@denisonisd) and Campus Facebook Pages
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All Calls