Diane Gillaspie presented the district’s Distant Learning Plan for 2021-22 school year during the Marshall School Board meeting on Thursday, June 24.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will not be offering the Alternative Methods of Instruction X option that was given to districts for COVID-related closures for the 2021-22 school year. Marshall Public Schools will support families who feel their child needs a personalized learning plan that is supported by a distance-learning option. Parents will have two options from which to choose.

MOCAP Virtual Program – parents will choose from one of several vendors: Launch, Missouri Connection Academy, Missouri Virtual Academy or Edmentum. Students enrolled in this choice must still be enrolled as a full-time student with Marshall Public Schools; students will be supported by the vendor they choose; there is not any direct support from Marshall Public School staff; the district will be billed the tuition charged by the vendor; and the family must provide their own technology and Wi-Fi. If, at any time, the student is not making adequate academic progress, the district has the right to deny this option, and the parents can enroll their child in in-seat instruction or cover the cost of the tuition itself. The student must be enrolled in all classes that the vendor considers a full-time schedule for that grade level. Paperwork and process can be found on the district’s website under the Parent Resources – MOCAP. The building counselor will be the main point of contact. If a student was a MOCAP student in the 20 2021 school year, they must re-enroll for the 2021-22 school year.

MPS distance-learning – Acellus (MPSDL-A) students in this choice must be enrolled as a full-time student with Marshall Public Schools. Students will have support from Marshall Public School teachers; and the family may sign all technology agreements and check out a device and Wi-Fi hotspot (if needed) from the district. There is an application process that can be found on the district’s website under parent resources MPSDL-A. Preschool students will not be able to enroll in this option. Kindergarten through fourth grade will be on a truly as-needed basis, as the curriculum and instruction for these grades is best delivered through in-seat learning. If the student has been enrolled at any time in distance-learning and didn’t make adequate progress or maintain 70 percent or higher, they may be denied this option. Breakfast and lunch may be picked up at a designated building for the students enrolled in MPSDL-A. Once a student is enrolled in the MPSDL-A program, they must remain in distance-learning until the change of semester.