To help provide staff and families with the necessary information about the upcoming school year, we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions from staff, parents, teachers, and community members regarding USD116’s fall 2020 back to school plans. To address the most important concerns regarding our back to school plans, we’ve separated the FAQs in parts. We will be answering FAQs for the rest of the week leading up to the release of our detailed full Phase 4 back to school plan.
Today’s FAQs addresses concerns surrounding student learning. If you have any questions that you feel have not been answered in this FAQ or though recent emails from The District, we encourage you to use the Phase 4 Back to School Safety Plan as a resource when it is released or please email us at contactus@usd116.org.
For the full, downloadable PDF versions of this FAQ, please click here.
Is the District offering an all remote only option for families? Yes, we understand some families may not feel comfortable sending their children to school during these challenging times. All will have the opportunity to indicate if they would like to opt-out of in-person instruction and choose to learn from home full time. Any family that chooses to enroll in the all remote distance learning option will do so for the entire semester. Families will be allowed to change to in-person learning at the end of these grading periods. Students will be assigned to a remote learning from home cohort group. Students learning full time from home will still be expected to meet the minimum of five hours of instruction or assigned work. Please keep in mind, if an elementary student opts out of in-person instruction, the student’s remote learning from home teacher may not be a teacher at that student’s home school. Families will have until August 7, 2020, to opt-out of in-person instruction by completing the Request for Full-Time Remote Learning form linked on our website. We also ask that families making this choice complete the full registration process so we can begin to connect students with teachers.
A Day as an Urbana Student Learning in School 
French: A Day as an Urbana Student Learning in School 
Spanish: A Day as an Urbana Student Learning in School
Is there an all remote learning option for Dual Language available? If so, what will it look like? Yes, there is an all remote learning option for DL. By choosing the all “remote only” option, your child’s learning experience would be led by a monolingual English-speaking teacher. In order to provide your child with opportunities for continued Spanish (or French) language development the dual language program will provide the following: (1) Your child would continue to be included on their dual language classroom roster. This will allow for continued communications from the DL classroom teacher, such as newsletters, invitations to virtual special events, etc., (2) Students will be provided with a list of activities and resource links to use at home for ongoing practice, (3) Students will continue to have access to online platforms provided by the District that also support language development, such as Raz-Kids, Little Sponges, etc., (4) Dual language teachers will hold weekly optional after-school online events for students to work on their listening and speaking skills. These will be grade-level specific, may or may not be with your child’s assigned teacher and may or may not include students from other dual language program sites, (5) Students will have the opportunity to join their assigned dual language class for all remote Wednesdays for select activities, such as oracy development and social-emotional learning groups. This will vary by classroom. Should the entire District be moved to fully remote learning for all students, any students in dual language that had previously chosen the “remote only” option will be reassigned to their original dual language teacher.
Do I need to be registered to participate in the all remote only option? Yes, you need to be registered in order to receive the content and curriculum resources from District staff. If you need assistance registering, have questions, or need support with Family Access please call 531-7100 or email onlineregistration@usd116.org.
How does The District plan to continue providing services to students with disabilities? Per ISBE guidance, students with disabilities will be prioritized for in-person instruction on days when students are in attendance for instruction whenever feasible while still maintaining appropriate social distancing, building and classroom capacity given IDPH and ISBE guidance, and other safety concerns. Most students with IEPs will be offered two days of in-person instruction per week when in-person instruction begins. School staff who work with students who are part of more intensive district special education programs will contact families regarding their children’s needs and adjust their schedules accordingly. The district may offer additional days of in-person instruction to students who are not part of more intensive district special education programs when in person instruction begins. This determination will not be made until after the district has a clearer picture of enrollment numbers for in-person instruction, class sizes, staffing considerations, and other safety concerns.
All Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 timelines remain in effect during blended and remote learning. As the school year gets underway, IEP and 504 teams will consider whether any amendments to students IEPs or 504 plans are necessary to address students’ current levels of performance and individual circumstances. Adjustments will be made to IEPs or 504 plans based on any changes to in-person instruction and changes to a students instructional days while at school. Students will continue to be offered education in the least restrictive environment given a student’s current circumstances, according to federal and state laws, and parents will continue to be part of collaborative decisions making for students.
