ResponsiveEd COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines

At ResponsiveEd, we are ready to meet the needs of students through on-campus and remote learning instruction during the 2020-21 school year. We employ full-time and part-time staff to ensure health and safety protocols are in place for our students, staff, and visitors. As we enter the 2020-21 school year, a number of enhanced health and safety protocols will be in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

ResponsiveEd continues to monitor the spread of COVID-19 and we receive regular updates, guidance, and/or directives from Texas Governor Greg Abbott; Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath; and other local, state, and federal agencies regarding response, prevention, and mitigation efforts. This guidance has evolved and will continue to evolve based on COVID-19 conditions across the state and within the communities we serve.

As COVID-19 data changes, federal, state, and local guidance and/or directives may change in response to the data. ResponsiveEd will stay informed of these changes and will adjust policies and procedures to reflect the current guidance and/or directives. ResponsiveEd has developed these operational guidelines in consultation with the following organizations:

Texas Education Agency (TEA): Public Health Orders,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Considerations for Schools,
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): COVID-19 Planning Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry,
Local Education Service Centers and School Districts1, and
Local County and City Health Departments.

This document is subject to change as guidance and/or directives are provided by government officials and/or as COVID-19 conditions change.

ResponsiveEd has worked collaboratively to establish guidelines that provide a safe learning environment for students and staff as we enter the 2020-21 school year. The ResponsiveEd COVID-19 Response Team was formed to develop a comprehensive response plan for daily campus operations that utilize strategies to mitigate respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 and promote a healthy and safe environment for all ResponsiveEd students, staff, and visitors.

Parental Selection of On-Campus or Remote Learning Instruction

ResponsiveEd campuses will offer both2 on-campus and remote instruction during the 2020-21 school year. Remote and on-campus learning experiences will vary by campus and campus leadership will communicate expectations for both options.

An opportunity to select or change each student's instructional environment will be available prior to each grading period. We will utilize a new parent communication portal called ParentSquare for parents to submit their choice later this week. Families should have received a text or email with an invitation to log into the portal on Friday, July 24. The next opportunity to change each student’s instructional environment will come at the end of each grading period. Remote learning will be required for students experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, are laboratory-confirmed to have COVID-19, or found to be in “close contact” with someone confirmed to have COVID-19. The CDC defines close contact as “any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes of accumulated time during a 24 hour period, starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to positive specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.” Close contact occurs regardless of whether the individuals wear face coverings.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires that elementary and middle school families have the opportunity to participate in on-campus instruction five (5) days a week. As such, it is unlikely that we will be able to implement an A/B schedule for on-campus instruction (i.e., a schedule that permits two different groups of students to alternatively participate in on-campus instruction 2-3 days each week). After parents select their choice for their student’s instructional environment, we will communicate if an A/B schedule can be offered.

Termination of Remote Learning for Individual Students

Given certain parent concerns about the health and safety of their family during the COVID-19 crisis, ResponsiveEd has chosen to offer remote instruction consistent with the requirements and exceptions expressed by the Texas Education Association (TEA).

In some areas, families will have access to remote instruction up until the time when ResponsiveEd determines that the student’s attendance and/or academic performance in one or more classes puts them at significant risk of severe learning loss. In these cases, the school will provide notice to the student’s parents and provide an opportunity for appeal for medical or other reasons, by holding a meeting (which can be virtual).

Criteria for termination of remote learning for an individual student:

The student has a class average of 70 or below (or the equivalent)
The student has 3 or more unexcused absences in a grading period

***Criteria will be applied consistently for all students

A committee that includes the student’s teacher(s), a school administrator and a regional representative of the Superintendent will determine if one or both of the above criteria warrant the need for the student to return to in-person learning.

Student, Staff, and Visitor Safety Protocols

Screening and Isolation

All students, staff, and visitors will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms regularly. Individuals who exhibit symptoms will be isolated from others and sent home.

