COVID-19 Considerations for Reopening Schools: 2020-2021 Participation Tracking in Infinite Campus and Welcoming Students for Orientation and Targeted Services

By Jacob Perkins
Jacob.perkins@education.ky.gov

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) released two new COVID-19 guidance documents on Aug. 17, one on small groups for in-person targeted services and orientation and the other on participation tracking in Infinite Campus.

The “COVID-19 Considerations for Reopening Schools: Welcoming Students for Orientation and Targeted Services” guidance details appropriate measures districts should consider when bringing small groups of students into the building for short orientation periods or to provide targeted services.

The document presents universal expectations, models for efficient and safe orientations and considerations for targeted services and special populations.

The second document, “COVID-19 Considerations for Reopening Schools: 2020-2021 Participation Tracking in Infinite Campus,” provides guidance on how to track participation for different types of courses according to the guidelines in the Daily Participation and Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) guidance document.

At its July 10 meeting, the Kentucky Board of Education approved an amendment to 702 KAR 7:125, which gives school districts the ability to provide and receive funding for a variety of instructional delivery models to meet the needs of their students and communities during the 2020-2021 school year in light of continued COVID-19 risks and necessary prevention measures.

The amendment temporarily suspends the collection of student attendance data for funding purposes. In its place, it established a process for collecting student participation and requires the reporting and publication of district student participation rates to KDE and the Legislative Research Commission.

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 webpage.

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