• Face coverings will be required of all visitors, staff and students
• Worn at all times in public areas and classrooms except on limited occasions to be identified
• District will provide face coverings. Students and staff encourage to provide their own for comfort, etc.
• Training on proper wear, care, and cleaning
• Exceptions for medical conditions

• Minimum of six feet in common areas and classroom spaces – all staff will be trained to enforce in common areas
• Class size based on 1 student to 45 square foot ratio
• Class sizes will vary by building
• Designated building entrances will be used to control traffic flow– there will be no congregating in hallways or common areas
• Measures will be taken to reduce surface contact in common areas (i.e., water fountains)
• Face-to-face staff meetings will be limited
• Online teachers and/or those at risk will be provided contact free entrance into building and workspace
• Classroom and other doors should be manned or opened by the teacher when possible to limit contact with door knobs.

• Parents will not be asked to select face-to-face or online learning at this time. Preregistration that allows for this selection will take place later as we begin to implement face-to-face
• Testing prior to entering school or work is not a recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Testing for COVID when a person has no symptoms may not be reliable. As well, it won’t help if the person then goes and interacts with a person or persons and becomes infected later that same day with the virus. It would only indicate that at that snapshot point in time that the person was not infected.

The safety, security and well-being of all students, staff and visitors are the top priorities for FBISD. In alignment with local, state and federal agencies, the District has implemented new protocols and expectations to ensure everyone feels safe and secure and to effectively navigate the complexities of our “new normal.”  A communication plan will reinforce the District’s expectations regarding safety measures.

Air filters will be changed from a MERV 8 to MERV 13, which improves capacity to capture air particles from 70% to 90 – 98 % capacity at capturing particles.

After careful consideration of the planning underway and in order to give our teachers time to train and prepare for the year ahead, the Board approved a new school start date of August 17, 2020.

• FBISD will begin school 100% online with limited exceptions
  • Students served with SPED services will launch face to face based on ARD committee recommendation
• FBISD will remain online at least four weeks and until local health authorities advise it is safe for students and staff to congregate

• Online instruction will not look the same. Students will engage in both synchronous live instruction with their teacher and classmates using video conferencing and asynchronous instruction daily.
• Students will have a scheduled synchronous learning each day where they will engage with their teacher and classmates.
• Schoology course structure will be standardized throughout the district to support ease of navigation within the platform.

• Enrollment verification for the 2020-21 School Year is expected to begin July 22, and at this time, all parents will fill out various online forms, including a Back to School readiness form to indicate what their needs may be associated with connectivity, childcare, and transportation.
• Because FBISD is beginning instruction online, parents will not be asked to indicate their plans for either online instruction or face-to-face at this time. Instead, parents will indicate their preference later, prior to the transition to face-to-face instruction.
• We are designing a transfer process for students to transition between face-to-face and online, but we are looking at transfers occurring at natural breaks within the school calendar, such as semester breaks.

This is a case by case situation. It will depend on multiple factors. Contact tracing will be completed by trained staff and supported by district and county health care staff to make determinations that will support the safety and wellbeing of all involved.

Grading practices will return to pre-COVID-19 guidelines. Courses on the traditional scale will continue on a 100-point scale. Standards based grading will continue in identified grades/classrooms.

At this time, there will be no in-person extracurricular activities. FBISD will continue to evaluate safety with the assistance of  COVID-19 advisory committee. Following UIL guidelines, the District may consider resuming in-person extracurricular activities the week of Sept. 7 if conditions in the community are safe to do so. Prior to making this determination, Fort Bend ISD will continue to assess the conditions in our community with local officials and the District’s COVID-19 Advisory group.

• Each student will have an ARD prior to the first day of school which will determine how the services will be provided based on the unique needs of the student within the online, traditional face-to- face model, or the face- to- face extended model for students who meet designated criteria via an ARD committee decision.
• In the online model, the ARD will determine the appropriate services based on the modality of instruction (synchronous vs asynchronous) and the required number of minutes for each content area. All special education services may be available in the online format, however, some students may not benefit or it may not be appropriate, therefore, the ARD committee will discuss to determine appropriate alternatives.
• In the face-to-face model, the students will follow the campus master schedule, receiving their instruction in the setting that is most appropriate per ARD committee decision. As in the online model, all programs and services are available for students.  When a student chooses to attend the face-to- face model, a contingency plan will also be developed which will include a short-term schedule for the online period during the staggered return to campus, as well as a longer-term online schedule that will go into place in the event of an outbreak or district closure.  For students whose ARD committee determines they will have the extended face-to-face model, a contingency plan will also be developed for online instruction in the event of school/district closure.

