After internal discussion and continued planning, we have re-structured our In-Person model to accommodate this need.

If your student started the school year in the In-Person remote mode (currently through the first quarter or until ADHS health metrics are met), and you are not comfortable with sending your student back on the date ultimately identified as our physical return to school, you will have the option to keep your student in remote learning mode through the first semester or until you, as a family, are comfortable with the physical return to school for your son or daughter.

The Tempe Union High School District Governing Board voted 5-0 at their August 5, 2020, meeting to keep students in virtual mode for the duration of the first quarter, or until the metrics for reopening provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) can be met.
 
The full resolution passed by the Governing Board is available to view here. The resolution stems from the Governor’s most recent executive order regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the safe reopening of schools.
The reopening metrics from ADHS are available here.

In order to be eligible for state funding, a Blended Learning model — where students are divided into groups and attend class on some days and learn online the other days — requires our schools to be open to all students five days per week and provide resources accordingly. This model brings its own set of challenges and would require us to have additional space and staffing to supervise and support the students who are not in class. Additionally, there is no strong scientific evidence that rotational tracks of attendance mitigate COVID-19 exposure.

We have two learning models to choose from: 1) an In-Person model, and 2) a Tempe Union Online model.
 
In-Person Model: For families choosing the in-person model, it is important to understand that we are currently under an executive order that prevents us from physically opening up school sites. As a result, classes will begin on August 3 and will be delivered virtually until at least August 17th. The first two weeks will involve real-time interaction between students and teachers, conducted remotely. It also allows the District to continue to adapt to any new guidelines or executive orders that may be issued by Governor Ducey.
 
The advantage of beginning virtually is that the courses that students registered for will remain intact. Teachers will teach virtually, either from home or in their classroom, in real-time with lessons created by site teacher teams. Courses will begin and end on time following their school’s daily bell schedule. This option is in place until it is deemed safe for students and staff to begin returning to school.
 
Online Model: Students who enroll in Tempe Union Online will complete the registration process in the next few weeks working with a counselor. At that time, students will select courses for the fall semester from our expanded selection of fully online courses. Students enrolled in Tempe Union Online will also be associated with a home school site at an in-person campus. Deadline to enroll in Tempe Union Online is July 16, 2020.

Teachers will post weekly agendas for students. In this posted weekly agenda, teachers will notate what documents students can download each week so they are not impeded from completing the activity by inconsistent WI-FI access. Additionally, departments will have common syllabi that post key learning targets, academic expectations, and how students will apply their knowledge. Ongoing communication will be provided to support families, including time at the end of each school day in which both virtual or in-person students can clarify their understanding, get feedback and remediate learning as needed. Students are accountable for completing their weekly assignments prior to their in-person classes.

Departments meet weekly by subject to assess students’ knowledge and understanding of material covered and design instruction to enhance learning for the coming week. Based on the insights gained from evaluating students’ understanding, the departments design learning activities, assessments, and locate resources to support a range of learner needs.

Attendance will be reported based on guidelines provided from the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) regarding student attendance, truancy, and credit earned.

Teachers have spent the month of June analyzing 4th and 1st quarter essential standards to plan and determine how skills will be taught at the beginning of the year. Teachers will also assess students in the fall to understand the specific student gaps in learning. Information from the assessments will be used to adjust instructions and allow for the necessary scaffolding and student support to help accelerate learning and minimize any pandemic learning loss.

A major difference is that the teaching and learning process will be delivered in real-time. Students will be engaging, virtually online with teachers following their master schedule with attendance taken for each course. Staff will teach from their classroom or home with the aid of additional technology and with the expectation that they will begin and end on time following their school’s daily bell schedule. This provides that sense of normalcy by establishing student accountability.

This is a different model from last spring and we have provided more staff training and support for our teachers. Teachers are also provided additional days at the beginning of the school year for teacher professional development and ongoing planning for the delivery of instruction.

Teachers will work collaboratively to design and utilize common agendas, learning tasks, and assessments. From these assessments, teachers will develop proficiency scales and/or rubrics which define levels of proficiency. Teachers will determine how grades will be calculated in accordance with district policy. Teachers will provide ongoing feedback to students regarding student acquisition of skills during their prep time, office hours, and if needed before/after school. To view your students’ progress, be sure to check your ParentVue account each week. If you have any questions or concerns, you can access your child’s teacher through that account.

