A plan is on the books for how Indian Prairie School District 204 will use E-Learning days during the next three school years.
Up to five virtual learning days could be called during each school year under the plan, which the school board unanimously approved during Monday’s meeting.
E-Learning days would be districtwide occasions, which “shall permit student instruction to be received remotely while students are not physically present, in lieu of the district’s scheduled emergency days.”
E-Learning a good option for continuity
School board President Laurie Donahue said the E-Learning plan, which would last through the 2027-28 school year, provides a framework to continue education when factors such as bad weather or an election make it best for students not to be present inside school buildings.
“It’s a good option for our district,” Donahue said. “It doesn’t take away snow days, but it gives us more options.”
Deputy Superintendent Louis Lee said allowing for E-Learning days provides continuity in the school schedule, helps avoid tacking on emergency days at the end of the year and supports social-emotional skills, including self-management and responsible decision-making.
Superintendent to call E-Learning days when needed
Pending approval of the plan by the Regional Office of Education, the superintendent could decide if an emergency closure is necessary and designate a day for E-Learning.
Teachers then would post assignments to Google Classroom and/or email them to students, and five hours of self-paced learning would be scheduled. Teachers would be available to connect with students during office hours or by email.
If a second consecutive E-Learning day is needed, Lee said that day would follow a different schedule, in which all students in each class would sign in and learn simultaneously. Schedules for this synchronous learning would differ by school level.
IPSD 204 feel confident in E-Learning support for all students
In planning for E-Learning, the district also has outlined ways to support students who lack access to technology at home. Lee said the district has 300 WiFi hotspots available to create instant connectivity for any student in need.
“We have never exhausted that number” during previous E-Learning days, Lee said. “We feel confident that that’s a good number for us to have.”
The district also plans to offer training for teachers to further develop their virtual instruction methods as technology evolves.
IPSD 204 among early adopters of E-Learning
Lee said this is the third time District 204 has sought approval from the Regional Office of Education for an E-Learning plan, which must be renewed every three years. The first plan went into effect for the 2019-2020 school year. Lee described this as “very strategic,” given the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic during that year.
“As other districts were scrambling to get E-Learning plans in place, many districts’ (plans) were formed based on ours,” Lee said, “because we were one of the early adopters in the state.”
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