• Students will be clustered in the virtual environment similar to how instruction looked in person
• Teachers will connect with parents to ensure curricular alternatives will be provided for students who may need more meaningful assignments
• There will be times during the instructional day for students to work on project-based assignments and work on their TPSP

• • Additional training will be administered for teachers to support online instruction to ensure the continuity of linguistic accommodations in an online platform
  • All content teachers of English learners will document, plan, and implement linguistic accommodations that support individual student needs to ensure equitable access to the curriculum
  • Linguistic accommodations may include, but are not limited to, sentence stems, visuals, chunked text, native language support and key vocabulary supports
  • Teachers will be available to communicate with parents the linguistic accommodations their child is receiving
  • To the maximum extent possible, schedules for secondary ESL program students with beginner/intermediate levels of English proficiency will reflect daily instructional continuity of ELA content and targeted English language development.

The Fort Bend ISD Learning Center is designed to equip Fort Bend ISD students and families experiencing unique needs while supporting an equitable, online learning environment through innovative use of campus space and resources.

Learning Centers will serve students with unique needs with priority given to:

• McKinney-Vento students and foster care students
• students lacking internet connectivity
• FBISD staff
• active first responders, essential medical workers, active U.S. Military

There is not a registration process for the Learning Centers. Parents need to complete the online enrollment verification form stating that they need childcare and how they meet one of the three priority criteria (FBISD staff member, emergency responder or limited connectivity). We are trying to meet as much of the demand as possible, but it is likely we will not be able to accommodate all requests. We will notify parents whose child was selected to attend a Learning Center after the deadline to complete the verification window has closed. Parents will then be informed of next steps.

There will not be a Learning Center at every FBISD campus. We have committed to providing at least one elementary Learning Center in each feeder pattern to support elementary grades. We will add elementary campuses as we redirect staff to support additional Learning Centers.

Our secondary Learning Center model allows for secondary students grades 6-12 to learn at a middle school or a high school. The option to choose provides additional flexibility for parents and employees who require childcare. Most secondary campuses will have a Learning Center unless there is significant renovation that makes it unsafe to have a Learning Center on site.

Selection of Learning Centers will be determined by data received from the online enrollment verification, locations throughout the District with the most requests and the size and accessibility (closer to a main road/freeway, etc.) of campuses. Our goal is to have at least one Learning Center in each feeder pattern to make this is as convenient as possible for parents.

The table below lists the elementary Learning Centers in each feeder pattern. Secondary Learning Center sites are being finalized. The list will be updated once locations are determined.

Learning Centers are open during school hours. For elementary school the hours are 8:10 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. For middle and high school, the hours are 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Before and after school care is also available starting at 6:30 a.m. and ending at 6:30 p.m. for students who attend the Learning Centers.

Elementary Learning Centers are led and managed by the Extended Learning Department. Secondary Learning Centers are led by campus administration and staff on site at each secondary school.

Official attendance for recording keeping which impacts district funding is taken by your child’s FBISD teachers. However, the Learning Centers will also take attendance. Since we are trying to maximize each seat at a Learning Center that are able to offer, we expect consistent attendance with the understanding if a student is sick they should remain at home. Should attendance start to not meet standard, Extended Learning will contact the parent and provide support to improve attendance before any additional steps are taken.

Students are required to bring a device to the Learning Center to engage in online learning- this can be a device that they own or a district loaned device. There will not be devices on site to loan to students. Students are requested to bring their own headphones or earbuds to the Learning Center to help control for the amount of noise in a Learning Center.

The Extended Learning leadership team is responsible for contacting parents regarding discipline or any other concerns at the elementary Learning Centers. For secondary campuses, the campus staff in responsible for reaching out to parents with any discipline concerns.

