Learning At Home for School Year 2020-2021

This page is now archived because it relates to information for a previous school year.

It is DCPS’ mission to provide rigorous and joyful learning experiences for every student, every day. Together, with educators and families, we will maximize learning opportunities for the start of this school year and beyond. Your learning at home schedule may look a little different than it did in the spring as our teachers have worked hard to create a stronger virtual experience for all our students.

We expect students will be more engaged and connected with their teachers and peers through frequent live instruction. School schedules will provide more structure and predictability for students, families, and staff. And through user-friendly technology and greater access to resources our entire school community will receive more support for learning at home.

If you have questions about learning at home, check out the FAQ for Families.

Support Your Child During Virtual Learning

At DCPS, we believe that families are our strongest partners. This partnership is more important than ever as we take the lessons from learning at home together from Spring 2020 toward how virtual learning will be in the 2020-2021 school.

To help parents and caregivers have a successful school year, download our new Family Guide to Learning at Home.

This free resource, available in English and Spanish, walks you through what learning at home looks like at DCPS. This guide was published in August 2020.

Descargue nuestra nueva Guía familiar para el aprendizaje en casa para información clave y consejos.

Schedule Snapshots

These schedules are sample snapshots. Individual school and student schedules will vary based on student need, staffing, enrollment, and course offerings. For grades K-12, Wednesdays will follow a different schedule than most days and be dedicated to office hours with core instructional teachers, small group instruction, independent learning, and supplemental programming such as college and career exploration, advisory, and community building.

Swipe right to view schedule information available by grade level. Click the bottom right corner of the frame to view these slides in full screen.

Learning at Home Sample Sch… by DC Public Schools on Scribd

Students will Learn Online Every Day

We spent the spring and summer working with over 200 teachers and staff to transfer our curriculum to an online experience, which will allow for a more user-friendly, efficient and organized approach to virtual learning. We are leaning on the expertise and feedback of our educators to update learning at home materials that meet the needs of all students. Educators will build authentic relationships with students virtually through consistent feedback and real-time support on class assignments.

Students in need of special education services, English language support, and other required supports will still receive these services with all-virtual instruction. The learning at home experience may include co-taught and/or small group or individual lessons with a special educator or ESL teacher. All students will have a distance learning plan addendum added to their IEP, as well.

Remember: Every Day Counts! Student connections with teachers and peers is vital to learning at home, and attendance will be taken daily.

Consistency in Scheduling

In response to feedback we received from the learning at home experience this spring, we will provide families with clear schedules for students. Students can expect to engage in live lessons with their classmates that follow a predictable schedule weekly. Student schedules will include live lessons with their teachers, small group learning, and independent work time.

On most days, our Pre-K and elementary students should anticipate 1-3 hours of live lessons with their teachers; and our older students in middle school and high school should anticipate 4-5 hours of live lessons each day, with plenty of time to complete assignments and collaborate with other students.

User-Friendly Technology and Easy Access to Learning Tools

Canvas, our online, common learning management system, will be used by teachers and students to keep learning at home resources in one place. Canvas allows students to see daily and weekly schedules and keep track of assignments all in one place. From learning materials to Microsoft Teams live lesson links, everything will be on Canvas.

We will ensure that students have the devices necessary to fully engage in learning at home. By completing the Tech Access Survey at dcps.tech/survey, you will help us identify and fill the gaps to technology access and make sure your school has a device ready for any student that needs one. The form is mobile-friendly and available in all languages. If you need assistance completing the survey, please contact your child’s school.

Learning at Home Tips

You can find a SY20-21 School Supplies list here by following this link.

Download a free guide for families from Edmentum about the best practices designed to help parents support their children when virtual learning is implemented in their school.

PAGE ARCHIVED: August 11, 2021.