Return To Learn – Alpine School District

The following information communicates with all stakeholders regarding schedules, plans, and updates for the 2021-2022 school year.

(Updated: August 18, 2021)

Dear Alpine School District Families:

The Utah Department of Health recently released K-12 School Recommendations regarding disease control for the upcoming school year. Recent state law (HB1007) prohibits local school board implementation of a mask mandate. The same law authorizes local health departments to enact disease protocols, restrictions, quarantines, Test to Stay procedures, etc. as they impact students, schools, employees, and communities. We will collaborate with the Utah County Health Department as they direct disease control and determine how the guidelines will impact our schools. We appreciate your patience as it is anticipated that there will be adjustments in protocols throughout the year in response to local conditions and data.

The following is a summary of the latest guidelines. Please visit alpineschool .org/returntolearn for continual updates and links to state and local health departments. We hope this information helps as you make decisions and plans that are best for your own family.

Summary of COVID-19 Protocols for Alpine School District

Feel Sick, Stay Home – Students who have symptoms should stay home from school. Having symptomatic individuals stay home will significantly reduce the spread of the virus and assist us in maintaining healthy school environments.
COVID-19 Vaccination – Vaccination is not a requirement to enroll in school or join an extracurricular team; however, students who are vaccinated will not be required to participate in a Test to Stay process, isolate, or quarantine in the event of exposure to a person who tests positive for COVID-19. Parents should talk to their health care provider when making decisions about vaccinating their child.
Face Masks – Face masks are not mandatory. Although face masks are not required, we highly recommend the use of masks for all students and staff while indoors, especially those who are not vaccinated and/or who have health vulnerabilities. Face masks can only be required by order of our local health department. Families should make their own decision about when and where their child will wear a face mask at school. Be advised that most health officials encourage wearing face masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
COVID-19 Testing – Under current state statute, testing is only required in a Test to Stay protocol. The Utah County Health Department in collaboration with Alpine School District will conduct the Test to Stay protocol when a school meets the established threshold of more than 30 positive COVID-19 cases or 2%+ for schools larger than 1,500 students. If this happens, Alpine School District will follow the disease protocol guidelines outlined by local and state health officials. The purpose of Test to Stay is for the school to provide COVID-19 testing for students during an outbreak at a school in order to:
- Identify cases of COVID-19; and
- allow individuals who test negative for COVID-19 to attend school in person.

In coordination with the local school, county, and state health officials, Alpine School District will set up a COVID-19 testing process during the school day and provide the test (with parent permission) at no charge to the family. In a Test to Stay program, only the students & employees who meet one of the following criteria will be allowed to continue to attend school and extracurricular activities:

- Have a negative COVID-19 test, either from the school testing process or from a certified testing location (at-home test results will not be accepted),
- Provide proof of vaccination for COVID-19, or
- Provide documentation showing a positive COVID-19 test in the previous 90 days.
  – Students and employees who test positive for COVID-19 or who refuse to be tested will be isolated for the period of the Test to Stay program. They will be supported in their learning as an absent student.

Isolation and Quarantine – In the event that a student tests positive or is exposed to someone who tests positive COVID-19, the Utah County Health Department will communicate information regarding isolation and quarantine expectations and recommendations.
Absenteeism – Students who are absent because of illness or quarantine will be assisted by their classroom teachers as they would be in any other normal absentee situation.
Sanitation and Ventilation – Schools will continue to implement best practices with sanitation, filtration, and ventilation to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
Hygiene – Students and employees are expected to continue using best hygiene practices (frequent & thorough handwashing, hand sanitizer, etc.)
COVID-19 Case Counts – As the Utah County Health Department maintains updated case count information, Alpine School District will provide a link to the information through our Return to Learn webpage.
Online Learning Opportunities — Those students who wish to pursue online learning opportunities in lieu of face-to-face instruction should contact their school administration or counselor for additional information.

In summary, Be “SMART”
Stay home when sick or when waiting for COVID-19 test results
Masks are a personal choice but may prevent sickness and quarantine
Advocate for distancing when possible
Remember good hygiene and sanitation
Talk to your health care provider about vaccination

Throughout the coming school year, we will work continuously with Utah County Health Department officials as they monitor COVID-19 case counts in Alpine School District and will keep you informed of any adjustments to these guidelines.

Sincerely,
Alpine School District Board of Education and Administration

Plan Summary

Students will attend school in person, five days a week. Classroom teachers will provide in-person learning and will no longer support both in-person and exclusively remote students.
District online teachers will provide online learning.
We intend to return with no masks mandates and no test-to-play protocols.
Potential changes in our school schedules shown below seek to provide ample time for student learning, as well as create additional time for teacher collaboration and personal preparation. While the Utah State Board of Education has relaxed the requirement of the 990 total hours of instruction, the expectation of 180 total school days remains.

