Frequently Asked Questions (Remote Learning)

The Technology Department is here to support you during Remote Learning.  Contact 972.968.HELP or helpdesk@cfbisd.edu for help.

Because we know that social and emotional needs can be intensified for remote learners, CFBISD will make emotional support a priority. Social and emotional learning will be woven throughout academic lessons during the school day for all grade levels. School counselors will be available to visit with students virtually and make referrals when needed. Also, secondary students may receive services with a licensed professional counselor virtually through our partnership with Children’s Health. If evening appointments are more convenient, our CFB Counseling Connections Center will offer virtual appointments to all age students and families on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. There is no cost to families for any of these services. Please contact your school counselor for more information.

The deadline to submit a change for the second Nine Weeks is October 2.

Once the 2020-21 school year begins, parents will have the opportunity to change their preferred method of instruction at the end of each grading period. Please remember, however, that frequent changes may negatively impact student achievement.

Please reach out to the teacher for assistance. Some teachers are using third-party software that may not be working with an iPad.

Students who are eligible to receive related services through Special Education, English as a Second Language, Bilingual Education, 504, etc. and choose Remote Learning will receivethose services. In addition, you will be provided the opportunity to convene a meeting to
review the supports and services agreed upon to ensure the needs of our students are met virtually. Please note that CFB believes that students will receive the best instruction from the full-time certified teachers at their home campus. This is especially true for students in
specialized programs.

The district does have the ability to offer virtual synchronous options. However, the protocols show that the best environment for receiving these services is in a traditional setting.

Therefore, we recommend students with dyslexia go to their home school for on-campus instruction.

The Technology Department is here to support you during Remote Learning.  Contact 972.968.HELP or helpdesk@cfbisd.edu for help.

Technology Repair Assistance will be available 8/24/2020-8/27/2020 from 5-7 p.m. at the TLC & Newman Smith High School

Click on "resend email" on the Canvas login screen. Also, check spam and or junk email folders.

In the lower right corner, click on the time and battery icon. If you see that Chrome OS needs to be updated, do the updates. You may need to do this several times.

Please contact your teacher about attendance.

Reach out to the teachers to help resolve the problem.

The Remote Meals are optional.  This is a service provided for students who wish to participation, just as the School Breakfast and Lunch program during the school year is optional.

Students who have been approved for free or reduced school meals can receive the meal kit free of charge.  Paid students will be charge $3.00 per lunch meal provided in the meal kit, but breakfast will be at no charge.  The meal kit on Monday, August 17^th will contain two lunches; therefore the cost for Paid students will be $6.00 for 2 breakfast meals and 2 lunch meals.  Beginning Wednesday, August 19^th, and the Wednesdays following we will provide 5 breakfast and 5 lunches, the cost for Paid students will be $15.00 for the meal kit.

During remote instruction, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD will provide breakfast and lunch meal kits through a drive/walk up pick up systems for remote learners. Meals are available (not required) for all remote CFBISD students based on free, reduced and paid prices. Meal kits will be available for $15.00 for paid students and no cost to free and reduced students

At the high school level, students who choose to enroll in Remote Learning will be allowed to take dual credit courses at the appropriate CFBISD or ECHS campus. These courses will follow the bell schedule at the students’ home campus.

At the high school level, students who choose to enroll in Remote Learning will be allowed to take courses not listed in the Remote Learning course catalog at their home campus. These courses will follow the bell schedule at the students’ home campus.

Students qualifying for a hotspot are those that parents have indicated have no home Internet connection and a hotspot is not already being issued to an older sibling (unless there are more than 3 students in the household, and then 2 will be issued).

All Remote Learning courses will be taught by certified CFBISD teachers. However, your student’s teacher may or may not be from your student’s home campus. Because CFBISD has phenomenal teachers working across the district, students and parents can expect the same caliber of teacher and a consistent experience. In addition, students in your child’s Remote Learning class may or may not be limited to students from your child’s home campus.

To limit larger gatherings, campus club meetings in our secondary schools will be held virtually when possible.

According to TEA guidelines, in order for a student to be counted “in attendance,” a student must interact with the teacher or submit an assignment by 11:59 p.m. to be considered present for the day.  In the case of internet connectivity, the District has hotspots that will be checked out to families to mitigate this problem.  Also, we will provide Help Desk support to help with  internet or technology issues so that students are in attendance each day.

Lessons and videos will be posted in Canvas daily. Parents and students can log into Canvas any time during the day. Students will need to log in and show progress in their learning on a daily basis.

As long as a student makes contact with his/her teacher each day and makes progress on classwork, we can support your student.

Parent training videos are coming soon so parents know how to support and to monitor their child’s progress.

