Specify LEA or charter school personnel who will serve on a cross-functional planning team o Superintendent’s Principal Council  High School Principal representative  Elementary Principal representative  Middle School Principal representative o TLL Coordinators and Specialists o Charter Schools Specialist o IT Coordinator of Learning Technologies o Chief Operating Officer o Director of Community Information Identify desired outcomes or goals of the ICP o Seamless transition to remote learning as a last resort if needed o Minimization of learning loss o Laser focus on strategic plan goals and outcomes Define the critical success factors (CSFs) that determine achievement of the ICP desired outcomes or goals o Improve our district grade from 57% (SY 19-20) to 62% (SY 22-23). o Increase our graduation rate from 87.7% (SY 19-20) to 90% (SY 22-23) to meet or exceed the state average. o Increase our college and career ready acceleration rate from 49% (SY 19-20) to 60% (SY 22-23) to meet or exceed the state average Develop the action plans needed to address the CSFs, including the protocols and execution steps for the ICP o Engage ALL students in high levels of learning in English Language Arts EVERY day resulting in increased proficiency and growth. o Engage ALL students in high levels of learning in Mathematics EVERY day resulting in increased proficiency and growth. o Engage ALL students in high levels of learning in Science EVERY day resulting in increased proficiency and growth. o Increase access and equity for ALL students through intervention and remediation EVERY day to close the achievement gap. o Increase enrichment and acceleration opportunities for ALL students EVERY day that will lead to college, career, and life readiness. Develop a process for evaluating the effectiveness of the ICP o Progress Monitoring  DIA  i-Ready  Graduation Rate  College and Career Readiness o Learning Walks o Accreditation Process Added information on the Evaluation of ICP Effectiveness: • Progress monitoring data (I-Ready, DIA, SMT, VLT and UA) • College and career readiness rate comparison • Graduation rate comparison • Industry certification completions • Cambridge diplomas • Dual enrollment • Student grade level promotions • Student GPA and Report Card grades

o o Identify desired outcomes or goals of the ICP • Seamless transition to remote learning as a last resort if needed • Minimization of learning loss • Laser focus on strategic plan goals and outcomes o Volusia County Schools will be using Canvas as our Learning Management System in conjunction with Microsoft Teams, where an integration can take place. Along with utilizing Canvas, VCS has instructionally designed templates within each Canvas course. With this, teachers will spend less time learning the tool from a technical perspective, and more time implementing instruction. With the instructionally designed templates, we can ensure teachers are implementing Canvas with fidelity and ensuring distance learning is successful. o In addition, our ITS team serves as the point of contact for technical support. We also have an instructional based Canvas Committee with teachers from each grade-level band. Each campus is equipped with a Digital Learning Teacher Leader (DLTL), who will be able to serve as the campus Canvas administrator. Our Teaching, Leading, and Learning department will have a designated subject matter expert for Canvas to support the successful implementation and instructional use for Canvas. Professional Learning for Digital Tools o Each year, new hires are required to participate in our VCS TIP Program (Teacher Induction Program). As part of the TIP program, new teachers are required to complete three hours of technology training; including but not limited to, Canvas, MS Teams, Focus. o Volusia County Schools has an internal metrics goal to have 95% of teachers and staff using their digital resources for instructional purposes. We have over 75% of our teachers trained in Canvas. o Every year during pre-planning, we offer additional training support through webinars, self-paced training, asynchronous resources, as well as PLC and school-based support. o Every summer, we offer a Professional Learning week called, Volusia LEARNS! where teachers receive trainings in the following modalities: in-person, self-paced, working labs, and webinars. o Every summer, our Digital Learning Teacher Leaders also participate in a ‘Summer Camp’, where they get the latest updates and training in digital resources to support teachers on their campus.

