CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Department of Education has released guidelines for educators on the best practices to take as students remain unable to go to schools because of the coronavirus.
The department released a revised version of its remote learning framework on Wednesday. A task force, under the direction of state Superintendent Clayton Burch, developed the guidelines as a tool to help local school districts determine the best practices.
Burch told MetroNews state education leaders at the start of the pandemic were more focused on supplying students with essential services, which has shifted as the number of cases continues.
“During that time period, we all assumed maybe we would be out of school for a couple of weeks. Our teachers had a remote learning plan,” he said, “The more we learned about this crisis and how it was going to go on for many days and many weeks, we found the districts were asking for some guidance about some long-term strategies about how we’re going to tackle remote learning.”
Burch said the plan balances keeping students across all grades occupied and not relying on parents to lead instruction.
“We have to make this manageable for the families and also keep the children engaged,” he said.
The framework’s suggestions differ based on grades; parents are encouraged to spend time with their children if the students are in prekindergarten through second grade, while middle and high school teachers are asked to limit instructional time to three hours total.
The department also recommends a student’s final grade as of March 13 be the lowest they receive.
“Is grading is as important as being engaged?” Burch said. “For high school students, it becomes a little important. Our younger students, not as much.”
Burch explained students do not have equal access to learning opportunities away from schools.
“We don’t know what’s going on at the home,” he said. “I think if they were doing well at the time of this crisis, we want to make sure we give them credit for doing well. We don’t want this crisis to be something where they take a step backward or they’re penalized.”
Gov. Jim Justice announced Wednesday students would be out of class until April 30, which is also when the federal social distancing guideline is set to expire.
Burch said it is anybody’s guess when in-person instruction will resume.
“He is very optimistic,” Burch said of the governor. “He was very, very clear that if these children can have some form of closure to the school year, he was going to try to provide it.”