APPLICATION CHECKLIST FOR FLEXIBLE INSTRUCTIONAL DAY PROGRAM PARTICIPATION
1) Provide Local Education Agency (LEA) and contact information.
→
Don’t know your Administrative Unit Number (AUN)? Use your entity’s name to search the database at
http://www.edna.ed.state.pa.us.
→ To expedite the process, identify a point of contact familiar with your proposed program.
2) Indicate the criteria met.
→ Next to each criterion, place ✓ in the column marked EVIDENCE if the files you are submitting for review demonstrably address the
requirement.
→ Criteria that are italicized are applicable to LEAs employing technology-enabled solutions. If you are not planning to use technology
to provide curriculum, instruction, or supports, place N/A next to italicized criteria rather than ✓.
→ All criteria must be appropriately marked prior to submission.
3) Save and submit digitally to Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).
→ The narrative summary, exemplars, and any supporting artifacts must be in commonly accessible file formats (e.g., PDF).
→ File naming conventions should be reflective of the content and need not include date, submitter, or LEA information (which will be
part of the file meta-tags).
→ The completed Application Checklist and all application files must be submitted electronically to PDE via the Commonwealth
SharePoint site (the hyperlink for which is posted at www.education.state.pa.us/fid).
→ Instructions for requesting access are available at www.education.state.pa.us/fid for LEA unable to access the site.
CONTACT NAME:
CONTACT ROLE:
CONTACT EMAIL:
CONTACT PHONE:
NUMBER AND DESCRIPTION OF SUBMITTED FILES:
CULTURE & MANAGEMENT
LEA has secured stakeholder support
(Look-fors: Stakeholders: Board Members, parents, community, teachers - will contracts play into this, subs,
etc. Who needs to be there? Do they need to come to school on that day? Board Meeting minutes, survey,
faculty meeting, notes home to parents, on the website, press release, alert system sent as a reminder.
Having a testing ground in place - practice prior to the pilot (flexible design to not all involve technology).
Bright Bytes data for who has machines at home and will this be a concern (i.e. only synchronous approach
- teacher expectations). Local media calling off on a FID.)
LEA has established and communicated expectations for staff, student, and parent preparation for and
participation in FIDs
(Look -fors: letter to parents with expectations, provide an active account for every family, precursor establish accounts in Moodle/BlackBoard/ etc. Still may require a Plan B if there is no power and not prepackaged, blizzard bags updated each week, students may have up to 2 weeks to complete work. Would
assignment complete = attendance. Alternate code in SIS for snowdays/FID. Asynchronous would not
require direct instruction if a teacher is unable to "work" that day. They could go in at another time.)
LEA has methods for determining staff participation and student attendance
(Look-fors: communication with the teachers' association. Are parents going to want to participate - Board
directive; staff requirement - am I going to have my day counted (the thought being some will a different
“type” of work day and “assigned” work?) Some agreement - MOU, sign-in verification how the
teachers/students will participate . Regular interaction of the technology and the tools into the integration
of the day. It may mean that teachers are preparing ahead of time - handouts, posted on-line, or via email
to convey to the students what is required. Google Docs public link if the district does not provide email
accounts.)
LEA has established contingency protocols for students and teachers unable to participate in FIDs
(Look-fors: Blizzard bags, for the % that are not able to utilize technology or have access they get the
assignments the next day (BrightBytes data). Posting lesson plans ahead of time and share assignments,
links, etc.
** Edmodo app - to post extra help, list of other apps: Socrative, tutoring services list of other tutoring
service apps available - Khan Academy.)
LEA has planned for the accessibility of student services
(Look-fors: Special Education team needs to provide guidance here; confirm IEP meeting goals; for students
who receive student services. How will you address the kids' needs generally - services available?
Technology teams - trouble-shoot tips on accessibility difficulties. Regular Education - regular day - Moodle,
BlackBoard, continue to go online the typical; continuation of the classroom webpage and assignment links.)
LEA has defined protocols for instituting and communicating the occurrence of FIDs
(Look-fors: Alert Now, call off system, posted on the webpage, on the voicemail for the school district;
alerting the local media that it is a FID day.)