o We have previously and will continue to survey our leaders and instructional staff to determine specific needs regarding professional learning. This will be on ongoing process. o If there is a need in our district for long-term school closures, we have developed a comprehensive professional learning plan that will provide support for our teacher and administrators. We would have two days of professional learning that is intentionally designed to equip them with the skills they would need to teach our students virtually. o During the first day, all school principals would have a meeting with their teachers to inform them of the details of the school closure plan. This would be held virtually via Microsoft Teams. o Then, teachers and administrators would be engaged in a self-paced Canvas professional learning course called, “Utilizing Canvas to Engage Students in Learning.” This professional learning provides information to teachers on how to use the Canvas platform, to create and facilitate instruction virtually with the level of engagement needed for the relevance and rigor in learning. Professional learning considers how adult learners learn best and incorporates information in a variety of ways including the following: through videos, text, and hands-on practice. o To implement the learning, teachers would also be provided job-embedded professional learning time in which they would collaborate with their colleagues to plan for the virtual instruction. To provide another layer of support, curriculum and technical support team members will be available via Microsoft Teams to answer any questions and provide support. o Each of our schools has a Digital Leader Teacher Leader (DLTL) and they will be an important point of contact for our teachers. DLTLs and other lead teachers will be available to support our teachers with implementing virtual instruction and assisting with technical needs. o During the second day of professional learning and planning, teachers would explore the “Teacher Digital Resource Guides” and the “Parent and Student Technical Guides.” These guides provide information to teachers on how to assign lessons to students using the digital resources. For parents and students, it provides information on where they can locate their digital resources to access their virtual assignments. o We would need to measure the effectiveness of the professional learning to ensure that there are no barriers for our teachers to continue instruction for our students in case there are school closures. Continued student learning is a priority. School principals, assistant principals, and instructional coaches would be supporting teachers by monitoring the virtual instruction and providing feedback. Principals and assistant principals would also attend the PLCs that teachers would have so they can see how the implementation of virtual instruction is progressing and to assist teachers in problem-solving any issues that teachers are experiencing. o Focus groups of teachers would teachers would also be brought together to discuss ways to continuously improve the process of virtual instruction and discuss any further professional learning that may need to take place. The focus groups would be for each school level (elementary, middle, and high) and they would comprise of teachers, administrators, and district staff members.

Identify needs of educators relative to online and hybrid teaching experience and expertise o Technology has allowed teachers the opportunity to utilize Canvas, Teams, various digital platforms and/or publisher instructional materials more extensively. o Educators will be surveyed by instructional technologies team as to level of experience in on-line and hybrid teaching models. o Phase 1: a teacher survey will be created specifically for K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 grade levels to determine the level of experience with online and hybrid teaching models. The survey will include questions relating to specific grade level experience with currently adopted resources in general areas and in content-specific areas. School-based administrators will be surveyed as to their experience utilizing online and hybrid teaching models. District staff that have direct contact with school-based teachers and administrators will be surveyed as to their level of experience and expertise with online and hybrid teaching models. Volusia County Schools Learning Technologies will develop and conduct the surveys and perform initial data analysis Determine which teachers have extensive background in these delivery models, and which will need more help o Educators will be surveyed by instructional technologies team as to level of experience in on-line and hybrid teaching models. Curriculum specialists and coordinators will aide in identifying teacher leads and mentors to assist those who need more training. o Phase 2: Utilizing the data analysis from the teacher survey above, teachers will be classified into three (3) experience levels: low, moderate, high and three (3) expertise levels: low, moderate, high. Classification of teachers into the different levels will assist school-based staff and district staff with a breakdown of which teachers need more extensive support and those teachers with experience/expertise that can also provide support to lower levels of experience/expertise. This will be especially important with regards to grade level and content-specific online and hybrid teaching models. Develop guidance, resources, and training on the best practices for distance/hybrid education delivery for those who need help onboarding to these practices o Professional learning will be provided for all teachers based on level of expertise and content area. Distant Learning training and resources will be used to assist with these practices. New teachers across curriculum will be a strong area of focus. o Phase 3: Teachers with highest levels of experience and expertise will work with district staff to develop common guidance, resources, and training for best practices for grade-level and content-specific areas. Professional learning will be provided for all teachers, school-based staff, and district staff with direct contact with teachers for common expectations. Professional learning will further be tailored to meet the differing levels of experience and expertise outlined in Phase 1. Implement professional learning about best practices for hybrid teaching for educational staff o We will utilize in house and/or instructional materials professional development for all teachers based on level of expertise and content area. The district may utilize professional learning opportunities provided by textbook publishers that align with purchased materials. Distant Learning training and resources will be used to assist with these practices. New teachers across curriculum will be a strong area of focus. o Phase 4: Volusia County Schools (VCS) will implement professional learning beginning with the survey results from Phases 1 and 2. Professional learning will take a variety of forms, including, but not limited to publisher/vendor professional development, utilizing internal grade-level and expertise experts (including high level experience/expertise teachers.). Professional learning will continue to focus on support and best practices not only for low and moderate levels of experience and expertise, but also high-level