Reopening

Yes. All building principals have been hard at work this summer reconfiguring classrooms to achieve adequate social distancing where feasible. Staff has looked at spaces such as auditoriums and gymnasiums for use as classroom space. High traffic areas such as hallways and stairwells are also being modified for one-way traffic only to promote social distancing.

Yes. A cohort is a group of students within the same class that will be kept together with the same teacher. The number of students in each cohort will vary by grade level. In the lower grades, a cohort will be a classroom. Please see pages 15-18 in the Madison Reopening Plan for more information on cohorts.

There will be limited materials shared among students. In the younger levels where students use a great deal of shared materials, many materials have been ordered for students to use individually and kept in personal bins or pouches. Some materials will be distributed to homes in the event that distance learning is required. When classroom materials use is required, materials used will be followed by materials cleaning by either individual students or staff. 

Schedules have been developed at each building level to ensure students have access to related arts courses such as world language or music on a rotating basis this year. Students will access related arts instruction with their cohort whenever possible. 

Yes, students will still have small group instruction under the in-person, hybrid, and distance learning models. Social distancing requirements will be followed for small group instruction under the in-person model.  

During the 2020-2021 school year families will continue to have the option of in-person or virtual services when buildings are open. The District has prioritized providing in-person instruction for students with disabilities in the reopening plan based on a student's IEP. If changes to the IEP are needed due service hours or goals, changes will be made by the Planning and Placement Team (PPT) process which includes a file review and assessments.  

For students with IEPs, services provided include but are not limited to:

● Co Taught instruction 

● Push-in services 

● Pull out services for small groups 

● Pull out individual services 

● When feasible, students will receive small group special education and related services with other students from their cohort.

A series of Social Emotional Learning based lessons will be delivered universally to all students at all grade levels in the first week of school. We have created an Intervention Guide for COVID related traumas and attendance concerns. Tiered supports will be identified at each level.  Each building holds regular intervention meetings to discuss individual student concerns, plans, and growth. We also hope to create a parent educational series of webinars on various topics of interest.

The school nurse will notify the Covid-19 Compliance Liaison of any symptomatic or positive tested student and document their symptom profile and dates of illness on a district-wide tracking chart to be shared weekly with the Superintendent, Compliance Liaisons, and Public Health Official. 

The district administration will consult with the District Medical Advisor and health department to determine a course of action for their schools and before/after care programs

Possible courses of action may include quarantine of a student cohort, closure of a school, and/or full district closure. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis using the most up-to-date information about COVID-19 and the specific cases in the community. 

The student would be sent home and a COVID-19 test would be encouraged. If a student takes a test and it is negative, the student can return to school once symptoms improve. If a student has a positive test or does not get a test, the student must follow the CDC clearance criteria for a return to school. The criteria includes being fever-free for 24 hours without the help of fever-reducing medications, 10 days passing from the onset of symptoms, and symptoms have improved.   

See page 35 of the Madison Reopening Plan for a detailed description of our response protocols. 

District administration will communicate directly via eNotify to a specific cohort or a whole school building depending on the circumstance. 

All communications will be sensitive to maintain confidentiality of the student or staff member as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act and will counter potential stigma and discrimination. 

The decision to suspend or close a school (or the entire school district) could take the form of a statewide emergency order, or a determination made on a town, school or regional response in consultation with the Department of Health, Connecticut State Department of Education, and the Local Health Department with the Superintendent of Schools.  Board of Education members and town health officials are notified of closure as well as the State Department of Education. 

Schools will likely implement a short-term closure (2-5 days) or longer regardless of community spread if a confirmed case or known exposure of COVID-19 has been in a school building.  The CDC recommends dismissal of students and most staff for 2-5 days. This initial short-term dismissal allows time for necessary cleaning and disinfecting of the building and merits the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the COVID-19 situation impacting the school. 

For more information, see page 27 of the reopening plan.