Yes, before and after school care is available for students attending the Learning Center at a cost (please see table below). Following acceptance into Learning Centers, parents will be notified to register for this option through Extended Learning Department website.

Staff will have a 30 minute window from before and after their work day begins and ends to pick to drop off and pick up their student. As a reminder, staff does have the option to select a Learning Center closer to the campus where they work to reduce travel time. If staff are not able to drop and pick up their child within the 30 minute window, the after school care cost will be applied with the employee discount.

Students that attend a Learning Center will follow the instructional schedule set forth each day with the hours designated for synchronous and asynchronous learning. In addition, students will have breakfast, lunch, structured recess and have brain breaks throughout the day. For students that attend before and after-hours care, they will go through different rotations including a snack, physical activity and outside time, enrichment clubs and other structured activities. 

Yes, students that attend a Learning Center will be served breakfast and lunch provided by the Child Nutrition Department. Students that attend after hours care will receive a snack in the afternoon.  Students should bring a refillable water bottle with them every day to the Learning Center. 

More Information about FBISD Free and Reduced Meals Program

To ensure safety, we will adhere to the following protocols:

• limit capacity in each building
• perform daily medical checks of all staff and students entering the building each day
• require all staff to wear FBISD-issued face coverings
• require students to wear face coverings
• always enforce social distancing protocols and spread out across the campus
• not allow parents to enter the building - parents will only be allowed to drop off and pick up their children from outside the building
• conduct thorough, daily cleaning of campuses

Yes, a nurse will be on site at all Learning Centers.

FBISD follows guidelines as stated by the CDC and local health authorities. In the event an employee or student demonstrates symptoms of COVID-19, the following protocols shall be followed:

• An employee shall not report to work if symptomatic. If symptoms develop at work, the employee should immediately contact the nurse and supervisor, and return home. The employee may not return to work unless cleared by a medical professional or acknowledges compliance with other CDC and District requirements. 
• A student must not attend if symptomatic. If symptoms develop at the Learning Center, the employee noticing symptoms should immediately contact the nurse and supervisor. The child should be isolated in the nurse’s clinic, parent/guardian(s) called, and the student sent home. The student may not return unless cleared by a medical professional or a parent/guardian acknowledges compliance with other CDC and District requirements.
• The District will also initiate thorough cleaning and disinfecting protocols.
• In the event an employee or student is diagnosed with COVID-19, the District will follow CDC guidelines regarding childcare facilities, including:
• The employee or the student’s parent/guardian should immediately notify the staff of a COVID-19 diagnosis.
• Upon notice of a confirmed diagnosis of a student or employee at the facility, the facility will immediately be closed, and will only reopen upon completion of District and CDC requirements.
• The District shall notify the parents of each student in attendance, and each staff member to inform them of possible exposure. The District shall also contact the Fort Bend County health authority.

Yes, a crossing guard will be on site at all of our elementary Learning Center sites.

Transportation may become available after the school year has begun. A survey will be sent to parents whose child has been selected after August 4 to identify whether transportation is needed.

A high school student can drive themselves to a Learning Center if they are attending a Learning Center at a high school. Only high school students attending a high school Learning Center can park on a high school campus. A high school student cannot drive to a middle school if they are attending a Learning Center at a middle school.

If a parent requests a Learning Center that is not in their zoned feeder pattern (based on their schedule, site of work, etc.), the Extended Learning Department will work with that parent. Should a parent request be accommodated to have their child at a Learning Center outside their feeder pattern, the parent is responsible for transportation, meaning the district will not provide transportation.

We are asking parents to make a commitment to one Learning Center so we can help reduce the risk of possible spread of the virus.

This determination has not yet been made, as it will be based on the pandemic, and the signaling and triggers that FBISD will create with local health officials and health advisory to guide the return of students to school.

Upon acceptance into the Learning Center, parents should contact the Extended Learning leadership at their specified campus to make them aware of your child’s needs. Leadership will then work with the parent on next steps through the lens of student safety and student success.

The district is working on partnerships to provide support to parents whose child is not chosen for the Learning Center. More information will be shared on the District website as these partnerships are finalized including the name of the partnering entity and their contact information.