Plan Goal

Improve student learning and well-being through high-quality classroom instruction, assessment, interventions, and extensions

To accomplish this goal, the 2021-2022 Return to Learn Plan seeks to create:

Time for teacher teams to effectively support student learning
Support for social and emotional well-being
Routines and stability for students, families, and teachers in support of student learning. We anticipate that extracurricular activities will resume without test-to-play requirements.
Flexible learning options, both in-person and online. Classroom teachers will provide 5 days of in-person learning (and will no longer support both in-person and exclusively remote students). District online teachers will provide online learning.
Safe learning environments. We intend to return with no masks.

Why create a schedule different from the one used prior to the pandemic?

Our teachers are very competent and have performed exceptionally through a swift and complete conversion to online instruction last spring; returned to school under significant safety protocols last fall; and have successfully managed the learning of both in person and online students all year! The proposed school schedules are designed to improve student learning and well-being through high-quality classroom instruction, assessment, intervention, and extensions. To accomplish this, teachers need time during contract hours to engage in essential professional development, team collaboration, and personal preparation.

The bulleted highlights below show how ASD students currently perform in reading and math. Greater detail regarding student performance can be found here (español). To help improve student learning in reading and math, most elementary school teachers will engage in significant professional development beginning in 2021. Each proposed elementary school schedule provides varying amounts of instructional time and teacher professional time. We trust our teachers and recognize the tremendous impact they have on all students in Alpine School District.

Reading Performance

Over the past five years, the percentage of students in grades 3-6 scoring proficient in language arts on state tests has been just above 50%, only slightly ahead of state averages.
Over the past five years, the percentage of K-3 students reading on grade level has statistically stagnated (with the exception of kindergarten).
From the beginning to the middle of the current year, at least 4 demographic groups in grades K-3 did not meet the target of 60% showing typical or better growth in reading proficiency. In response, professional development in reading instruction will take place beginning in 2021.
Starting Fall 2021, thousands of Utah’s educators will be engaging in LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) professional learning to advance their knowledge of skills in the science of reading. The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) has provided this LETRS Fact Sheet for more information.

Math Performance

Over the past five years, the percentage of students in grades 3-6 scoring proficient in math on state tests has hovered just above and below 50%, only slightly ahead of state averages.
Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, students in grades 1-3 throughout the state will receive math screening testing at the beginning, middle, and end of the year.
Math instructional materials purchased eight years ago no longer align with ASD’s Vision for Learning Mathematics and state math standards, necessitating updated math materials. Fourteen schools have infused updated math materials this year, with the remaining schools receiving professional development in math and adopting state-of-the-art materials next year or the year following (based on each school’s choice).

The Board of Education approved the following schedule for elementary schools at the board meeting on May 11, 2021.

The most effective influences to improve student learning are our teachers and our teacher teams. We need to invest in these teams and provide them with more time to meet the needs of our students.

Over the last year, we have seen increases in the number of students who struggle academically. We have a significant need for our teacher teams to intensely and effectively use the PLC results cycle to improve Tier 1 Instruction and to identify and address student learning loss.

Secondary schools have been revisiting their intervention/support systems and are preparing for the upcoming school year. Teachers are the most capable and best equipped to find and implement effective solutions in our schools. The following schedule options provide a structure with start and end times and encourage innovation at the school level.

The following information communicates with all stakeholders regarding schedules, plans, and updates for the 2021-2022 school year.

Plan Summary

Students will attend school in person, five days a week. Classroom teachers will provide in-person learning and will no longer support both in-person and exclusively remote students.

District online teachers will provide online learning.

We intend to return with no masks mandates and no test-to-play protocols.

Plan Goal

Improve student learning and well-being through high-quality classroom instruction, assessment, interventions, and extensions

To accomplish this goal, the 2021-2022 Return to Learn Plan seeks to create:

Time for teacher teams to effectively support student learning

Support for social and emotional well-being

Routines and stability for students, families, and teachers in support of student learning. We anticipate that extracurricular activities will resume without test-to-play requirements.

Flexible learning options, both in-person and online. Classroom teachers will provide 5 days of in-person learning (and will no longer support both in-person and exclusively remote students). District online teachers will provide online learning.

Safe learning environments. We intend to return with no masks.

Why create a schedule different from the one used prior to the pandemic?

Reading Performance

Over the past five years, the percentage of students in grades 3-6 scoring proficient in language arts on state tests has been just above 50%, only slightly ahead of state averages.

Over the past five years, the percentage of K-3 students reading on grade level has statistically stagnated (with the exception of kindergarten).

From the beginning to the middle of the current year, at least 4 demographic groups in grades K-3 did not meet the target of 60% showing typical or better growth in reading proficiency. In response, professional development in reading instruction will take place beginning in 2021.

Math Performance

Over the past five years, the percentage of students in grades 3-6 scoring proficient in math on state tests has hovered just above and below 50%, only slightly ahead of state averages.

Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, students in grades 1-3 throughout the state will receive math screening testing at the beginning, middle, and end of the year.

The Board of Education approved the following schedule for elementary schools at the board meeting on May 11, 2021.

The Board of Education approved the following schedule for secondary schools at the board meeting on May 11, 2021.

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