The online courses will have a separate instructional design but will utilize the same curriculum and grading guidelines as face-to-face instruction. The online assignments may look different but they will cover the same content and skills as onsite instruction.

Students will have both synchronous and asynchronous lessons that include live lessons in addition to pre-recorded lessons. They may receive instruction in the following ways:

• Authentic student work/assignments with timely and relevant feedback for continued progress in learning of the standard
• Hands-on activities which may need an extra pair of at “home” hands
• Choice boards and playlists
• Instructional activities within Google Classroom
• Portfolio tasks and turning in of assignments
• Assessments
• Video lessons
• Project based learning/assignments
• Group/partner projects
• Small group instruction

Students will have assignments that are due daily and/or at teacher discretion just like the face-to-face classroom.

This will vary grade to grade, student to student, and class to class. All teachers will incorporate some live student/teacher interaction lessons and additional learning through pre-recorded videos, computer-based learning, and student work time on assignments to be submitted.

It is possible, and we are currently exploring this as an option that could provide flexibility for working parents.

Yes, online students will be able to live-stream direct instruction from a teacher’s onsite class in certain, district-approved courses.  However, there will not be a recording created for students to watch at a later time, thereby necessitating their ability to live-stream at the prescribed lesson time.

The fall online has numerous differences from the spring based on the feedback received from parents, students and teachers. It will look different based on the needs of each student. Students who receive supplemental services or who are in different grades will find that their services are developmentally appropriate. Key aspects of the fall online instruction include:

• Students will have access to a full instructional day plan according to the campus bell schedule. Content learning and activities will be planned by the teacher to make sure each student receives a high quality, rigorous experience.
• An improvement upon quality and depth of the curriculum
• Personalized learning opportunities 
• A mix of pre-recorded videos and real-time virtual lessons. The addition of real-time lessons to the virtual learning platform is based on feedback the District received.
• Data-driven, personalized enrichment and intervention 
• The same scope and sequence as students in the classroom 
• Some mandated related services, to be scheduled on an individual or small group basis, will also be offered on campus.

Grading for all on-line courses will follow the same grading policy as the courses in the face-to-face model. Bastrop ISD on-line courses that earn high school credit will count in GPA calculation and class rank. The grading policies for on-line instruction must be consistent with the District’s grading policies for on-campus assignments.

According to TEA guidance, Bastrop ISD is required to provide the same grading guidelines for online instruction as onsite instruction. Online students will have the same reassessment abilities as students in a face-to-face environment. 

Attendance will be taken based on that day’s student participation in Google Classroom/computer-based programs, student-teacher interaction, and/or submitted assignments.

The online coursework will have a separate instructional design but will utilize the same high quality, rigorous BISD curriculum as students who are in face-to-face instruction. The level of rigor, workload, time commitment and timing of classes will be different from the online plan in the spring of 2020.  

During virtual instruction, time management is critical to success. Students and teachers must remain in communication regarding daily schedules and assignments. As with any traditional course, there is a risk of receiving a lower grade if a student falls behind.

Yes. The online coursework will have a separate instructional design but will utilize the same high quality, rigorous BISD curriculum as students who are in face-to-face instruction. The level of rigor, workload, time commitment and timing of classes will be different from the on-line plan in the spring of 2020.  

During virtual instruction, time management is critical to success. Students and teachers must remain in communication regarding daily schedules and assignments. As with any traditional course, there is a risk of receiving a lower grade if a student falls behind.

BISD will be utilizing both Seesaw and Google Classroom as the primary mode of providing online instruction.  Other online platforms will be used to support instruction, including but not limited to: Edgenuity, Class Dojo, etc.

Students in grades PK-4 will use Seesaw, and students in grades 5-12 will use Google Classroom.

For each course we offer in Bastrop ISD, we strive to provide a future ready experience for all of our students. As we create courses for our online students, we are creating virtual courses to be on par with BISD in-person instruction. 

In order to create these courses, we are dedicating time, energy and personnel to create them. This takes creativity and oversight to ensure consistency with the in-person instruction we are providing in Bastrop ISD. With the short amount of time we have until August 18, it is difficult to physically re-create the entire BISD course catalog in time for the 2020-21 school year.

Many courses have requirements that cannot be offered virtually or are very complex to offer virtually without a great deal of time and resources for planning. Many courses also involve the use of specialized equipment or software or require in-person time to achieve certifications. 

As the District evaluated courses, staff recognized that attempting to offer certain courses in an online environment would result in a substandard course or the inability to cover all the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) required for the course. As a result, BISD is unable to offer many courses valued by students and parents in a virtual setting. District leaders recognize that this is inconvenient and disappointing for some families, but the District must also work to provide a consistent rigor between onsite and online courses. It is simply not possible to offer the quality of course needed in an online format for all courses.

Students who are guaranteed related services through Special Education, English as a Second Language, Bilingual Education, 504, etc. and choose online instruction will be provided the opportunity to convene a meeting to revise their supports and services to ensure we meet the needs of our students virtually. For students who are IEP-entitled, progress will be carefully monitored and ARD/IEP Committees will convene and make appropriate recommendations to meet individual student needs to ensure continued growth in the general education curriculum and on IEP goals and objectives.