On the Request for Full-Time Remote Learning Instruction form it states that my child will not receive the specialized instruction and related service set forth in their Individualized Educational Program, if I select full-time remote learning. Does this mean that my child will receive no special education services if I chose this option or that I will not be allowed to participate in the development of the individual remote learning plan for my child with an IEP? No. The intent of this statement is for parents/guardians to understand that the IEP outlines services received while their child is present for in-person instruction. If a parent/guardian choses a full remote option for their child, the child’s special education case manager will contact the parent/guardian early in the school year regarding the individual remote learning plan to collaborate on its development. After talking with the parent/guardian, the case manager will provide a draft of the plan outlining special education services, accommodations, and supports to the parent/guardian for collaboration and review. If, after reviewing the plan, the parent/guardian would like to meet to discuss the plan, a meeting will be scheduled for the student’s team to discuss and modify the plan, as needed.
How does The District plan to address the specific needs of emergent bilinguals? The education of our emergent bilingual students is of utmost importance to Urbana School District 116. During the Remote Blended Learning period, all emergent bilingual students PreK-12 will continue to receive support through their designated program – English as a Second Language and/or Dual Language Instruction. K-12 Emergent Bilingual students that are not participating in an intensive program (Spanish or French dual language) but are classified as still needing services according to ISBE’s language proficiency exit criteria will be offered the option to received in-person instruction for at least two days but the district may offer additional days of in-person instruction to students should their most recent ACCESS 2.0 composite score or WIDA Screener composite score fall within the 1.0-2.9 range. Instructional delivery models will take thoughtful consideration of each student’s linguistic needs, while ensuring the safety and well-being of students and teachers. Students that receive pull-out services may be receiving those virtually during this time in order to ensure social distancing measures are in place. Emergent bilinguals will have regular opportunities to engage in activities in both English and/or the home language within the four language arts domains of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. In addition to more traditional educational materials, students will have access to online tools and software that will assist with their linguistic development. At home, parents/families of emergent bilinguals should continue to use native language materials, utilizing native language television, radio, and social media to help students continue their native language learning.
K-12 Emergent Bilinguals that are enrolled in an intensive program (Spanish or French) dual language, within the same ACCESS 2.0 or WIDA Screener composite score range as above AND are also students that have resided in the U.S. for less than 1 year will also be offered the option for at least two days, but the district may also offer this group additional days of in-person instruction.
Who will be sent home to quarantine when there is a positive case? The class? The grade? The building? The District will work directly with CUPHD and inform them immediately of positive or suspected positive cases in a school building. We will then communicate with staff and families to let them know there has been a positive case in their class. We will also begin to identify possible exposures for contact tracing purposes. Our enhanced cleaning protocols will be followed for any positive COVID-19 case. A tracking process will be instituted to maintain ongoing monitoring of individuals excluded from school because they have COVID-19-like symptoms, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and are in quarantine.
Will my child still be required to have a physical, dental or vision exam? Will the District require these exams if students are attending only for all remote learning only? Yes. Due to the effects of the pandemic, physical distancing, and Phase 4 mandates, for the 2020-2021 school year, USD116 is changing the compliance requirements date for physicals and immunizations to October 15, 2020. Urbana Schools will follow the dates set by the State of Illinois, the district encourages families to obtain these requirements as soon as possible.
- The State of Illinois requires that a current Certificate of Child Health Examination form, signed by a physician and containing all required immunizations, be on file for every child entering kindergarten, 6th grade and 9th grade. Athletic forms will not be accepted for school entrance. The physical must have been completed within one year prior to the first day of school. All new students must have a current physical with up to date immunizations on file. For more information, click here.
- An eye examination is required for all children enrolling in kindergarten as well as any child enrolling in an Illinois school for the first time regardless of grade. Eye exams must be submitted by October 15 of the school year and must be completed within one year prior to the date of entering school. Exams must be performed by an optometrist and must be recorded on the appropriate State of Illinois Eye Examination Report. For more information, click here.
- Dental exams are required for students entering kindergarten, 2nd grade, 6th grade and 9th grade. Dental exams must be submitted by May 15 of the current school year and must be completed no more than 18 months prior to the May 15 deadline. Dental examinations must be recorded on the appropriate State of Illinois, IDPH Proof of School Dental Examination Form. For more information click here.
- Physicals, immunizations, dental services and more are available at the Urbana School-based Health Center, which is open to Urbana school children up to age 18 and located adjacent to the Urbana High School. For more information, click here: https://usd116.org/healthcenter/
Families choosing the all remote option are still required to fulfill these requirements by the October 15 deadline.