teachers. Professional learning will include flexibility within the online and hybrid models to meet the needs of all teachers and all students. Specific professional learning may be necessary to meet the needs of teachers in non-core subject areas such as electives (i.e., performing arts, visual arts, etc.) and career technical education (CTE). Assess the effectiveness of delivery methods and alter strategies as needed to engage all students. o Use progress monitoring tools to assess student achievement through mastery of content area standards. Monitor student attendance and engagement in course work. Some examples are School city, mandatory district assessments, and other resources. o Phase 5: Progress monitoring assessment tools utilized by Volusia County Schools (VCS) are already online implemented or compatible. These progress monitoring tools will continue to be in place for teacher and student use. Examples of progress monitoring tools are, but are not limited to, online assessments through textbook publishers, VCS District Interim Assessments, i-Ready, EdPuzzle, Nearpod, etc. Progress monitoring assessments will generate data that can be analyzed by teachers, school-based staff, and district staff to ensure effective instruction and provide remediation in deficit areas. Electives/Special Area o All teachers use Teams, Canvas, website (Weebly, etc.) and/or Instructional Materials assigned directly within the publisher platforms. Teacher leaders and specialists maintain district Canvas content for use by all. Training would be required for some. Specialists would provide support to all teachers. Project- and performance-based assignments are aligned to the greatest extent possible to the classroom setting.

Description: Parents and families of learners will need support on several levels. Technology considerations are paramount in a remote learning environment. Distribution of devices and access to high-speed internet along with training on the proper use of the technology are just a sample of the supports required in a remote learning environment. LEAs and charter schools must have a way to determine these needs and address them both at the initial discontinuation of in-person learning and throughout the period of distance learning. In addition to academics, LEAs and charter schools should also make provisions for the resiliency of students and their families during extended periods of at-home learning. Several useful resources are included in Resources for Families and Teachers. Volusia County Schools provides Parent and Family Support for instructional continuity in many ways. In addition, the FLDOE provides Free Resources for Families & Teachers. o The Information Technology Services Department manages technology considerations. Families have been surveyed about Home Technology Accessibility including internet access, access to a laptop or desktop computer, and access to a printer, and the survey will be administered regularly to determine families’ needs for remote learning. VCS offers a Technology 1:1 program that provides devices for all students (Pre-K through 12th grade). The district assists families with hot spots for Wi-Fi access on a case-by-case basis. The district runs a Technology Hotline (ITS technical help desk) and provides a comprehensive Parent and Student Technical Guide to support remote learning. Teachers and other employees receive training for remote instruction. o VCS uses a variety of methods to communicate with families, including the news media; district and school websites (including the Let’s Talk online customer support platform); direct communication (email, phone, and text) using the School Messenger service and Outlook for email; social media; the Technology Hotline (help desk); fliers; signage; video; meetings, conferences, and events (in-person or virtually, via Teams); the Parent Portal; and calendar listings. Important messaging is amplified by partners in government, business, and community organizations. Two-way communication methods include Let’s Talk, phone calls, email, social media, and virtual and in-person meetings and events. Direct messaging is translated for Spanish-speaking families, and VCS websites and Let’s Talk offer translation for multiple languages. VCS believes a layered approach to communications is best to reach as many people as possible. o VCS offers broad support to families to set students up for success with remote learning. Teachers, school counselors, and social workers provide best practices for distraction-free learning. Advent Health, one of our district partners, offers online information to assist families with setting up a learning environment that will help students stay on task. VCS shares tips through its social media accounts, district websites, and by providing online information from the Florida Department of Education and PBS. The ESE Department website offers additional strategies for ESE learners. Tutoring and therapies are available to supplement. o The ESE Policies & Procedures manual guides special education services and accommodations, and the SP&P also applies during times of instructional continuity. Services are provided through the IEP process, with regular communications between educators and parents/families. Learning options (remote and in-person) are explained to help ESE families make the best choice for their student. For instructional continuity, VCS has added “next steps” to every IEP, and those targets are tracked at both the school and district level. Supplementary and/or extended learning opportunities such as tele-therapy are provided as needed. VCS builds strong two-way communication with ESE families through parent-teacher conferences, phone calls, and email. o VCS stays in close touch with families to support the health and safety of students and their families through teachers, school-based administrators, school counselors, school psychologists, and social workers. There are parent liaisons at 28 of our Title I schools that add an additional layer of support for families. In addition to the communication methods listed above, schools and the district offer drive-through events to provide resources for technology, instruction, and social emotional learning. The district partners with community agencies to help families access eyeglasses and health and dental services. o VCS is committed to providing services to special student populations. English Language Learners are provided tools to support accommodations and strategies for remote learning. The district makes recommendations for supports based on ACCESS for ELLs data, state assessments and progress-monitoring data. Services delivered virtually, based on need, include classroom teacher support; ESOL teacher direct support; ESOL paraprofessional assistance with communication based on need for support in first language; supplementary and/or extended learning opportunities such as tutoring; and communication supports from the ESOL Department for Non-English-Speaking families. School counselors and social workers assist homeless students, and supplemental learning opportunities such as tutoring are provided as needed. The Title I office coordinates with ELL, ESE, homeless services, and Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten to ensure the needs of special student populations are being met. (See above for more details related to ESE students.)