CFBISD recognizes the hardship our families are facing due to the Dallas County order that requires our campuses to be closed to students. Campus leaders will work with families to provide devices, access and support during this unprecedented time.   Doing it all is very difficult. Please reach out at 972.968.6584, and we can assist you with coping strategies and counseling services.

There will be morning meetings, and social and emotional learning threaded throughout the school day. School counselors will also be available to meet with students 1:1 and in small groups to help students connect with one another. Our crisis counselors will work closely with families in need.

Speech therapy will officially begin on the second week of school. To ensure your child is ready to log on for their speech sessions, your child’s speech therapist will contact you with their therapy times.

Yes. We are planning for remote instruction for students with disabilities, including therapies and services.  Special education staff will work with the general education teacher to provide academic or behavioral support to ensure each child achieves their individual goals.

CFBISD students who select the Remote Learning Model will be taught by certified CFBISD CTE teachers and will have access to virtual learning materials through Canvas, a robust and user-friendly learning management system.

CTE teachers will provide instruction and daily agendas, the same as those used in the classroom by students under the Traditional Onsite Learning model. Agendas will include the daily learning targets, step by step tasks to scaffold learning, helpful resources to support student understanding and continuous progress, and links to access CTE teachers for instruction, support, evaluation, and feedback.

If a CTE course requires an in-person evaluation, such as demonstration of skills for a certification exam, remote learners will be permitted to access their home campus during designated times. In preparation for these evaluations, demonstration and/or testing areas will be cleaned thoroughly, and CFBISD CTE teachers will continue following district and state safety protocols and guidelines while interacting with remote learners.

Note: In-person evaluation is necessary for some certification exams. Students are not required to pursue CTE certification exams. However, it is recommended to ensure students gain the essential skills presented in the course.

No, it should not impact college acceptance, scholarships, NCAA Clearinghouse, etc., as our coaches and guidance counselors, will help the student athlete with any necessary forms that the NCAA Eligibility Center will require to be cleared for scholarships. There will be no grading concerns as both traditional and remote learners will follow the District’s adopted grading procedures. Please note, a student who wants to be involved in athletics may choose Remote Learning but will need to be present on campus for in-person practices/workouts starting September 8th and will need to provide their own transportation to and from the campus and meet all UIL eligibility requirements set forth by the UIL to be eligible to participate at their home attendance zone campus.

CFBISD has chosen to use a blended model that will utilize both synchronous (working with a teacher) and asynchronous (working with content on or offline without a teacher) learning. These learning opportunities will be offered during regular school hours. This means that parents who choose Remote Learning will have to have some flexibility if they are working. If you have selected the Remote Learning option for your child for the 2020-2021 school year and they are in elementary school, the schedule has been planned to provide the best learning for students and an understanding that some parents need to work. In this elementary schedule, the majority of core content work will be completed by 12:30ish, and the afternoon time has been developed to provide for small group and individual learning. Specials (art, music, and P.E.) are also offered in the afternoon. (The younger the student, the more support they will need during instructional time. The Remote Learning schedule for secondary will be based on the students’ course schedule from their home campus. The middle school and high school schedule will be a blended model of synchronous and asynchronous learning.

• Synchronous Learning – Synchronous learning requires participants to be present at the same time, virtually (e.g., live interactive classes with students and teachers as a whole group, small group or individually).
• Asynchronous Learning – Asynchronous learning does not require participants to be virtually present at the same time (e.g., self-paced online courses, pre-recorded videos, independent student work).

Spanish will be offered for our Dual language learners, where students will have the opportunity to listen and interact in Spanish during the synchronous part of the day. When parents of English dominant students choose the Dual Language option during the pandemic, they must realize that students will miss the many varied opportunities for their child to speak Spanish with other students throughout the day. Dual language teachers will provide additional strategies to help mitigate this factor.

All students enrolled remotely in a physical education class will be given daily assignments and physical workouts that they can accomplish at home. Students enrolled in athletics will start remotely on August 17th but will transition to in-person learning as students in high school and middle school must attend on-campus practices beginning September 8th. Students enrolled in athletics remotely must provide their own transportation to and from the athletics class/practice. Also, all students involved in athletics must meet the eligibility guidelines per the UIL to be eligible to participate at their home campus.

Both traditional and remote learners will follow the District’s grading procedures. As a result, courses that earn high school credit and are taken remotely will count in GPA calculation and class rank.

Students participating in Remote Learning offered by the school district, whether synchronous or asynchronous (as defined by TEA), may participate in UIL activities if they meet all other UIL eligibility requirements. Students must be enrolled in Remote Learning options through the school the student will represent. Schools may develop local policies with additional requirements for participation.

