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BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Department of Education on Tuesday released survey results that show progress in the number of school systems offering some level of continuous education to students amid the extended closure of public school facilities to curb the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). But the results, informed by responses from all 192 school systems, also illuminate the significant challenges that remain in ensuring equitable education for all students now and in the future.
"We appreciate the ingenuity and leadership our local educators have demonstrated. They have adopted their own unique strategies to engage students academically, socially and emotionally, and more importantly, they have provided necessary stability for many in an uncertain time," said Acting State Superintendent Beth Scioneaux. "But our school systems need additional support related to technology access for students; services for students with disabilities; and professional development for teachers to successfully provide continuous education using high-quality and standards-aligned curricula. We must innovate and work together to overcome these barriers to ensure every child, including those most vulnerable, have access to a quality education."
Continuous education, also referred to as distance or remote education and learning, is the ongoing and regular teacher-initiated interaction for the purposes of teaching, evaluating, and providing assistance throughout the duration of the course and curriculum delivery. This may include but is not limited to synchronous or asynchronous instructive interaction, including emails, videoconferencing, satellite learning, online chats, phone calls, and feedback on homework and assessments.
The survey posed questions about the types of continuous education taking place, the learning materials being used, the frequency of communication among teachers and students, access to technology for both teachers and students, staffing, school calendars, and additional areas of need.
The results, now available online, represent all survey responses received by April 17. Among the key takeaways:
More school systems are offering continuous education now than one month ago. All respondents reported offering some level of continuous education opportunities to students. The type of continuous education and level of engagement vary by school system. This shows progress from one month ago, when school facilities were first closed. Though not a direct comparison to the most recent survey, at that time, 39 of 69 parish and city school districts indicated they were offering these opportunities.
Louisiana must continue the use of curricular materials typically utilized in the classroom. Approximately 17 percent of respondents are using the curricula typically used in classrooms, 4 percent are using only supplemental or different materials, and 79 percent are using some combination of both. Many students are reviewing content previously covered in the school year, and that content does not always span all subjects.
The frequency at which students engage with teachers and receive feedback on their work may need to increase. Approximately 32 percent of school systems are connecting with students every day, 38 percent of school systems are connecting with students weekly, and 30 percent indicated another frequency. Fourteen percent of school systems indicated students in at least one grade band--PK-2, 3-8 or 9-12--are not receiving feedback on their learning, amounting to an estimated 24 percent of public school students statewide. The best practice includes daily contact among teachers and students and at least weekly feedback on students' work.
Many students and teachers do not have the right technology to maximize learning.
Respondents reported, on average, 28 percent of students do not have access to a school-issued or personal tablet or computer; 66 percent of students have home Internet access; 78 percent of students have access to a phone that could be used for conference calls and learning; and 93 percent of staff have the necessary technology, including Internet access and devices, to do their jobs from home.
Expanded learning time may be necessary to accommodate lost time this year, as well as in anticipation of possible facility closures in the future. Currently, 70 percent of respondents are contingency planning on offering summer school, but only 28 percent are contingency planning on starting the school year earlier.
School systems need additional support to serve all students. School systems reported needing additional assistance in expanding technology access for students, providing supports and related services to students with disabilities, and providing professional development for teachers to successfully provide continuous education.
To address these challenges and to support educators:
The Department released a suite of resources for educators and families to support continuous education for all students, including students with disabilities and English learners. Resources include but are not limited to: listings of academic resources organized by subject and curriculum provider; case studies of effective distance education models in Louisiana for low- and high-technology contexts; sample daily schedules and communications structures; information on how to continue direct student services, like speech therapy or counseling; and guidance to ensure special education compliance. Guidance on supporting students with significant cognitive disabilities is forthcoming.
The Department provided guidance to school systems on how to secure discounted technology and broadband for students. There now exists a step-by-step guide for school systems on how to identify local technology needs, how to determine which device to purchase, how to provide technical support for devices, and how to determine the best Internet options for students based on coverage area.
The Department will facilitate programmatic support to ensure a strong start to 2020-2021 school year. The Department will soon provide guidance to school systems on how to identify every child’s learning level; implement a plan to ensure every child is ready to build on that learning level, including strategies for extra academic time and continued use of high-quality curricula; and support the Class of 2020 in the successful transition to life after high school graduation.

