SOUTHWICK – At the most recent school committee meeting, the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School Committee decided to hold a vote at their May 1 meeting that would recommend a three-day pilot program for alternative learning days.
The pilot program would allow three alternative learning days to occur throughout the 2018-19 school year under the command of Superintendent Jen Willard.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Secondary Education, alternative learning days are a structured day that is a solution to when the district is closed due to inclement weather. This program helps the school district meet the requirements of making sure elementary school students reach the required 900 hours of elementary learning, 990 hours for secondary schools, and a total 180 days.
Superintendent Jen Willard. (WNG File Photo)
Willard is glad that the vote is for a three-day pilot program so it gives the school committee the opportunity to evaluate the program.
“We’ll work out any of the kinks and work out any of the issues,” said Willard.
The following are the remainder of the guidelines for the pilot proposal:
• Will consist of interdisciplinary projects aligned to grade level standards.
• Assignments will be due during the final grading period of the school year, and will end with a culminating school event.
• If there are no (or limited) Alternative Learning Days, then the unit will be completed in school during the month of June.
• Failure to complete the assignment would result in unexcused absences for the Alternative Learning Days.
• Grade level regular education and special education teachers to develop, monitor, and grade assignments.
• All other staff will return in June to participate in professional development activities for each day used.
• The district will provide teachers the opportunity to develop Alternative Learning Day projects on the September 20, 2018 collaboration day.
• The Curriculum Director will vet the projects and provide feedback to teachers by October 20, 2018.
• Stakeholders will be surveyed in the spring of 2019 to determine the successes/weaknesses of the pilot.
In late January, the school district sent out a survey to all parents in the school district regarding their thoughts on alternative learning days. Of the 647 responses, almost 90% of parents are in favor of having alternative learning days.