Partnering entities with FBISD have agreed to the following expectations:

• All staff working directly with students will complete the FBISD-delivered training on curriculum tools
• The facility will follow the child’s FBISD daily schedule (as provided by the parent or by the campus at the parent’s request)
  • this includes managing transitions, brain breaks, breakfast, lunch etc. in accordance with the child’s schedule from the school they attend.
• The facility will provide adequate internet access to support students. Students are expected to bring a device to the site- either a device they own or a district provided by FBISD.
• The facility will provide staff to monitor students during their learning and support students in order complete their learning each day while at the facility
• The facility will have clearly defined social distancing/health and safety plans in place. Fort Bend ISD will not review or approve the plans the child care entity has in place; however, all facilities must be licensed and subject to guidelines provided by the state/region licensing agencies.

For additional questions, you may submit an inquiry through Let’s Talk or contact the Extended Learning Department at 281-634-4220 or extendedlearning@fortbendisd.com.

Yes. All students need to have their information verified by their parents.

Yes. We need all parents to complete this process for each of their students to ensure all information in Skyward is correct. In addition to the Back to School Readiness Form, the verification process also includes other required forms.

While it may seem that some of these are not applicable, the District is trying to gather as much information at once to minimize confusion for parents. These are standard forms for the start of school and several new forms based starting school during a pandemic.

No, we are not asking parents to choose between online instruction and face-to-face at this time. Parents will be asked to indicate their preference prior to the transition to face-to-face instruction.

Currently, we are concentrating on making sure that our students who need a device receive a loaner device for the start of schools. As you may know, in Fort Bend ISD’s Blended Learning model, technology devices are integrated as a tool in the classroom for use when the instruction calls for it as a resource. We will continue to plan and prepare for the time when students are able to return to face-to-face classroom.  In the face-to-face environment, our teachers will plan for and provide devices for student access and students will not be required to bring a device to campus; however, they will be allowed to bring their own device if they desire to do so, but campuses will provide devices for any and all integration of blended learning in the face-to-face environment. We will have more details to plan once all schools start and all of our students are online and accounted for.  Currently, we simply do not have enough data to plan.

Every student will need to have an Online Verification completed for him/her.

All students will need a device in order to participate in online instruction. As Dr. Dupre indicated, our model is “1: need.” The District will provide our student with a device if s(he) needs one to attend online classes this fall.

Ultimately, this will depend on how many students request a device, but it is our goal to be able to provide each student in need with a device. However, due to the very limited number of hotspots, we do not know if we will be able to provide a hot spot to each family. We are encouraging families to consider low cost Internet options that are as low as $10 a month. There are programs such as AT&T Access and Comcast Internet Essentials among others that are available. 

• The Back to School Readiness Form which is part of the student enrollment verification process will be used to determine student need and assign devices
• FBISD will transition device distribution to a campus-based model offering student pickup at their assigned campus

As good stewards of our taxpayers' money, we have to make sure that our families take good care of the devices so that they will return to the classrooms once the environment allows our students to return. Outside of the Bond, we have no other source of funding to replace missing, stolen, or broken devices. Fortunately, most of our 7,000 families who borrowed a laptop this Spring took very good care of the devices. There is a schedule of costs associated with broken, lost, or stolen device on the Lending Library Form.  By stating the costs of repair and replacement, our families will have a vested interest in protecting the loaner laptops.

The parent only needs to request one hotspot for the family.  All devices can work off the same hotspot.

No, you can keep the laptop.  We already have the laptop recorded in Skyward under your child’s information.  You do not need to request another one. 

Because of the required synchronous learning, we recognize there is now an increased need for devices in a household. When filling out the online enrollment verification, please indicate the need for each child. 

The laptops that we are lending to our families are only about 1-1.5 years old. We are also receiving new devices this summer that have not yet been deployed to campuses. 

When conditions allow our students to return to face-to-face instruction, students may bring their personal device with them. The campus will work with our students on best practices to protect themselves and their property. While the District cannot guarantee the student’s device will not get damaged, we will take every effort to limit exposure to situations that would increase the risk of damage. Security cameras are in our schools should there be a need to review footage of a discipline issue, and we have processes in place to deter this kind of behavior.