Yes, for students in grades 6 – 12, Off-Campus P.E. will continue to serve the students who would like to obtain credit in a non-traditional sport not offered by CFBISD in P.E. or Athletics. A student/parent must apply for Off-Campus P.E. (https://rb.gy/ewymvx) to the Director of Athletics. There is a fee per semester for this course offering. A CFBISD approved Off-Campus instructor will monitor the Off-Campus students’ progress for each semester. The course is a semester credit, and a student may reapply for the second semester of credit at the end of the semester.

To be approved for Off-Campus P.E., the following criteria must be met:

• The off-campus facility/agency must show that all CDC and TEA guidelines will be implemented and followed.
• Application and fee have been submitted to the Director of Athletics, and approval is forward to the student’s home campus guidance counselor/principal.
• Student and Agency must complete and submit all participation logs and grade reports.

Yes. All students will be using the Canvas during the 2020-2021 school year. Once a student logs into Canvas, they will be able to access other grade level platforms such as Seesaw and Google Classroom.

Gifted and Talented elementary services (ACE, STEAM Gifted Academy at Landry, and LEAP) will be provided by a teacher who has met both district and state requirements. Content will be differentiated for GT students in each program either through modification of the content, or the process used to think about the topic or the product. The level, frequency, and amount of differentiation are determined by the program guidelines and individual student progress monitored by the teacher.

At the middle school level, ACE identified Language Arts students access their GT services through GT Language Arts (IDS) and GT Social Studies (IDS) classes. ACE students identified for GT math will receive those services via their Pre-AP Math class. LEAP Language Arts (IDS), LEAP Social Studies (IDS), LEAP Math, and LEAP Science classes will be provided for students identified to receive those services.

At the high school level, both ACE and LEAP GT students are enrolled in the Global and World Experience classes for their GT Pre-AP Language Arts class and their GT AP Social Studies class. ACE and LEAP students continue to progress at their math and science level through advanced programming. Students enrolled in the IB program will continue to participate in those classes as well.

During the first three weeks: Students will not have access to campus-based clubs or organizations.

After the Dallas County Order is lifted: Students that are enrolled in Remote Learning will have access to campus-based clubs and organizations.

No. Students will be involved in the whole class, small group, and individual instruction online during the day. Also, there will be times when they will be asked to complete independent work, read books, participate in online coursework, etc.

Yes. Our excellent staff will be available to provide instruction for the whole group, small group, and individual instruction. There will be time for students to read, write, and create independently. Sample schedules will be shared soon.

Yes. Our experiences with online learning last year taught us a lot! One thing is how well students can and will keep up with technology. As a result, the district is working to provide 1:1 technology for all online learners if they do not already have a device at home!

We will provide LEAP and Dual Language programs for students who qualify. The number of families choosing Remote Learning for each of these programs is needed before we can finalize each of these programs’ specific details.

Yes, they will. 

Students will have time to interact with each other throughout the day through morning meetings (elementary), small group, and large group instruction.

The 90% attendance rule is applicable for Remote as well as Traditional Onsite Learning. As with Traditional Onsite Learning, remote students will also be allowed to make up any work missed due to illness.

Because we know that social and emotional needs can be intensified for remote learners, CFBISD will make emotional support a priority. Social and emotional learning will be woven throughout academic lessons during the school day for all grade levels. School counselors will be available to visit with students virtually and make referrals when needed. Also, secondary students may receive services with a licensed professional counselor virtually through our partnership with Children’s Health. If evening appointments are more convenient, our CFB Counseling Connections Center will offer virtual appointments to all age students and families on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. There is no cost to families for any of these services. Please contact your school counselor for more information.

Conferences can be held in person, over the phone, or via programs such as Webex. To schedule a conference, contact your child’s teacher via email or by phoning the campus directly.  Safety protocols will be followed for onsite campus meetings.

If connectivity is an issue, please contact the office at your student’s campus. The district has some hotspots that will solve this issue.

At this point, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) states that STAAR testing will be administered this year.

Your child’s teacher and administrator will want to know about your concerns.  Please contact the teacher and discuss what you’re seeing, and you can work together to develop a plan.  Many times it takes a few days for routines to be established and a comfort level to set in.  If, after a period of time where you’ve “worked the plan,” things haven’t been resolved, your student’s administrator and/or counselor should be contacted.

A change from remote to traditional, or vice versa, will mean a change in teacher and a change in routines.  We want to make changes between the options (traditional and remote) as few and seamless as possible.  We want to give students nine weeks to settle in before making a change as this is the length of time for a grading period.  However, the campus principal can make other decisions should the team (parent, teacher, and administrator) feel that it is in the child’s best interest.