Screening Before Access to Campus

Students: All students will be required to be screened by their parents/guardians by performing a home temperature check and screening for COVID-19 symptoms using screening questions each day prior to sending their students to the campus. Teachers will monitor students and refer to the nurse/campus leadership if symptoms are present. Periodic temperature checks will be performed.
Staff: All staff will be required to perform a home temperature check and self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms using screening questions each day prior to reporting to work.
Visitors: All visitors will be required to be screened by campus staff by performing a temperature check and screening for COVID-19 symptoms using screening questions prior to entering the campus.

Isolation Protocols for Students and Staff Displaying COVID-19 Symptoms

Students and staff displaying symptoms of COVID-19 will be isolated from other students and staff. Symptomatic students or staff will be sent home (parents/guardians are expected to pick up their students within 30-60 minutes of receiving notification).
Students and staff attending the same classroom as the symptomatic students or staff will be removed from the classroom and taken to an alternate location on campus (e.g. go on a walk outside, move to a different classroom, etc.) so that the classroom can be disinfected.
The school will inform any families of students or staff who may have come into close contact with a symptomatic (or COVID-19 positive) student or staff member.
Consistent with our notification requirements for other communicable diseases, and consistent with legal confidentiality requirements, we will notify all staff and parents if a lab-confirmed COVID-19 case is identified among any individuals participating in any on-campus activities.

Staff or students diagnosed with COVID-19 cannot return to campus until ALL three (3) of the following criteria have been met:
Fever-free for at least 24 hours (without fever-reducing medicine)
Improvement in respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath)
At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared
If staff or students have any signs or symptoms that could be COVID-19, it is assumed that they have COVID-19 and have two options:
Complete the same three-step return to campus criteria described above; OR
Obtain and present a medical professional’s note clearing you for return to campus based on an alternative diagnosis OR
Obtain an acute infection test at an approved testing location that comes back negative.

Students and staff who come into close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual will be asked to self-quarantine for up to 14 days and may not return to campus during that time.
Students who are in quarantine will contact their campus for instructions on remote learning.
Per the CDC, “Fully vaccinated people should refrain from quarantine and testing following a known exposure if asymptomatic. People are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 ≥2 weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or ≥2 weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson [J&J]/Janssen). This guidance applies to all fully vaccinated people.” CDC - Fully Vaccinated

Face Coverings

In compliance with the Governor of Texas’ Executive Order (GA-36), which prohibits government entities from mandating facial coverings, effective 11:59PM, June 4, campuses will no longer be required to wear facial coverings. This Executive Order supersedes any existing mandates. Therefore, facial coverings are optional for students, staff and visitors at all COVID-19 Activity Levels.

See the CDC guidelines for approved face coverings.

COVID-19 Activity Levels per campus

PLEASE NOTE: Requests for special accommodations due to certain conditions and/or disabilities will be considered on a case-by-case basis and should be submitted to campus administration.