Recommended device specifications can be found on the BYOD Guide at www.fortbendisd.com/byodguide.

Several factors were taken into consideration while drafting the recommendations.  This includes functionality, ease of use, portability, display size, keyboard accessory and compliance with online testing software.

These devices were considered, however they do not meet the requirements of the online testing software. Chromebooks and Android Tablets can be used for other class assignments.

See answer to "What are the requirements for the online testing software?"

The Software Vendor has very specific requirements in order to run their online testing software.  The requirements are noted as follows and if it is not listed it is not supported.

Operating Systems
Windows: 10, 8, 7
Mac: macOS 10.12 to 10.15
iOS: 11.0 or newer

* Windows 10s is not a compatible operating system.  A Microsoft Surface may come equipped with Windows 10s but it can be switched to standard windows 10 directly on the device.

Memory
Windows: 2 GB RAM
Mac: 2 GB RAM

Hard Disk Space
Windows: 200 MB of free hard disk space
Mac: 200 MB of free hard disk space

Device grade level recommendations were specified based on how well a student can handle those devices from a physical perspective but as well as for curriculum requirements on the software side.   iPads are typically assigned to younger students because of the Apps associated with the device.  Likewise older students, primarily secondary, have similar needs that tie their applications back to their device type. 

iPads, MacBooks and iMac’s can be used based on the requirements.

See answer to "What are the requirements for the online testing software?"

Apple maintains tight application development controls with the apps written for their devices.  As the Operating System ages the developers are required to update their software.  In those situations certain apps may fail yet others may work.  In addition there will be compatibility issues with the District Testing Software as noted in the requirements.

See answer to "What are the requirements for the online testing software?"

Yes, you can use it for the majority of the class assignments; however it will not be compatible with the testing software when testing is required.

See answer to "What are the requirements for the online testing software?"

Yes as long as it meets the requirements noted.

See answer to "What are the requirements for the online testing software?"

At home you, you may certainly use a PC Desktop. However, because it is not a portable device, it would be a home use-only device. Again, it has to meet the requirements noted to be used for online testing.

Yes as long as it meets the requirements noted for testing.  Please note that a Windows Surface may be configured with Windows 10s which is not supported with online testing software.  Windows 10s can be switched directly on the device by the device owner.  

For the majority of the class assignments Android Tablets can be considered.  But they will not work for online testing. 

See answer to "What are the requirements for the online testing software?"

The screens are typically too small and are not recommended for extensive class work.

• Grab & Go meal service will continue at the onset of back to school through a curbside pickup option
• Two serving times will be offered to accommodate breakfast and lunch service
• Various pick-up locations will be established District-wide to serve the needs of all students 
• Awaiting TDA guidance for 2020–21 school year free meal waiver

• Self-quarantine is required if exhibiting symptoms or close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19
• Self-isolation is required if tested positive for COVID-19
• During self-quarantine and self-isolation, staff may work from home if able to fulfill job responsibilities
• If unable to fulfill job responsibilities, staff will use available leave options
  • Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) provides special entitlements for qualified employees affected by the virus. Full-time FBISD staff qualify for these entitlements, which provide for 80 hours of paid leave that would not affect your local or state leave balances.
  • Local and State Leave

If an employee is designated as high risk the District will engage with the employee and follow the District’s protocols to determine their need for an accommodation. Each decision is based upon each individual need(s).

If an employee is unable to work due to their own illness or the illness of a family member, the District will explore all opportunities for the continued work of the employee.

Fort Bend ISD collaborated with districts in our Region to identify aligned components of the calendar. All districts agreed to maintain consistent winter and spring holiday breaks, exclusive of intersessional breaks.

The District prefers that teachers teach from the provided workspace, but it is not required while Fort Bend County is on Red alert.

• The District will open Learning Centers where identified students can come to engaging in online learning each day.
• Student workstations in the Learning Centers will be socially distanced
• Students will be engaging online in the same online learning model as their peers at home.
• Students at Learning Centers will have lunch and snack breaks, movement/brain breaks, and teacher assistance as needed. Their learning will be monitored by a professional or paraprofessional staff member.

There will be additional opportunities at campuses and administration for wellness monitors, online learning monitoring, etc.