Reviewing the Learning Options for SCSD 1 Students this Fall

All SCSD 1 families will have three education options for their students this fall.

1. In-person Instruction:  Tier I of our Smart Start Plan.
2. Classroom-Based Virtual Education:  New this year.  A distance learning option provided by SCSD 1 teachers.  This option will also be used for students who attend on-campus if a state or local health order closes a school or part of a school.
3. Homeschool:  A longstanding option for families that can include virtual schools or in-home instruction.

OPTIONS PROVIDED BY SUBLETTE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 1

In-Person Instruction and Classroom-Based Virtual Education (Distance Learning)

On this blog, we’ve had quite a bit of discussion about what in-person instruction will look like.  I’ve also fielded a lot of questions about what our Classroom-Based Virtual Education (Distance Learning) will look like.

Each of our schools is currently developing a building-specific plan for both of these options.    As each draft plan becomes available, it will be released to the public by the school, but I thought our families could benefit from an advance look at one of the plans.  Below is a link to a DRAFT of the Pinedale Elementary School plan.

Pinedale Elementary School – Building Component of the Smart Start Plan

Kudos to the PES team for getting this prepared so quickly.  The building component plan for our other schools will follow a similar format.   Plan development is underway at each school.  You can contact the building principal at each school for the status of their plan or for more information about the plan.  Our Let’s Talk platform is a convenient way to do this.

For information related to special education services related to either of the options provided by SCSD 1, click here.

Homeschooling

Any parent may choose to homeschool their student.  This can include enrolling them in a virtual school in Wyoming or elsewhere.  The only district requirement is that they follow SCSD 1 Board Policy IHBG – Home School Policy, which states “Every parent, guardian or other person having control or charge of any child within the district required by law to attend school, but who intends to educate the child in a home-based educational program shall be required to demonstrate to the district that the program provides a basic academic educational program as defined by law appropriate to the educational level of the child.”

I absolutely respect the right of every parent to home school their child, and many of our parents do.  But for those who might be considering this for the first time, I want you to know an important part of this choice, especially if you think you might wish to return your student to SCSD 1 at some point.

I think many parents assume that they can simply transfer the credits their student earns while homeschooling directly to SCSD 1, but that’s not the case.  By policy, students transitioning to SCSD 1 schools from home school must demonstrate grade or course level proficiency through a school-selected exam.   This means that if you are in grades K-8, the result of the exam(s) will determine what grade your student will be placed in.  If you are a high school student, the result of the exam(s) will determine if you get credit for the course you are requesting to transfer.

Our board policy committee is exploring a policy change that will allow credit transfer from a Wyoming accredited virtual school.  That would allow students to receive credit for courses they have earned from those accredited schools, but we will continue to require examinations for all students from homeschools or institutions that are not accredited in Wyoming.

NOTE:  Our policy allows homeschool students to participate in WHSAA sports and activities IF they are participating in a home-based school or a Wyoming accredited virtual school.  Enrolling your student in a virtual school that is not accredited in Wyoming may result in your student being ineligible to participate in SCSD 1 sports or activities.  If you plan to homeschool and want your student to participate in WHSAA activities, please consult with the activities director at your school.

If you are interested in home school, please contact our Executive Secretary Keni Hopkins at 307.637.2139 for more information.

For information related to special education services for families that choose homeschool, click here.

REGISTRATION

We hope to open registration soon.  When you register in the coming weeks, you will be asked that you make a choice between in-person instruction and classroom-based virtual education for your student, unless of course, you are choosing to homeschool.  Knowing the number of students that will be choosing the classroom-based virtual education is critical data for our district in terms of staffing, and we are asking that anyone choosing that option register on or before August 14th.