Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 No. All students will be given a class assignment/schedule at their home school for the 2020-2021 school year as usual, unless their families opt into either LMSD@Home or LMVA. If your child is a registered student and you want them to take part in in-person instruction once schools are open, you don’t need to take any additional steps.

The LMSD Virtual Academy   is a K-12 option, which we are offering in  conjunction with the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit’s MVP program. You can find   detailed  information about this option  and a registration link on the District website. This option if almost fully asynchronous (students work on their own timetable) and uses the MVP curriculum and instructors, though some support from LMSD educators will be available.

LMSD@Home will provide instruction similar to the fully remote instruction all students will receive to start the school year.  Classes will be taught by LMSD educators and will  follow  LMSD’s  core curricular areas. This five-day-a-week model will combine synchronous and asynchronous instruction throughout the day, with the hours of each type of instruction varying according to grade level and course. Information sessions and registration will be available in mid-August.

“Synchronous” is any time where a live person is interacting with the student in an online format. This is typically done through Zoom, Blackboard Collaborate, or Google. “Asynchronous” is a time where students are interacting with videos or pre-created learning tools. Examples of asynchronous time include Khan Academy, Dreambox, YouTube, Exact Path, etc.

LMSD@Home students will have all of their core courses (Math, Science, Social Studies, ELA). Specials -- such as music, art and FLES -- will depend on teacher availability. Once teachers have been assigned for in-person instruction, those who have availability will be assigned to LMSD@Home. At the middle and high school levels, participation in specials may also be offered via streaming.

At the high school level, the models will be similar. But students who sign up for LMSD@Home will not have physical spaces reserved for them once in-person instruction begins. They will continue to access their classes using technology, such as streaming and Zoom.

The District cannot guarantee LMSD@Home students will be able to switch to in-person instruction at their home school during the year because class and teacher assignments will have been made according to enrollment in the various options. There may not be room at the student’s home school in their grade. This is especially challenging as the in-person class assignments will be made to maximize social distancing.

The District continues to receive guidance from the numerous sources, including the Pa. departments of Health and Education (DOH and PDE), the Montgomery County Office of Public Health (MCOPH) and the PolicyLab at CHOP. Many variables that will need to align in order for the phased-in return to in-person instruction to begin and the ultimate decision will rest with the Lower Merion Board of School Directors.

The challenge remains that the guidance continues to change over time. As of August 13, 2020, the District’s plan to open virtually is within the guidance released earlier in the week from PDE and the DOH, as Montgomery County is in the moderate transmission phase, where virtual instruction is a recommended option. In addition to looking at Montgomery County, MCOPH has recommended our District take into consideration the status of Delaware and Philadelphia counties, due to their geographic proximity and the fact that many of our staff and the family members of many our students move among these counties regularly. Additionally, many assumptions for the recommendations are based on the existence of rapid test results and adequate contact-tracing. MCOPH has assured us that these will be in place in the coming weeks, but they are not fully available at this time. 

That is the goal of having families register for the program for the year. That will enable the District to make class assignments for LMSD@Home the same way they are made for regular in-person instruction. (Note: just as during a “regular” school year, there may be changes in teacher assignments due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the District’s control, such as illness, etc.)

Sample schedules are included in the presentation. Just as in an in-person class setting, each block will be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous time. A teacher may demonstrate a concept synchronously and then assign students reinforcing tasks that may be asynchronous, to be completed on their own. For example, a teacher may say, “Take 20 minutes to complete the project, read the textbook, formulate questions, etc. and then return to your computer for the next step.”

            Yes. Students will be assigned to all of their core courses.

Since high school courses will mainly be the regular courses offered via technology, most core subject courses will be offered in LSMD@Home. There may be some exceptions for elective courses.

No. Due to the independent nature and schedules of these interdisciplinary courses, they cannot be replicated in LMSD@Home

LMSD@Home students will receive the same opportunity for gifted screening as students enrolled in the back-to-school pathway.

Specials will be offered using an enrichment model. Participation will be encouraged so that students receive a well-rounded education for the year. Participating students’ progress will be tracked and feedback provided. However, students will not be penalized from a grading perspective for not participating.

For grades K-8, the commitment to LMSD@Home is for the year. For grades 9-12, families can opt out of LMSD@Home after the first semester, or after the third quarter and join in-person instruction (if it is being offered at that time). Because LMSD@Home will be staffed by LMSD educators, the District must make hiring decisions and class placement decisions now, so that both in-person classrooms and the LMSD@Home program are properly staffed and so that class sizes can be maintained. LMVA does not work within the same constraints, since it is a fully virtual program and can be staffed with teachers from anywhere in the country who can be hired for specific terms.

The students will be graded in their core content courses via the standard Lower Merion Grading system aligned with their grade levels. Specials will not be graded but feedback on progress will be provided.

Because maintaining manageable class sizes remains a District priority, we are asking families to commit to LMSD@Home for the school year. Similarly, we are asking families who are willing to work through the reopening phases to commit to that process. Teacher assignments and class assignments will be based on the numbers of families committing to one option or another. There is more flexibility in increasing class sizes for remote instruction, since social distancing isn’t a consideration, so it may be possible to opt into LMSD@Home during the year, but we cannot guarantee that a student who opts into (or out of) the program during the year will be placed with classmates from their home school.

Yes. Students and their families will remain connected to their home schools and are welcome to participate in all activities outside of the school day. Families will continue to receive all communications from their home school and its HSA.

Yes. The District plans to ensure that all students in  grades K-1 will have access to iPads, all students in grades 2-7 will have access to  Chromebooks and all students in grades 8-12 will have access to Macbooks. Additionally, LMSD@Home students will receive the necessary textbooks and other resources. The District will not supply printers.

Special education and related services and gifted support will be provided per students’ individualized plans (IEP/GIEP).  Direct services will be built into students’ schedules and will be provided synchronously through a virtual platform by LMSD staff.  Students will continue to be assigned to and monitored by an LMSD case manager.  Annual IEP/504 meetings will continue to be facilitated by the assigned case manager.

Questions can be sent to   LMSDatHome@lmsd.org.