Woodstock District 200 mulls new e-learning plan

Students in Woodstock School District 200 may see some changes on e-learning days.

The Woodstock district is considering a new e-learning plan for the next three school years. The new plan states that in cases of inclement weather the district can opt for a traditional snow day be made up at the end of the school year or implement an e-learning day.

District 200′s strategy designates the first two inclement weather days as traditional snow days, then the next three as e-learning days, according to the current e-learning plan. The e-learning plan says the district has informed students and families about that policy.

An e-learning day will have at least five hours of “student engagement,” according to the plan.

The plan says at the elementary school level, students will join a Google Meet, with the link or code to be provided by their homeroom teacher. Their day will have synchronous, specials and asynchronous activities, and students are expected to hop online at the designated time on the e-learning schedule, according to the plan. The hours listed in the plan are 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. District 200 elementary schools start at 7:20 a.m. and students are let out at 1:50 p.m., according to district documents.

Middle and high school students will follow their normal bell schedule, and teachers will have a lesson with synchronous instruction. Expectations on how to access the synchronous instruction and expectations will be emailed to students or available on their teacher’s Canvas Announcement page at woodstockschools.org, according to the plan.

The district said each student has a Chromebook or other device that allows for e-learning. For families who don’t have home internet, the district has been providing Wi-Fi devices, according to the plan. Students who can’t complete their schoolwork because of internet access issues will have two days to turn in their work once they return to school.

For students with individualized education programs, “Special education, related services, and accommodations will be provided in conjunction with the student’s teacher and/or in intervention groups outside of general instruction, depending on each student’s IEP,” according to the plan.

Many McHenry County school districts used e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. District 200 was among the districts that utilized e-learning during that time, and its hybrid approach has been in place since the 2021-22 school year.

The school board is taking up the e-learning plan at its Tuesday meeting, starting with a public hearing, and is expected to vote on whether to adopt the plan later during the meeting. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the Woodstock High School Learning Resources Center, 501 W. South St., Woodstock.