Haley Campbell, an Erath High graduate, never saw it coming. She described it like a break up she never expected. It was a gut punch that hurt.
Campbell, 22, in her senior year was enjoying life and playing softball at Centenary College in Shreveport.
She was the starting center fielder and leadoff batter for Centenary. She was having a fantastic year at the plate, sporting a .359 batting average. She stole five bases and scored 11 runs in 12 games.
On March 8-9, Centenary opened conference play against Dallas in a three-game series. On Sunday, Campbell probably had her best game of her college career. She went 3-for-4 at the plate, including a triple. She had hit only one triple at Centenary in three years prior to March 9.
Centenary, under head coach Mark Suire, was sporting a 6-6 overall record, and Campbell was sitting on cloud nine.
Then came the news she and her senior teammates never saw coming. Suire called a special meeting with his seniors and told them their season was over because the NCAA canceled spring sports due to the coronavirus.
“I was devastated,” said Campbell. “It was like a breakup I never saw coming.”
After telling the seniors, Suire brought the rest of the team together and broke them the bad news. Campbell said there were plenty of tears flowing and hugs happening.
The NCAA granted all seniors another year if they wanted to return. She is not. Campbell will graduate this spring in biology. She applied for dental hygiene school in Arkansas and at LSU.
In the meantime, she is taking Centenary on-line classes from her parents’ home in Erath. The thought of not playing fastpitch softball has not sunk in just yet, she said. She has watched videos of her past games.
“It has not hit me yet that there is no more softball,” she said. “It probably will once I graduate.”
In four seasons, she has played a total of 120 games. She finished with 326 at bats and 94 hits. She hit 15 doubles and two triples. Campbell has knocked in 48 total runs and walked 20 times.
In four years, she finished with a .288 overall batting average.

Mark Suire was looking forward to the springtime.
He was beginning his fifth season as the softball coach at Centenary College in Shreveport, and he became the proud father of a two-month-old baby. But then the coronavirus pandemic arrived and turned his life upside down.
Softball season was canceled, which turned into a positive thing because it meant more time to spend with his daughter, Anlee, and his girlfriend Ashlyn Grossie, who is from Delcambre. The three had time to bond until one morning when Suire awoke to feel sick.
Two weeks ago, Suire, who is 50, awoke with sore eyes and a mild fever. He first thought it was Pink Eye. But after sleeping for 36 straight hours, he figured it was more than Pink Eye.
With a two-month-old in the house, Ashlyn and Suire did not want to gamble, so Suire got tested for COVID-19, especially after his fever spiked to 102.8. That test came back negative.
Days later, he took another COVID-19 test, and this time it came back positive. Suire, who is a native of Abbeville, became a statistic. He also had to stay away from his baby in their two-bedroom home.
“Originally, they told me to go away,” said Suire. “I had nowhere to go. I had to go into quarantine in my own house.”
He stayed away from his family and slowly recovered over seven days. He contacted his players and the university and told them about his situation. Telling his players in a conference call was tough because he was the first person they knew with COVID-19.
“They wanted to know what was next,” said Suire. “They wanted to know if I would die. At the time, I did not feel that bad. My lungs were fine. I was not having trouble breathing. I just had a fever and felt sluggish.”
He said Grossie became a cleaning machine and wiped everything throughout the house, in hopes of killing the virus.
When Louisiana was forced to go into lockdown, Suire and his family stayed home for the first two weeks. He said the only place where he may have come in contact with the virus is when he went to the grocery store in Shreveport. Other than that, he went nowhere.
Today, he has recovered, but he knows he is not out of the woods. While he was able to hold his baby this week, he is still careful when he is near Ashlyn and Anlee. If the three go outside for a walk, he will wear a mask if there are people around. He is staying away from crowds. He washes his hands throughout the day.
Suire admits he is not the same person he was before the virus. Coach Suire only worried about softball, winning, losing, and when to hold the next practice.
“Now it is, will I survive today?” said Suire. “You turn on the TV, and you see the cases of people dying. I was scared to death to go to the hospital. I knew I did not want to go.”
He never did. His body was able to fight off the virus. Since that morning of waking up with sore eyes, Suire has lost 20 pounds because he has eaten very little. His life is slowly getting back to normal, but his body is still not 100 percent.
“Each day I feel better,” he said. “I am slowly recovering, which I am grateful for.”
He said he is also grateful to Ashlyn and Anlee for helping him survive the virus.
“I could not have done it without them,” he added.

Recently, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that schools will remain closed for the remainder of the school year.
“We know this is a challenging time for our community,” said Interim parish Superintendent Brad Pruhomme. “Structure and routines can be helpful to maintain some sense of normalcy during an uncertain time. In an effort to support our families and students during this extended school closure, our central office staff and school leaders have collaborated to develop a Continuous Learning Plan for our district.”
This plan outlines the school district’s step by step process to ensure that all students receive instructional support during this extended closure. This support will continue well into the 2020-2021 school year when all students and staff return safely to our schools.
Beginning April 20 - April 22, teachers and school administrators will be calling parents of their students, as part of our Vermilion Community Call-Out Mission.
Teachers will provide information regarding end of the year grades, waiving of state testing and directing parents to our Supplemental
Continuous Learning Guide.
Beginning the week of April 27, until the end of the school year, May 22, teachers will continue contacting families once per week via phone calls, emails, and/or Google classroom to offer support in their continuous learning.
Teachers will provide assistance in selecting age appropriate resources as identified in our Continuous Learning Guide and offering feedback on student progress for the duration of this school closure.
Students will not be graded for these Optional educational opportunities. The resources provide support for all learners including students with disabilities.
Please visit the Vermilion Parish School district’s website at vpsb.net under COVID-19 Information Page to view our extensive Continuous Learning Plan.