COVID-19 Considerations for Reopening Schools: Alternative Learning Design Strategies

By Sky Carroll
sky.carroll@education.ky.gov

The Kentucky Department of Education released guidance on June 8 on ways to safely structure instruction and learning when schools reopen in the fall.

The document, “COVID-19 Considerations for Reopening Schools: Alternative Learning Design Strategies,” explores a variety of learning and instruction models for districts to consider that prioritize safety during the pandemic, along with learning progression. The document encourages each district to consider the options and design a strategy works best for them.

The document provides four different possible strategies: 

  • Scheduled Rotation would assign students to groups, and each group would attend in-person instruction at different times.
  • Synchronous Opt-In Hybrid would allow for parents to choose whether their child learned in-person or remotely.
  • Combination would combine the first and the second strategies, allowing for students to learn in-person and remotely at varying times.
  • Online and Virtual Learning would expand online learning experiences for students at home.

Each strategy has several considerations, including student and teacher groupings, student ages, time of day and the ability to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As the situation with the pandemic evolves, KDE is creating new guidance documents to meet the needs of Kentucky’s schools and districts. More guidance and resources can be found on KDE’s COVID-19 website.