o Volusia County Schools ICP’s technology staff members who will be key to the ICP planning process are, Chief Information Officer, Assistant Director of ITS Security, Assistant Director of SIS & State Reporting, Assistant Director of Copy Center Systems, Coordinator of Learning Technologies, Project Manager, Systems Manager, Network Manager, Applications Manager, and Field Support Managers. The Digital Learning Teacher Leader on each campus will serve as support and information liaison work. o Volusia County Schools has fully-transitioned into a 1:1 environment Fall ’21. Students in grades PreK – 2nd grade will have iPads, and students in grades 3-12 will have Windows-based laptops. o Volusia County Schools will survey families to determine internet access needs. We are fully prepared to deploy Wi-Fi Hotspots, as necessary. o Volusia County School’s technology infrastructure is robust with updated network from a 2 Gb to 10 Gb. Students have access to request Wi-Fi hot spots to receive internet at home, if needed. Schools will submit a request to the district on behalf of the student. We are also a 1:1 district, ensuring each student has access to a device to complete any instructional work, anywhere, anytime. Our student 1:1 devices are equipped with an up-to-date system to support their digital curriculum resources and software needs. They have been transitioned to a cloud-based management system; Azure/Intune. We also use iBoss as our web-content filter to ensure a solution of internet protection for our students while learning digitally and remote. o As VCS transitions into our ICP for distance learning, we will reallocate roles within ITS to better service distance learning needs. Our Help Desk will be staffed with Field Support positions to increase tired levels of support. In addition, members from our Teaching, Leading and Learning department will also serve shifts for support calls from parents in the event help is needed for instructional needs. Each school campus is equipped with an administrator that oversees technology, which will assist in deployment of devices. Each school campus is also equipped with a Digital Learning Teacher Leader, who will serve as school-based support for Digital Tool usage. Added information regarding the robustness of the technology infrastructure: In alignment with Future Ready Framework, Volusia County Schools understands that as part of a comprehensive educational strategy, the effective use of technology provides tools, resources, data, and supportive systems that increase both teaching and learning opportunities, while ensuring equity in access and opportunity for each student. In addition to promoting efficiency, learning environments with sound infrastructure are designed to support anytime, anywhere learning based on competency and content mastery. We strive to create and sustain learning environments which provide flexibility for individual or collaborative work supported by caring adults who are guiding the way for each student to succeed. High-quality, high-speed technology and infrastructure systems within and outside of our school district are essential to supporting anytime, anywhere learning and to advancing comprehensive digital learning. Further, in alignment with the Future Ready Framework, VCS has categorized our tools, infrastructure, and assessment of them, into four distinct categories as shown below. ADEQUACY OF DEVICES: QUALITY AND AVAILABILITY VCS has considered a host of creative options to ensure that diverse and appropriate technology devices are available to all students and staff to support powerful digital learning at any time, from any location, in and out of our on-premises network. To ensure equitable access to digital learning opportunities, we have implemented a plan specifically focused on providing devices to all students and we are currently working on utilizing our Emergency Connectivity Funding to support adequate out-of-school broadband access. ROBUST NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE Through the utilization of our ½ cent sales tax capital fund and E-Rate funded projects, VCS has ensured that adequate bandwidth and a supportive infrastructure are in place to ensure ready and consistent access to online resources for teaching, assessing (including formatively and summatively), and learning. Our network performance and infrastructure testing and monitoring identifies possible bottlenecks and prevents and/or mitigates adverse impact to teaching and learning. Privacy, safety, and security are primary concerns as well and we have designed responsible use policies and confirms that the network design supports these policies. All users are provided in-depth and ongoing digital literacy and cybersecurity training. ADEQUATE AND RESPONSIVE SUPPORT Sufficient technical and instructional support is available in every VCS school. This support is proactive and provides resources, coaching, and just-in-time instruction to prepare teachers and students to leverage technology for learning, thereby reducing the need for interventions during the learning process. In addition, teachers and staff are trained to identify inequities that hinder learners’ digital learning such as limited access to tools and resources outside of school, digital literacy skills, and/or family support. Additionally, we have redesigned our Information and Technology Services leadership positions and structure in a manner consistent with making data informed decisions to improve teaching and learning through technology Planning, Integration, Training, Adoption, and Continuous Improvement (PITAC). FORMAL CYCLE FOR REVIEW AND REPLACEMENT The VCS Information and Technology Services Division continuously monitors technologies— software, hardware, and infrastructure—to ensure upgrades, additions and, when called for, sunsetting/eliminations are conducted in a timely, environmentally responsible, and proactive manner. Additionally, our team makes concerted efforts to automate systems. The ITS Leadership Team meets weekly to discuss and assess current and future technologies as well as projects to provide appropriate innovation management as we continue into the 21st century.