COVID-19 Activity Levels	Protective Measures
Substantial	Face Coverings
COVID-19 Activity Level is “Substantial” if at least two (2) of the following are true in the county where the campus is located during the most recent one-week period: The number of new cases per 100,000 people is greater than 125. The percent of tests that return a positive result is greater than 9.9%. The number of new cases per 125,000 people is INCREASING by 26 or more cases week over week. OR Governor Order or County Health Order mandate the use of face coverings.	Students in Grades PK-12 will wear face coverings when it is not feasible to maintain a distance of at least six (6) feet from other individuals, including in classrooms. PK-2 Exception: Students in Grades PK-2 may either wear a clear plastic face shield or stay positioned behind a clear plastic divider when doing exercises that require that their face be visible (e.g., reading aloud, phonics practice, etc.). Staff will wear face coverings when it is not feasible to maintain a distance of at least six (6) feet from students or when they are serving students who are unable to manage secretions (e.g., special needs, PK-2, etc.). Staff may wear clear plastic face shields or stay positioned behind a clear plastic divider in lieu of face coverings when teaching students at a distance of greater than six (6) feet. PK-2 Exception: Staff teaching students in Grades PK-2 within six (6) feet may either wear a clear plastic face shield or stay positioned behind a clear plastic divider when doing exercises that require that their face be visible (e.g., reading aloud, phonics practice, etc.). Visitors will wear face coverings.
Moderate	Face Coverings
COVID-19 Activity Level is “Moderate” if at least one (1) of the following is true in the county where the campus is located during the most recent one-week period: The number of new cases per 100,000 people is 26-125. The percent of tests that return a positive result is 6%-9.9%. The number of new cases per 100,000 people is INCREASING by 16 or more cases week over week. OR Governor Order or County Health Order mandate the use of face coverings.	Students in Grades PK-2 will wear face coverings as feasible in hallways, common areas, and during arrival and dismissal. Students in Grades 3-12 will wear face coverings as feasible, especially when social distancing is difficult, including in classrooms. Staff will wear face coverings when it is not feasible to maintain a distance of at least six (6) feet from students or when they are serving students who are unable to manage secretions (e.g., special needs, PK-2, etc.). Staff may wear clear plastic face shields or stay positioned behind a clear plastic divider in lieu of face coverings when teaching students at a distance of greater than six (6) feet. PK-2 Exception: Staff teaching students in Grades PK-2 within six (6) feet may either wear a clear plastic face shield or stay positioned behind a clear plastic divider when doing exercises that require that their face be visible (e.g., reading aloud, phonics practice, etc.). Visitors will wear face coverings.
Minimal	Face Coverings
COVID-19 Activity Level is “Minimal” if all of the following are true for two (2) consecutive weeks in the county where the campus is located during the most recent one-week period: The number of new cases per 100,000 people is 0-25. The percent of tests that return a positive result is 0%-5.9%. The number of new cases per 100,000 people is INCREASING by 0-15 cases week over week.	Students in Grades PK-12 will wear face coverings as feasible in hallways, common areas, and during arrival and dismissal. Staff and visitors will wear face coverings as feasible, especially when social distancing is difficult.
CDC Guidance	Schools, Administrators, Infection Control

Hand Sanitizing

Frequent hand sanitization will help ensure the health and wellness of students, staff, and visitors. To this end, students, staff, and visitors will be asked to adhere to the following guidance:

Sanitize and/or wash hands upon entering and exiting the campus, classroom, restroom, cafeteria, and all other common areas (defined below).
Wash hands after recess, before eating, and following restroom breaks.

Students will be reminded of hand sanitization practices by staff and campus signage throughout the instructional day.

Disinfectants and Campus Cleaning

Frequent cleaning and disinfecting will promote healthy learning and working environments for students and staff.

Classroom Mitigation Practices

Classrooms: Each classroom will be outfitted with the following:
Visual reminders of distancing requirements,
Refillable hand sanitizer stations, and
Disinfectant wipes to sanitize working surfaces.
Teachers: If rotating between classes, teachers will disinfect shared tools and equipment prior to leaving the classroom.
Students: If rotating between classrooms, students will disinfect desks/eating surfaces prior to leaving the classroom/cafeteria.

Daily Campus Cleaning

Each classroom and restroom will be disinfected daily.
All high-touch areas will be cleaned frequently.
Custodians will wear masks and gloves while on campus.
The cafeteria will be disinfected between lunch periods.

Additional Cleaning Measures for Confirmed Cases of Covid-19 on Campus

If a classroom or facility is closed due to COVID-19, quaternary disinfectant, which is recommended for use on the virus that causes COVID-19, will be used to defog and disinfect.
Custodial staff will defog and disinfect classrooms, restrooms, gym, and all additional areas in the entire campus.

Learning Environments

Classroom Configurations and Procedures

Students and staff will be socially distanced as much as possible.
Partitions will be used on a limited basis.
Teachers, instead of students, will rotate between classrooms when feasible.
Class periods will be staggered if students must move between classrooms to limit the number of students in the hallway when changing classrooms.
The use of outdoor space for learning will be considered when possible.
Staff will limit the use of shared supplies and have access to disinfectant wipes to sanitize high-touch surfaces and shared objects.