EVIDENCE
LEA has a process for monitoring the implementation and evaluating the efficacy of FIDs
(Look-fors: % of those students involved, what will the evaluation process be, made up the individual
district. Executive Summary to the Board of Education on the efficacy of the days and utilization)
CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION
EVIDENCE
LEA provides professional development on curriculum design for asynchronous instruction
(Look-fors: individualized for each district: include special education, union, PDE plan. PLCs included in work
days, districts with virtual academies. PD on the design of the FID - simple for the first year. Lesson plans a
week in advance - get it out on Fridays on website, wiki, paper copies (elementary) embed in the weekly
folder. Finding out at the first of the year - survey parents about technology available at home. Plan
accordingly (no flash)
Giving the following conditions: there is power, accessibility, internet capable device, hardware available
at home…)
If applicable, LEA offers professional development on instructional and classroom management practices
for virtual environments
LEA offers guidance on creating curriculum and content that is appropriate and meets fair use and copyright
requirements
(Look-fors: individualized based on the district? Could a common two-days worth of lessons in content areas
be provided from a collected data pool. Content area and grade specific: curriculum stipend to offer 3 days
worth of lesson plans, utilize SAS website for lesson plans- pull the lesson plans from SAS include the links
for each content area and grade level, or make it a test prep day (also on SAS). Test prep day: USA test
prep - $300 per building)
LEA has established procedures for maintaining the currency and relevancy of curriculum and content
(Look-fors: standards based; aligned to an anchor; Important to confirm that the subject, time of year,
etc. is relevant.)
LEA has instructional exemplars constructed to progress student learning in support of course objectives
(Look-fors: Just not a review day, relevant to the curriculum. Link to video, or re-cap of extensions or
enrichment based on prior lesson)
LEA has planned for all subject areas and student subgroups
(Look-fors: special education, ELLs, (check with Amy - implementing core). Reaching out to additional
staff within the district - ELL teacher should expect to review the work associated with each student upon
return to the district.)
LEA provides tools to facilitate assessments to ensure student engagement and mastery
(Look-fors: apps, plan b guidance and assistance, (this one is very vague), confirm time stamps and log-ins.)
LEA provides synchronous instructional supports for students seeking assistance
(Look-fors: applications for assistance, email exchanges between the teacher and the student. Some
districts provide live tutoring support. Tutorpoint.com as a service to provide real time assistance.)
TECHNOLOGY & SUPPORTS (IF APPLICABLE)
EVIDENCE
LEA has established technology standards that support complete access to online learning services and
resources utilized during FIDs
(Look-fors: Bright Bytes, internal surveys. Diligence on the SDs end for website backed up by the district.
District has established the ability to do this online. Also, has a back-up plan for those who do not have
the access to getting to the technology. In addition to making the information available, we have given
them devices in order to address the work online.
(www.westcler.k12.oh.us - blizzard bags; letters to parents)
LEA has procedures for identifying and resolving inequitable off-campus student and teacher access to online
services and resources
(Look-fors: survey to students and teachers who have information on access at home.
District has provided 1:1 deployment for XXX grade levels
Off-campus access - community buildings where access is available; LEA building within the district that
is managed and staffed.)
LEA provides and/or supports the technical solutions required for modifications and/or accommodations
during FIDs
(Look-fors: checklist of solutions for chromebook, android, apple, etc. hardware specifications.
Recommendations for special education solutions - print to speech solutions, technology solutions for
modifications and accommodations where the special education team, assistive technology team, etc. and
technology teams problem solve.)
LEA has established Acceptable Use Policies and employs measures to ensure the Internet safety and
security of students accessing school services and resources
(Look-fors: CIPA laws now require bolstered internet website specifications. Every district has an Acceptable
Use Policy - confirm signed copy is on file. Districts are required to filter the internet. Modify the cyberbullying, cyber-safety to include safety protocol around FID days. Plagiarism included on Acceptable Use
Policy - review of online work submitted goes through plagiarism protocol for the district too.)
LEA offers training to staff, students, and (if applicable) parents on how to access and use online services
and resources
(Look-fors: Open House please familiarize yourself with the website - this is where FID information will be
housed. Community days - trainings 1-2 times a month to review the process, how to get the information
onto the website, scanning information on to the website.
Digital Citizenship Learning Days - CommonSense Media - Graphite)
LEA offers technical assistance and support during FIDs
(Look-fors: Working staff to understand how to place online the assignments and embed the work and
navigate the website. Work with district staff on how to access SAS website --> walk through content
area assignments then work with the technology staff on how to upload and embed on the classroom
website or district site the work. During the FID day technical support - Global ticketing system can send
a ticket in for tech support. Offer technical support on the web page. Posting questions on a Google site
to offer help.)
LEA offers equitable offline options for teachers and students unable to access online services and
resources
(Look-fors: Plan B, decide how long the students will have to complete work, actual snow day is called,
decide on parameters and how plan b is implemented.)
Originated September 2014