(Jackson Township, Ohio) – The Jackson Local School District is announcing plans for the upcoming school year.

Option 1: In-Person Instruction 

Officials explained the in-person instruction is the most educational sound model for the district. This option will continue to blend the newly designed eLearning 2.0 POLARIS platform with daily in-person instruction, officials added. Daily routines would be amended to accommodate changes in food service, transportation sanitation, hallway movement, recess, and large group settings. All staff and students will be required to wear a face-covering or face shield while implementing age-appropriate breaks throughout the school day unless they are unable to do so for a health or developmental reason. Social distancing will be maximized.

Option 2: eLearning 2.0 (Polaris 2.0)

The Schoology learning management system, branded as POLARIS in the district, is a key component to the everyday blended learning instruction, officials added. Whether the student is in-person or choosing a remote learning option the new eLearning 2.0 platform will be an integral part, they noted. The POLARIS platform has been amended to enhance traditional blended instruction and to better meet the needs of students choosing Learning 2.0. Teachers are expected to receive professional development training that will increase teacher-student and student-peer engagement. The platform will provide synchronous and asynchronous instruction opportunities. Officials explained that it is built and delivered by district teachers. The new platform increases student and parent access to teachers. Students in this model may revert to in-person instruction during the school year.

Option 3: Digital Academy

Virtual learning is a fully online, asynchronous experience in a self-paced virtual setting. The platform is Accellus. It contains nationally developed course content and is presented by instructors outside of the Jackson Local teaching staff. These courses, according to officials, are self-paced. However, Jackson Local support specialists will monitor students’ attendance and participation. Students choosing this model are strongly encouraged to begin and end in nine-week periods because the curriculum does not align with Jackson Local School District curriculum.

The full plan, including safety precautions that will be implemented, and access to parent surveys can be found here.