Equity and Opportunity for the SEZP Community
School buildings remain closed across Massachusetts, but learning and support continues for students, families, and staff in our SEZP schools.
These unprecedented times require bold and innovative action. In mid-March, a worldwide public health crisis forced the closure of our brick and mortar schools, leaving our community shocked and unprepared for the complexities of “home schooling” all students, but determined to provide equitable, high-quality instruction and support for students and their families. On March 31st, SEZP distributed a remote learning plan in collaboration with Principals and the Springfield Education Association to provide local context for evolving state and federal guidance. In the wake of our Governor’s decision to close physical school buildings for the remainder of the year and the newly released guidance from Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MA DESE) Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley, SEZP schools have further strengthened our remote learning and support plan to prepare students for success now and in the coming school year.
These unprecedented times require bold and innovative action. In mid-March, a worldwide public health crisis forced the closure of our brick and mortar schools, leaving our community shocked and unprepared for the complexities of “home schooling” all students, but determined to provide equitable, high-quality instruction and support for students and their families. On March 31st, SEZP distributed a remote learning plan in collaboration with Principals and the Springfield Education Association to provide local context for evolving state and federal guidance. In the wake of our Governor’s decision to close physical school buildings for the remainder of the year and the newly released guidance from Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MA DESE) Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley, SEZP schools have further strengthened our remote learning and support plan to prepare students for success now and in the coming school year.
Next Steps in Strengthening our Remote Learning Plan
During the coming weeks, SEZP will implement the following actions to ensure all students have access to caring adults and high-quality learning:
What will SEZP Schools Do?
1. SEZP schools will focus on five areas of equitable student learning and support:
3. SEZP schools will guide self-paced and interest-based learning groups designed to provide students and families with additional learning opportunities for enrichment
How Will SEZP Schools Do This Work?
During the coming weeks, SEZP will implement the following actions to ensure all students have access to caring adults and high-quality learning:
- Provide SEZP schools with a default model for core instructional content development at each grade level, with support to adopt, adapt, or innovate at the school level
- Design a simple, achievable, and engaging plan to advance learning, reinforce underlying skills, provide extensive supports, and emphasize a laser-focus on the health and wellness of all students and families
- Address the major work of the grade that will serve as the prerequisite foundation for success in the school year ahead
What will SEZP Schools Do?
1. SEZP schools will focus on five areas of equitable student learning and support:
- Health & Wellness: Supports, outreach, and engagement focused on social-emotional health and physical well-being
- Mathematics and English Language Arts: Aligned curriculum focused on the standards most critical for success in the coming year, engaging tasks and texts, tiered supports, and independent practice
- Science and Humanities: Curated explorations connected to socially relevant topics and grade level standards
3. SEZP schools will guide self-paced and interest-based learning groups designed to provide students and families with additional learning opportunities for enrichment
How Will SEZP Schools Do This Work?
- Tiered interventions providing just-right, layered supports for small-groups and individuals
- Identification of a “primary person” for every student
- Strategic deployment of staff to maximize outreach and engagement
- Regular and intentional data gathering and follow-up to ensure student and family needs are met, either by SEZP staff or community partners/agencies
What are the "Look-Fors" and "Listen-Fors" in an Equitable Remote Learning Plan?
Students engage in learning across one or more of three "tiers," or doses of instruction and support designed to provide increasingly intensive, personalized engagement with educators. Students are grouped in tiers flexibly over time as their needs emerge and evolve.
Tier I: Universal, Grade-Level, Standards-Aligned Core Instruction for All
All students in SEZP schools have access to rigorous, engaging curriculum aligned to grade-level standards with appropriate scaffolding, as needed. Highly-rated aligned curricula integrates this appropriate scaffolding for ready-to-go intervention when and if emerging bilinguals, exceptional learners, and/or students demonstrate a need. Schools across the SEZP use a combination of Tier I core curricula during remote learning, including the following.
Students engage in learning across one or more of three "tiers," or doses of instruction and support designed to provide increasingly intensive, personalized engagement with educators. Students are grouped in tiers flexibly over time as their needs emerge and evolve.
Tier I: Universal, Grade-Level, Standards-Aligned Core Instruction for All
All students in SEZP schools have access to rigorous, engaging curriculum aligned to grade-level standards with appropriate scaffolding, as needed. Highly-rated aligned curricula integrates this appropriate scaffolding for ready-to-go intervention when and if emerging bilinguals, exceptional learners, and/or students demonstrate a need. Schools across the SEZP use a combination of Tier I core curricula during remote learning, including the following.
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Learn about the learning and engagement in a typical day during remote learning in SEZP schools.
Additional At-Home Resources and Information
Independent At-Home Literacy!
At-Home Math Tasks, Ideas, and Puzzles!
At-Home Science Interactives, Videos, and Lessons!
At-Home Social Studies Videos and Explorations!
- Click here to listen free to any story on Audible for the littlest readers to teens to the classics for any age! Read the same book as your friends and talk/text about it or listen with your family! Choose books in English or Spanish! From The Wheels on the Bus to Frankenstein, there is a book for everyone!
- Click here to watch a famous celebrity read aloud from one of hundreds of beautiful stories of your choice for any age!
- Read thousands of free books online on your own or with family and friends!
- Read these famous poems, such as Cat's Dream by Pablo Neruda from Chile, or The Mesh by Kwesi Brew from Ghana, and try to decide whether their words relate to your own life.
At-Home Math Tasks, Ideas, and Puzzles!
- Click here for challenging math tasks connected to your classroom learning!
- Click on a grade level or topic then choose a task from the list, such as Baking Bread or Hunger Games vs. Divergent.
- Read the task independently or together with family or friends.
- Complete the math task and compare and debate your response with others, explain your solution to a friend or family member, or collect your work in a portfolio to showcase with your teacher later for enrichment.
At-Home Science Interactives, Videos, and Lessons!
- Click here for Earth and Space Science learning and fun!
- Click here for Life Science learning and fun!
- Click here for Physical Science learning and fun!
- Click here for the Big Hows and Whys of science!
At-Home Social Studies Videos and Explorations!
- Click here for animations and talks about Cultural and Regional Areas of the World!
- Click here for animations and talks about Civics, Courageous Humans, and Critical Issues!
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