Week in Review at M-DCPS; Outlook for Reopening Schools, Weekly Attendance, One Million Meals Served and More

With approximately one month of school left in the 2019-2020 school year, a return to the physical classroom appears to be unlikely, based upon current conditions, in response to COVID-19. Therefore, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is prepared to continue distance learning for the remainder of the school year, at a minimum.

Click here to view this week’s message from Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho.

Distance Learning

Attendance and Engagement: Since the launch of the Instructional Continuity Plan 2.0 (ICP 2.0.) on April 6, 2020, 99 percent of students have logged on to the M-DCPS portal to have their attendance captured. This week, M-DCPS students had an average daily attendance rate of more than 91 percent.  The vast majority of schools have average daily attendance rates of well over 80 percent. At this time, the District is not issuing unexcused absences and teachers are working with students to make up any missed work.

While these high attendance rates are impressive in light of the fact that this is the first time districtwide online instruction has been attempted, school administrators continue to take the following actions to connect with the remaining students and families who are not regularly logging on through the portal:

·      Distribute devices to guarantee that all students are connected. More than 105,000 laptops, tablets, and smart phones, which may be used as Wi-Fi hotspots, have been provided to students districtwide.

·      Review attendance bulletins daily and contact students who have not logged on.

·      Check on device and Wi-Fi capabilities of students and provide connectivity support in English, Spanish, and Haitian-Creole.

·      Utilize various forms of communication, including automated messaging, social media, mail, and phone calls.

·      In some cases, if students cannot be reached through the above methods, school administrators are conducting home visits and welfare checks.

·      Community involvement specialists, accompanied by Miami-Dade Schools Police, are going door-to-door delivering devices and hot spots to those students in schools with low attendance rates.

·      Community-based organizations are also assisting in locating students.

·      Additional efforts are also being undertaken to provide connectivity and support for M-DCPS students facing challenges such as those living in transition, foster care, and migrant communities,as well as for students with disabilities.

It is of critical importance that all students and parents/guardians ensure they provide correct contact information to their schools. To locate a principal’s email address, visit www.dadeschools.net/schools/schoolinformation/, find the appropriate school, and click on the principal’s name to view his/her email address.

Continually Updated Resources: The District will launch a redesigned distance learning website on Monday, April 20. Visit distancelearning.dadeschools.net for additional information and resources.

M-DCPS Meal Distributions

This week marked a significant milestone in the distribution of “grab-and-go” student meals to families in need throughout the District. More than 1.2 million meals have been distributed since school closures began March 16. This number demonstrates the vast and growing need in our community.

To promote social distancing efforts and further reduce physical contact, beginning the week of April 20, M-DCPS will distribute food twice a week. Multiple meals will be handed out at 50 school sites on Tuesdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. to make sure students have food security for the entire week. Although the District had originally planned to distribute meals beginning this week on Mondays and Thursdays, a change had to be made to align the delivery of meals at schools with the availability of food distributions. For a list of all M-DCPS meal distribution sites, please visit covid19.dadeschools.net/

M-DCPS has also partnered with individual donors, local organizations, and restaurateurs to provide thousands of additional meals to children and families. With the dollars donated, food is purchased from restaurants, supporting the hospitality industry and the local economy while delivering hot meals and bags of fresh produce to families. Since March 25, the inception of the Family Meals-on-the-Go program, nearly 10,000 hot meals have been delivered to homes in our most fragile communities. The partnership has already raised more than $500,000. For more information, please visit www.giveourstudentstheworld.org.

Class of 2020

M-DCPS is finalizing a plan to celebrate commencement and other notable senior year milestones. Superintendent Carvalho has been meeting with class leaders to ensure their input is a driving force in the decision-making. Additional information is forthcoming.

High school seniors who earn the required course credits and earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale will be able to graduate irrespective of their completion of specific exams since all statewide testing has been cancelled this year. Students in the Class of 2020 will be receiving an email with additional information and a Frequently Asked Questions for seniors. All students should check their dadeschools.net email daily.

SAT Administration

The College Board has announced it will not be able to administer the SAT and SAT Subject Tests on June 6, 2020, as planned. If it is deemed safe from a public health standpoint, SAT administrations will be provided every month through the end of the calendar year, beginning in August. For more information, click here.

Mental Health Services

The mental and emotional well-being of students and families is critical during these times of uncertainty. The Department of Mental Health Services remains ready to assist anyone who may feel overwhelmed or unable to cope with their emotions. Help is available in English, Spanish, and Haitian-Creole via the assistance line listed below.

M-DCPS Telephone Support Lines:

(Monday – Friday, from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.)

·      District Emergency Operations: 305-995-3000

·      Distance Learning: 305-995-HELP (4357)

·      Adult and Career/Technical Education: 305-558-8000

·      Mental Health Services for students/parents: 305-995-7100

·      Project UP-START for students experiencing unstable housing: 305-995-7558

·      Employee Assistance Program: 305-995-7111

M-DCPS Online Resources:

·      http://covid19.dadeschools.net/ - Provides continual updates on M-DCPS actions connected to the coronavirus outbreak.

·      http://distancelearning.dadeschools.net/ - Includes information on free Comcast Internet as well as digital tools and tutorials for educators and students.

·      http://icp.dadeschools.net/ - Provides the M-DCPS framework for distance learning for pre-K-12 students.

·      www.careerinayear.com and www.adulteducationworks.com – Provide information on career/technical and adult distance learning options.

For the most up-to-date information, please download the Dadeschools mobile app to your iPhone or Android device. Follow us on Twitter @mdcps and @miamisup, on Instagram @miamischools and @miamisup, and on Facebook at MiamiSchools and AlbertoCarvalho