o Volusia County School District's cybersecurity program is based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework and the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Critical Controls. o Currently, Volusia County Schools, is diligently working towards completion of our internal written Information & Technology Services data security, business continuity, and incident response plans. We currently have a draft Information & Technology Services policy manual under review from multiple stakeholders. Some of the policies under review at this time are those related to, encryption, access control, audits, data disposal, firewall changes, logging, patch management, security awareness training, and vulnerability assessment. Regarding our security posture, we are exercising appropriate due diligence in some areas and have identified shortcomings that require continued attention. Volusia County Schools is, and will always, continue to assess our security posture to ensure it is most effective. o Although an effective cybersecurity plan contains numerous components, we intend to initially focus on the following; gaining greater visibility into what assets (hardware and software) are in our environment, implementing controls and processes to detect, contain, and protect the district from cyber-attacks, automating as many of these controls and processes as possible, and, lastly, being able to recover and resume district operations as quickly and with as little impact as possible following any cyber-attacks. o We have established an internal cyber security action committee comprised of team members from multiple technology departments. The goal of this committee is to: o establish high-level cyber security objectives o develop cyber security plans of action centered around the functions of identifying, protecting, detecting, responding, and recovering to. help increase our ability to reduce the likelihood of incidents and breaches and, barring prevention, to help detect, control, and contain cybersecurity incidents and breaches o facilitate the implementation of a prescriptive set of actions based on widely accepted industry and government security standards

Engaging Students with Limited Access The language in the ICP should: Specify a team of service providers- o Classroom teachers support ELL students with accommodations and strategies o ESOL teacher direct support is made available based on Language Proficiency Levels o ESOL Paraprofessionals at the school level assist ELL students and families o ESOL office staff is available for supports as needed and determine a point person for communication with families about the efforts to provide education and supports for their child. o ESOL contacts have been identified at every school to assist ELL students and families o A translator from the ESOL office is available to assist with parent meetings and communication in Spanish. Interpreters in other languages can also be secured through the ESOL office. And develop a plan to communicate early and often with students and parents to identify needs and ensure supports; o Parent communication from the district is translated into Spanish by the District Translator. Ensure that LEA leadership is engaged with special education service providers to deliver needed supports and resources to educators, learners, and families; Research and implement best practices in online special education. Specify a team of service providers and determine a point person for communication with families about the efforts to provide education and supports for their child. o Community Information Point Person: Director of Community Information. o School Leadership: Principal and Assistant Principal o Classroom teachers support SWD with accommodations and strategies o ESE teacher provides direct support based on IEP goals o ESE Paraprofessionals at the school level assist SWD and families o ESE office staff is available for supports as needed o Related Service providers such as OT, PT, SLP, Behavior Specialists provide direct support based on IEP goals o ESE Coordinators and ESE Program Specialists providing technical assistance to teachers and families as needed o A translator from the ESOL office is available to assist with parent meetings and communication in Spanish. Interpreters in other languages can also be secured through the ESOL office o DPS will continue to schedule and hold IEP meetings to address concerns and review the IEP Develop a plan to communicate early and often with students and parents to identify needs and ensure supports. o Community Information Point