Common Areas

Common areas include spaces that are used for meetings and collaboration, including computer labs, flexible spaces, campus libraries, conference rooms, and other meeting rooms.
Campuses will develop schedules and protocols for the use of common areas, including how to sanitize space between use. When needed, students will bring personal supplies from the classroom.
Social distancing will be maintained during in-person meetings.

Water Fountains

Water fountains may only be used to fill personal, reusable water bottles.
Water bottles will be filled by staff members only. Water bottles must be sanitized by staff members with disinfectant wipes before each fill up.
Water bottles must be clearly labeled with the student’s or staff member’s name to avoid cross-usage or sharing.
Water bottles must not be shared.
Staff will ensure that proper distancing is being observed by students who are queueing as their water bottles are being filled.
When possible, students should remain in their classroom environment while water bottles are being filled by a staff member.

Restrooms

Proper handwashing technique will be taught to all students and staff, and consistently reinforced.
Efforts will be made to limit the availability of toilets, urinals, and sinks to promote social distancing.
The scheduling of whole class restroom breaks is recommended to eliminate the co-mingling of students across various classes and to ensure staff monitoring of social distancing guidelines.

Traffic Flow, Transitions, and Campus Logistics

Where possible, student movement will be staggered to limit the number of people in various areas during transitions.
Traffic patterns will be established to separate individuals to the greatest extent possible, and signage will encourage social distancing.

Arrival and Dismissal

Early arrivals are discouraged. Any students dropped off before the campus is open will not be allowed inside the building. Any exceptions would need to be specifically arranged with campus administration.
Staff will be utilized for duty to maintain a line of sight in hallways and ensure social distancing.
Students will go straight to the classroom upon arrival and will not wait in a centralized location.
Parents will not be able to walk students to classrooms.

Sibling connections will be done outside the building.
The campus will designate staggered dismissal groups. Staggering will help manage student movement in the building and decrease the risk of potential crowding outside at dismissal time.

Food Service

Additional spaces, including outdoor space when possible and safe, will be utilized for lunch.
Lunchtimes will be staggered by class with time to sanitize between classes.
If feasible, classes will be rotated so that students are not required to eat in their classrooms every day. Otherwise, students will be permitted to eat in their classrooms.
Appropriate social distancing measures will be followed during lunches.

Recess, PE, and Special Activities

Campuses will consider limiting the number of students per recess group. Staggered schedules can be utilized when needed.
All students and staff will be required to use hand sanitizer before entering the playground and upon exiting the playground.
Brain breaks will be implemented as needed, at the discretion of the teacher.
“Mask breaks” will be implemented as needed when appropriate social distancing measures can be followed.

PE classes will be conducted outdoors whenever possible. Appropriate social distancing measures will be followed.
Music and PE equipment will be sanitized and wiped down after each use.

On and Off-Campus Student Activities and Campus Events

During COVID-19 “Substantial” or “Moderate” activity level:

In-person assemblies will not be held.
Off-campus field trips will not be scheduled. When COVID-19 activity level is “Minimal,” off-campus field trips will be scheduled to meet curricular needs while maintaining proper social distancing requirements.
Virtual field trips will be considered as often as possible.

Teacher, open house, parent conferences, etc. will be held virtually.

Protocols for Campus Visitors

Campuses will utilize virtual meeting options to limit campus visitors when possible.
All visitors who enter the building will be required to wear a face covering during “Substantial” and “Moderate” COVID-19 activity levels.
All visitors will be required to fill out a symptom screening form responding to screening questions , will sign and date the form, and visitors will be screened by school staff by asking screening questions and taking temperature.

1 ResponsiveEd would like to extend a special thanks to Frisco ISD for the format and certain procedural content used in this document.

2 Unless government officials require or recommend school closure for on-campus instruction.

LAST UPDATED ON 04/23/2021