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COVID-19 forces Randolph School Board to make changes

RANDOLPH — Randolph School Board members gathered despite Coronavirus concerns on April 13. 

Board members only action item last night was a resolution for the school law firms to address and discuss graduation, grading, and advancement of grade levels. 

This Resolution addresses these issues.  It allows the administration to vary from established policy on items during the closure.  

Jeff Hoesing, Superintendent said due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the District has shifted student learning from the physical classroom to a distance learning setting. 

As a result of this shift in student learning, the Board determined within a resolution to recognize that certain aspects of student learning have been disrupted and that certain Board policies and procedures may need to be suspended or modified, including grading and credits. 

The Board decided to allow eligible students in their final year in the District (including seniors) to graduate and receive a diploma at the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

For the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, the Board suspends all graduation and curriculum-related policies, except for those policies that the Superintendent and Board President jointly determine need to remain in effect. 

The Superintendent or designee shall determine which students would have been eligible or on track for graduation immediately prior to the COVID-19 temporary shutdown.

The Superintendent or designee shall implement requirements (such as the continued completion of coursework) to be in effect during the remainder of the 2020 spring semester for students who are eligible or on track to graduate. The Board requires students in their final year to continue learning during the remainder of the 2019- 2020 school year. 

If students satisfy requirements during the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, then the Board authorizes the Superintendent and Board President to issue a diploma to students, so that students will graduate and receive a diploma at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. 

The Superintendent will identify students in their final year in the District who are neither eligible nor on track to graduate at the end of the 2019- 2020 school year, and determine what requirements or supports that will be in place for those students to become eligible or on track for graduation at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. 

At the end of the 2019-2020 school year, the Superintendent determines whether any of these students have satisfied said requirements and, if so, along with the Board President, issue a diploma for students in order for them to graduate and receive a diploma at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. 

All students (including those not in their final year in the District) will be included in a grading procedure for the spring 2020 semester. The Superintendent is encouraged to consult with key stakeholder groups to identify the grading procedures that will be fair, reasonable in light of the circumstances and in the best interests of the District. The Superintendent’s grading procedure shall be final, and the Board will not hear any appeals over the Superintendent’s grading procedure or any grades issued under the Superintendent’s grading procedure. 

Students who are not in their final year in the District, the Superintendent or designee shall develop a plan to determine how students will progress (or not) to the next grade level or advanced courses next year, and what resources or supports may be made available for those students who are not or will not be prepared to progress to the next grade level or advanced courses next year. 

It is the Board’s intention to advance students to the next grade level next year, but, at the same time, the Board does not want students unprepared for next year’s curriculum. 

Various responsibilities and authority was granted to the Superintendent and Board President, all actions (or inactions) taken by the Superintendent and Board President pursuant to this Resolution shall be final, ratified in full by the Board and need not be formally approved by the Board at a later date. 

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