Person: Director of Community Information o Parent communication from the district is translated into Spanish by the District Translator. Ensure that LEA leadership is engaged with special education service providers to deliver needed supports and resources to educators, learners, and families. o TLL leadership o Tech leadership o SWD team o ELL team Research and implement best practices in online special education. o SWD receiving remote instruction are entitled to accommodations and strategies according to IEP o The digital platforms used in Volusia County include tools that support SWD accommodations. o The district makes recommendations for supports based on data, State Assessments and Progress Monitoring data. o Collaboration between ESE Support Facilitation Teacher and General Education Teacher regarding the implementation of accommodations regularly scheduled adapted teacher directed lessons based on specially designed instruction, scaffolding, and embedded accommodations according to IEP requirements o small group instruction of direct instruction and structured literacy programs to address IEP goals o collaboration between ESE Support Facilitation Teacher and General Education Teacher in the use of i-Ready instructional path for targeted skills and IEP goals o ongoing progress monitoring of IEP goals embedded within instruction through in-program assessments, data collection of observed opportunities, and work samples o use of Teams channels to individualize accommodations when needed o accessible digital textbook materials though VPortal o accommodations provided through School City platform for district assessments when appropriate o use of Learning Ally for digital student library o implementation of BIP as appropriate in the virtual environment with support of the Behavior Specialist o collaboration among service providers and General Education Teacher for scheduling of services and supports o Waterford individualized computerized instruction for Title 1 schools o social skills/social emotional instruction (may be whole group or small group) as identified in IEP o daily instruction of RULER strategies in SC/EBD program o daily social communication instruction for students in the ASD program o implementation of BIP as appropriate in the virtual environment with support of the Behavior Specialist o Edgenuity or equivalent program utilized for secondary classrooms o Unique Learning Systems utilized for students on access

Identify the facets of school operations that are impacted by extended school closures along with the essential personnel needed to support learning continuity through remote teaching and learning. o Impacted facets of school operations include transportation, food service, maintenance, custodial, procurement and safety and security. Operations allows us to bring the school buildings back to occupation level and into the communities to deliver food, and sites to pick up meals. The Safety and Security Department is responsible for protecting district assets although buildings may not be occupied. The Facilities Department is responsible for maintaining the building with minimal staff required to maintain certain services and unoccupied classrooms. Identify and communicate with lead staff expectations of charter school or LEA staff related to schedules and work performance during school closures. The Operations Team that services charter schools must ensure the communication and workflows mirror what's provided to traditional K-12 schools. This includes but is not limited to, food and nutrition services, transportation, building maintenance for emergencies, and other means of support. Students served by charter schools have access to the same food and nutrition opportunities available at the traditional school. Develop and communicate an execution plan to provide food services to students and families in need during school closures. The district will design two plans for food distribution. Depending on the median income distribution in each area, we will open school sites or hub sites for our students and families to receive meals. If it unsafe to receive anyone on campus, we will use district transportation resources to ensure we bring the food to the neighborhoods. In some cases, working with community partners like Boys and Girls Clubs and local parks and recreation entities in neighborhoods to provide meal access. Develop and execute a plan to provide special education services and accommodations to students in need during school closures. Outward facing assistive technology will be made available, to the fullest extent possible, to students with special needs. Any ancillary technology based assistive accommodations that can be pushed out to devices ahead of the event must be prioritized and access to check out assistive technology from school sites once it is safe to do so must also be available. Conduct outreach to community organizations to provide comprehensive support to students and families during school closures. Volusia County Schools will work directly with community agencies, food pantries, local municipal parks, and recreation departments to ensure all supports to maintain school-related services in case of an event requiring a flip to the instructional continuity plan. Furthermore, we will use our School Messenger system to provide consistent communication to our families about services available.