Students will be able to use our “Grab and Go” meal program. Grab and Go meals will be available Monday through Friday at all Tempe Union District High Schools beginning Monday, August 3, 2020. Please check with your school site for service times.

• Meals can be picked up at your student’s home school site. Proof of enrollment, such as a current student ID, is required to participate.
  
• Breakfast Meal Prices:
  
  • Adult Breakfast $2.50
  • Student Breakfast $1.75
  • Reduced Price $0.30
    
• Lunch Meal Prices:
  • Adult Lunch $5.00
  • Student Lunch $3.50
  • Reduced Price $0.40
• Applications for free/reduced-price meals for the 2020-21 school year are now available at www.lunchapplications.com.
• Payments for meal plans can be made online at www.k12paymentcenter.com.
  

All sites work with district and site staff as well as collaborative partnerships with local agencies to support the social and emotional needs of all students. In addition, counselors, Care 7 staff, academic interventionists, dean of students and dropout prevention staff will coordinate to provide social emotional support and deliver a social-emotional learning curriculum. Counselors will work with site intervention teams to determine what services will be provided in-person or remotely. Click here to learn more about our Social and Emotional Wellness program.

• Additional days dedicated for teacher professional development
• Increased access to technology for both teachers and students
• Hot spots to increase access to wifi at our school sites
• Removal of course fees to support families during this critical time while also ensuring that all students have access to high-quality electives 
• Elimination of activity and athletic fees (when those programs resume)

• All parents and educators are striving to provide a sense of normalcy for our students while ensuring they have access to meaningful educational opportunities. Services for Special Education students will be aligned to their IEP regardless of the learning model you have selected is online or in-person.  
• If you have selected the in-person learning model for your student, your student will receive all of their specially designed instructional minutes virtually for the first two weeks of the school year and then receive direct services when we return to campuses.
• If you have selected online learning for your student when the 2020-2021 school year opens, we will be contacting you when the staff returns to set up an immediate IEP meeting to first make sure this is an effective location of services for your student before school starts.   
• We will always ensure that all our students with IEPs have equal access comparable to their general education peers. All students will receive service minutes on their IEPs, accommodations, and modifications, regardless of the learning model selected.

Please see our Special Education webpage for detailed Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.tempeunion.org/Special-Education

Tempe Union is committed to providing devices for students who need access to technology. The District will distribute devices so that students with an internet connected device have access to Schoology, Google Hangouts, etc. Labs will be open at each school for students who do not have access to the internet during the day.

Several Internet providers are offering free and heavily discounted services at this time. Here are some options:

• From COX:
  
  • First two months free Connect2Compete service, $9.95/month thereafter
  • First two months free remote desktop and phone support through Cox Complete Care to provide peace of mind and ease for technology needs
  • Resources for discounted, refurbished equipment through our association with PCs for People
  • Organization and Educator toolkits are available to help families connect to the internet
  • Program eligibility and other restrictions apply. Learn more at www.cox.com/c2c or see this pdf flyer for more information.

• Internet access during the COVID-19 emergency is more important than ever before. A fast, reliable, and affordable internet connection can help each of us stay connected to healthcare services, school coursework, and each other. High-speed internet is not yet available everywhere in Arizona, but there are many special offers and options to help you find low-cost (or no-cost) internet solutions at the time you need them most.
  • To find every internet provider in Arizona please see: Tools to Access Broadband at Home - PDF.

Webinars will be created on how to use our learning management system, Schoology, for teachers, for students, and for parents. In addition, troubleshooting guides will be made available to help students/parents navigate online instructional tools.

Tempe Union will continue to transport students to EVIT and will support our EVIT partnership based on their District school opening plans. Students will need to follow the EVIT opening guidelines if attending. EVIT announcements are located on their website here.

Dual Enrollment programs will remain the same. Our dual enrollment partner will support our learning model and has confidence that we are ensuring that students receive the essential standards.

This website will be updated frequently, and other district communication will be circulated regularly. Principals and school administration will communicate with their families routinely to provide critical information and resources. ParentVUE is a good way to ensure regular communication is received from the school and district as information changes rapidly.

Site and District administration should be able to address any questions you might have. You can also check our website for regular updates. Communication regarding plan updates will be released via email, social media, and on our website.