HCPSS staff designed a Continuity of Learning model that will engage students in teacher-supported and teacher-directed distance learning. The plan involves three phases:
Students who have IEPs and are currently receiving Home and Hospital Instruction will receive their instruction from their home school teachers through the HCPSS Continuity of Learning Plan. Additionally, they will continue to receive 1 hour of virtual support each week from their Home and Hospital Teacher.
Families were surveyed about technology, online, through phone calls and at food distribution sites to determine their access to technology and the internet. Based on the results from that survey, HCPSS gathered technology for students and is currently distributing devices. Additionally, HCPSS has determined the families that did not reply to the survey and is trying to contact those families to determine their technology needs. Requests for technology will now be made through HCPSS Connect.
All schools in Maryland are closed by the State Superintendent of Education, including physical buildings for nonpublic schools. Most nonpublic schools, however, are implementing a continuity of learning plan for students enrolled in their schools. The nonpublic school staff should contact you as they seek your input about what a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) will look like for your child in light of this unusual closure and your child’s circumstances.
In making changes to a child’s IEP after the annual IEP team meeting, the parent/guardian of a child with a disability and the public agency may agree to not convene an IEP team meeting for the purpose of making those changes. Instead, parents may agree to develop a written document to temporarily amend or modify the child’s current IEP/504. Within HCPSS, this document is referred to as the individualized continuity of learning plan.
We will do our best to honor timelines. However, federal guidance indicates that public agencies should work with parents to reach mutually agreeable extensions, when appropriate. If you have a concern about timelines, your service provider, case manager and/or DSE staff will be able to discuss next steps and how to document this extension.
All meetings scheduled to be held between March 13–April 3, prior to the school closure, were postponed. There are some issues that may not be able to be fully addressed at this point. For example, decisions that would require complete assessments and reports may not be able to occur because of the process interruption caused by COVID-19. As you hear from your case managers/providers, you can discuss rescheduling.
The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) does not provide specific special education implementation procedures when schools are closed for an extended period of time due to exceptional circumstances. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 does not provide this type of guidance either. HCPSS must adhere to all federal and state guidance on the subject. Current guidance for serving students with disabilities has been provided through the OSERS. The following excerpt from that guidance serves as the basis for our work:
HCPSS is aligning services for students with disabilities with guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). You may find additional information at:
Students will mainly need to access Canvas, Google Meet and G Suite. All three are readily available by going to HCPSS.me. Also included at hcpss.me are links to Clever, through which students can access a number of additional resources, Account Self-Service, and guides to commonly used resources. To access some guides, students will need to log in to Canvas using their account credentials.