Description: Communication is critical to any educational enterprise. When face-to-face interaction is limited, it is important that lines of communication remain open for school personnel, learners, and their families. School leadership must develop plans to communicate internally with students, parents, and staff and externally with the local community. Electronic communications will become prevalent and clear consistent messaging necessary. It will be important to plan not just the message and means of delivery but who will be responsible for conveying communication throughout the educational community. The LEA website will need to be refreshed with the most up-to-date information on a regular basis, as that is where most constituencies will look if they are not receiving messages directly through email, text, phone or the LMS. VCS is committed to communicating information quickly, clearly, and accurately, both internally and externally, using a wide range of communications methods. The district has plans to communicate with parents/families, employees, and the local community. The district uses a layered approach to reach as many people as possible. • Stakeholder groups with communications channels used: o Parents/families: District and school websites; Let’s Talk online platform; direct communication (email, phone messages, and text) using School Messenger; email through Outlook; social media; help desk; fliers; signage; video, Teams and in-person meetings, conferences, and events; the Parent Portal; Focus Student Portal via VPortal; calendar listings; newsletters; regular phone calls; via news media. o Employees: Email; phone calls; district and school websites, including intranet; direct communication (email, phone messages, and text) using School Messenger; fliers; video; Teams and in-person meetings; newsletters; via news media. o Community/business partners: District and school websites; newsletters; email; phone calls; Let’s Talk online platform; social media; fliers; video; Teams and in-person meetings; events; calendar listings; and via news media. o Constituents (public): District and school websites; email; phone calls; Let’s Talk online platform; social media; fliers; events; calendar listings; and via news media. • The VCS Community Information Department leads the district’s communications strategies and efforts. With the size of the district, there are many personnel assigned to communicate with stakeholder groups. Communications about emergencies, district initiatives, policy issues, and important news are managed by the Community Information Director and designated department staff. Communications to parents and families come from the Community Information Department, the Superintendent and Cabinet, department heads, Principals and other school-based administrators, personnel assigned to the Let’s Talk online platform and/or School Messenger, and their designees. Communications to employees come from the Community Information Department, the Superintendent and Cabinet, departments, schools, and fellow employees. Communications to community and business partners come from the Community Information Department, Superintendent and Cabinet, personnel assigned to the Let’s Talk online platform, district- and school-based administrators, and their designees. Communications geared toward the public come from the Community Information Department, Superintendent, personnel assigned to the Let’s Talk online platform, and their designees. • A wide range of communications are targeted to VCS stakeholders, including emergency messaging, important information, grades/testing results, new school and district initiatives, ongoing programming updates, events, educational opportunities, policy updates, calendars/schedules, resources, positive news announcements, and helpful tips related to education/parenting. Communications are posted/shared daily, or sometimes collected for use in a newsletter or event. The Community Information Department manages the scope and schedule in coordination with the Superintendent and Cabinet, departments, and schools. Some communications, such as weekly principal updates, come out at the same time each week or month. Community Information has an overall communications plan and follows a formal Emergency Protocol, marketing/public relations plans, and district calendars depending on the type of communication being distributed. • Communications are posted on the VCS website, which is an important resource for stakeholders seeing information. The district website is especially important leading up to and throughout school closures. Content is clearly visible from the homepage and is updated regularly. School websites link to the VCS website, as well, and other communications tools point to the VCS website as a primary resource for information during school closures and emergencies.

Volusia County believes in a seamless transition to remote learning as a last resort if needed. Our goal is the following: o Minimization of learning loss o Laser focus on strategic plan goals and outcomes Listed below is the Volusia County Strategic Plan that we plan to continue to implement even if there are school closures. We believe that continued commitment to these goals will keep the academic focus of our district and will continue to move our district to increased academic success. o Engage ALL students in high levels of learning in English Language Arts EVERY day resulting in increased proficiency and growth. o Engage ALL students in high levels of learning in Mathematics EVERY day resulting in increased proficiency and growth. o Engage ALL students in high levels of learning in Science EVERY day resulting in increased proficiency and growth. o Increase access and equity for ALL students through intervention and remediation EVERY day to close the achievement gap. o Increase enrichment and acceleration opportunities for ALL students EVERY day that will lead to college, career, and life readiness. Our district will continue to work with charter schools and schools of choice to ensure a proper implementation of the ICP.