2020 Reopening Plan 

Public education is an essential service in our communities, and, at KIPP, we believe in the transformative power of education to combat systemic racism. Our aim is to partner with all of you to create joyful, academically excellent schools that affirm and celebrate our students’ identities, backgrounds, and unique strengths. We continue our commitment to serve our communities as we navigate teaching and learning during COVID. 

Based on the latest available health & safety data in our communities and state, we will begin instruction in August with 100% of students engaged in distance learning. 

 

Phase 1  |  Phase 2  |  Hybrid Schedule  |  Health & Safety  |  Support & Resources | Online Learning Tools

The safety of students, staff, and their families are of the utmost importance in our reopening plan.
View the entire KIPP Northern California 2020 Reopening Plan

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Reopening Priorities


Healthy & Safe – We are following all public health guidance and taking steps to ensure our campuses are as safe as possible.

 

Anti-Racist – We will disrupt the presence and impact of racial inequities within the organization, our practices, and in educational access and outcomes.

 

Joyful & Connected – We are committed to making sure our schools remain joyful places that celebrate our students’ identities and backgrounds and foster meaningful connections between students and staff.

 


Academically Excellent – We will continue to accelerate learning, holding a high bar for all students with in-person and virtual support, because we believe in the potential of all of our students.

 

Responsive – We are creating a comprehensive plan for the upcoming school year, but will stay flexible and responsive to both students’ needs and public health guidance in our individual communities.

Phase 1

Based on the latest available health & safety data in our communities and state, we will begin instruction in August with 100% of students engaged in distance learning. When the data allows, we will assess the possibility of moving onto Phase 2 to a hybrid learning model. 

We developed this model based on the recommendations of public health experts and the California Department of Education, and believe it is the best way to keep our school communities as safe as possible while still providing excellent education to our students.

Regardless of the possible hybrid plan for Phase 2, families will still have the option to continue 100% distance learning.

You can expect more school specific information in the coming weeks. Thank you for your continued partnership and belief in our mission!

Phase 2

Teaching & Learning Plan

During Phase 2 we will implement a hybrid model of alternating weeks. Two groups of students who attend school on different weeks. Students will be on campus four consecutive days (Monday-Thursday) every other week. On the week they are not on campus, students will participate in distance learning.

All students will participate in distance learning every Friday.

Siblings, even those at different KIPP schools, will be able to go to school in person the same weeks if both participate in the alternating week schedule. 

Small Groups

Although it will vary by grade level, our schools will create semi-fixed cohorts, or groups, of students, in which:

  • Students will stay with the same cohort as much of the school day as possible
  • Teachers will rotate to different classrooms instead of students to the extent possible
  • Students will eat lunch with their cohorts in their classrooms. Lunches will be individually packaged.
100% Distance Learning

Most students will participate in either 1) alternating week schedule or 2) 100% distance learning.

There will likely be a small group of students at each school who will be learning on campus Monday-Thursday every week and who will participate in distance learning only on Fridays.* This program would be primarily available to students with Individualized Education Plans, students who are English language learners, and other students who may require additional on campus time.

*This is dependent on the space available to safely host the same group of students on campus every week. 

Hybrid Schedule

Alternating Week Sample 

 

Why Alternating Weeks?

An alternating week schedule is safer than an alternating day schedule based on the current scientific understanding of COVID-19 as it allows more time in between cohorts of students. A 4-day model is recommended by health and safety experts, as well as the California Department of Education.

An alternating day schedule for four continuous days will allow for continuity and practice of the new routines, which is especially important for our youngest and newest students who will need time to learn new routines.

High School Learning 

We aim to align teaching and hybrid learning plans across all our KIPP schools to the extent possible. However, some grade levels, especially high school, present increased scheduling challenges due to number of courses, facilities challenges, class sizes, and staffing constraints.

This may necessitate differentiated planning by school when it comes to how many students are learning virtually versus on-campus. We will update our families regularly with any changes to the reopening plan.

Health & Safety Plan

Health and safety are foundational to our campus reopening preparation. Here are the precautions and protocols we will implement on all campuses after our initial distance learning launch

Layered Prevention Strategies

We will ground our decisions in public health expertise and local context. Withs continued guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), state and local public health agencies, and our educational partners, we will reduce and respond to risk by:

  • Screening staff, students and essential visitors to help keep infection off campus
  • Leveraging layered prevention strategies to help prevent and limit the potential spread of infection on campus
  • Implementing a rigorous incident response to address known or suspected infections
  • Educating and training our school community in currently established best practices for reducing the risks posed by COVID-19
  • Adapting to evolving circumstances as new credible science and systems come to light
Health Screening

We will train staff and families on how to pre-screen for symptoms before coming to campus, and we will also complete a mandatory daily health screening for all staff, students and essential visitors upon arrival at campus.

Physical Distancing

We will reduce the number of people in our classrooms at any time and modify all of our spaces to allow for and physical (social) distancing to the greatest extent possible, including signage and directional markers to indicate proper distance.

PPE & Hygiene

KIPP will provide CDC recommended face coverings to all staff and students. Face shields will be provided to all staff and also to students with conditions that prevent them from wearing face coverings. 

Enhanced Cleaning & Disinfecting

We will follow all CDC standards for cleaning on all campuses, and we have designed our daily and weekly schedules to allow for additional time and cleaning between different groups of students. We are prepared to do enhanced cleaning & any additional rapid response deep cleaning in the event of any suspected or confirmed case of exposure.

Monitoring & Contact Tracing

We are working with local public health agencies to ensure we are equipped to quickly identify, trace and support impacted individuals in the event that we have a confirmed COVID-19 exposure in a school community.

Support & Resources

Technology & Internet Access

We also commit to continue to provide access to technology. Every KIPP student will have access to a Chromebook they can use for distance learning at home, and we will partner with families to ensure they have access to wifi or hotspots for students to easily get online. 

School Communications

ParentSquare (download via iOS | Android ) This app will be used for school communication, via email, text and app notifications. ParentSquare automatically generates an account for each parent, using their preferred email address and phone number. We encourage parents to download the mobile app and update their account preferences for when and you get notified. Instructional videos on ParentSquare can be found in the Parent Resources tab on your school web pages. 

Health & Wellness

Our students, families, and team members are continuing to experience traumatic and inequitable effects of the pandemic. We will prioritize socio-emotional support to our students and families through specific curriculum, peer circles and advisory meetings, and regular one-on-one check-ins between students and KIPP staff.

KIPP Support Line

We will also continue the KIPP Family Support line that was launched in March to support families with non-academic needs. Feel free to connect with our team to learn about additional resources available to you. 

After School & Child care

We are working with our providers and community partners to continue offering care during these unprecedented times. For the safety and well-being of our students, families and community, we will keep school-day cohorts together during after-school to the extent possible. Once we confirm fall enrollment, we will finalize our after school plans, including our facilities and staffing needs.