As the first quarter draws to a close, the City School District of Albany, as an organization and a school community, is reflecting on how we can better support our students as virtual learners through this challenging time. We have received the middle school survey data and are looking to be responsive to the needs of our students, families and teachers.
In our ongoing conversations with students, their families and teachers, we are learning that some students at the middle school level are challenged by the academic day, as well as the amount of screen time it requires. To that end, we are making two adjustments to students’ schedules that will build in breaks for students working remotely, while also maintaining our commitment to providing students with a rich and rigorous academic program.
Beginning Monday, Nov. 16 with the start of the second marking period, all virtual students in grades 6-8 will have a change in their daily schedule to allow them an opportunity to receive extra help in the following classes on a rotation basis. Teachers also will be reaching out to students during this time on an as-needed basis.
This daily rotation will occur in each of the four core subject areas (ELA, Math, Science and Social Studies) in addition to World Languages, if applicable. This subject area will still appear on their schedule. However, during this time, students will have the flexibility to schedule time with their teachers and work independently with targeted supports related to that content area.
The rotation will be as follows:
- Monday: World Languages
- Tuesday: English Language Arts, English Enrichment and Reading Enrichment
- Wednesday: Math, Math Content Enrichment and Math Skills Enrichment
- Thursday: Social Studies
- Friday: Science
As an example, if your student has Social Studies during Period 3 on Thursday, Nov. 19, they will not have that class during that scheduled period. Instead, this will be an opportunity for students to work on class assignments at their own pace and reach out to teachers for individual support. Teachers will be hosting office hours during that scheduled time and will be available in their classroom Google Meets, so your child will be able to seek extra help in that subject area during that time if needed.
The second change we will make to student schedules is replacing Library Skills, a non-mandated course, with a study hall with asynchronous learning. The study hall will allow students an additional opportunity to work on class assignments at their own pace.
While we certainly value the learning that occurs in Library Skills, we are working to embed these skills (i.e., conducting research, and citing and evaluating primary/secondary sources) across the curriculum. We believe students would be better served to have this additional time to receive targeted support based on their area of need.
In addition, this revision to the schedule will assist with facilitating our Phase 2 implementation of instrumental music and hands-on learning opportunities. This schedule change will take effect on Monday, Nov. 16; additional information will be provided next week.
We are excited for the upcoming opportunities for our students as we restructure this programming need. We know this adjustment to our instructional program will be helpful in supporting your student as a virtual learner. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact your student's principal or guidance counselor.
