A Message from the Office of Special Education

Arlington Public Schools (APS) is planning for a small group of students with disabilities (SWD) to receive in-person support as part of the Level One Return to School. Schools and APS staff are using the considerations detailed below to identify potential students to include as part of Level One, and will reach out to families late next week with additional details. We do not have a definitive start date yet, but mid-late October is the target.

The Level One plan is designed to bring the first priority group of students into school buildings. In this model, students will receive support from an assistant throughout the day (T-F) to provide access to instruction in the distance learning model. Level One does not provide in-person instruction, but rather provides individual assistance required to access distance learning. The assistant will be working collaboratively with the teacher(s) who will still be providing distance learning remotely. The working group has established three areas of considerations to help identify students to participate in Level One. Students who are recommended for Level One should meet one or more of these considerations:

• Students who receive individual adult support throughout the entire school day.
• Students (Grades 3-12)  who are eligible for instruction on the Aligned Standards of Learning (ASOLs).
• Students who require ongoing 1:1 assistance to use a virtual learning device. This may be due to physical, cognitive, vision, or other impairments related to their disability.

It is important to note that while Level One will only reach a small population of our SWD, Level Two, which is in the planning phase, will reach the larger population of SWD and provide in-person instruction.

Questions regarding Level One Return to School should be directed to school principals.