In Canvas, under Notifications, parents can choose to be notified on the due date but not before.  However, in Settings, you can set the parameters to get notifications of submissions, discussion board activity, student appointments, etc.  You can also choose to turn on a calendar to see upcoming assignments and due dates.  The district is working to provide resources in English and Spanish that will explain essential functions of Canvas so you can choose the best choices to support your child.

The first three weeks of school: First, all students must enroll and select a Learning Option. Parental choice of traditional or remote will drive the course schedule for students at all levels. After the first three weeks of school the learning option selected will go into effect.

We will not want students to have to change classes at the end of the first three weeks, where everyone will be taught remotely.  For students who opt for our traditional program as their option for the year, all courses will be offered remotely for the first three weeks.

For those who choose the remote option for the year, some classes will not be available for students.  Specifically, in elementary, for students in Fine Arts, STEM, or Coding Academies, all classes will be offered EXCEPT dance, theater, STEM, and coding.  At the secondary level, CFB will offer the majority of classes remotely.  The classes we won’t be able to provide typically do not have the teaching staff to adequately handle the teaching load both remotely and in person.  A specific Course Offering Guide for Secondary will be available the week of July 20th.

No. Students will not be expected to be engaged for 6 hours on screen with a live teacher.  There will be times when all students are online at the same time engaged in a whole group lesson.  At other times, they’ll be online in small groups or individually meeting with a teacher.  There will also be independent work time when students will complete independent assignments.  The child’s age and the complexity of the content will dictate the amount of screen time daily.  Schedules for screen and work time will be delineated and communicated by course and by grade level.

No. AP courses will be offered remotely. We are currently finalizing the list of all AP courses that will be offered.

7:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for the first three weeks when everyone is learning remotely.

Middle and high school students will follow their regular campus’s bell schedule. The hours for middle school are 9:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.  High school hours are 8:20 a.m. to 3:35 p.m. Before the beginning of school, each campus will distribute course schedules which will delineate the time frames for each course.

LEAP students at the elementary and middle school level will be taught by their LEAP teacher and follow their course schedule.

During periods of online live instruction at the elementary level, students may be involved in the following:

Morning Meetings – a time when students get to know each other to share their likes/dislikes, learning, stories, etc. as they build their classroom community;

Mini-lessons – teachers share meaningful knowledge regarding a concept or skill that is then taken and acted upon through independent interaction with a book, assignment, or project;

Whole Class Discussions;

Read Alouds – teachers read books aloud, and students learn or apply skills/strategies;

Small Group Lessons – a few students are online to address specific skills that they need to move the work forward, students involved in guided reading based on their instructional reading level;

Individual Time – students may receive feedback on their assignments that is specific to them, individual assessments may also be done at this time to ensure mastery of TEKS and plan for future large or small group lessons.

The first three weeks: All students will receive remote learning.  After the County Order is lifted: All families that select Remote Learning will be able to participate in the remote option. Each campus will be communicating with their students regarding campus expectations and course schedules.

Students who are eligible to receive related services through Special Education, English as a Second Language, Bilingual Education, 504, etc. can choose Remote Learning to receive those services remotely. If you choose, Remote Learning for the year our staff will partner with you to provide support and services to ensure that your students’ needs are met virtually.

Yes.  Students will be required to adhere to the Campus and District Dress Code Policies.  This will be important as students will be expected to have their cameras on during all face-to-face instruction.

The district is working on compiling a list of supplies for parents to provide for your student. Students will need pens, pencils, crayons/markers, scissors, paper, etc. During remote instruction, students will be able to create assignments/projects/drawings, etc., take pictures and upload them for teacher viewing and assessment.

Also, there will be some supplies that will be provided by the school. At the elementary level, we are “packing bags” with essential supplies. At the secondary level, students may need textbooks or other school-provided materials. We will notify parents regarding a pickup schedule. (This will most likely be the week before school starts.)

All students will be using the same Learning Management System, Canvas, to log into their classes daily. Canvas will allow students to submit their assignments and record their attendance daily. Other management systems may also be utilized (i.e. Google Classroom and/or SeeSaw), but all of these will be accessed through Canvas.

In Canvas, in Settings, you can set the parameters to get notifications of submissions, discussion board activity, student appointments, etc. You can also choose to turn on a calendar to see upcoming assignments and due dates. The district is working on resources in English and Spanish that will explain essential functions of Canvas so you can match the best choices to support your child.

During the entire 2020-2021 school year, students will have the option to be engaged in Remote or Traditional Onsite Learning.

Under the current Dallas County Order, all students will be receiving instruction remotely until September 7.  After that, learning will be allowed to return to campus, while students that prefer Remote Learning will continue to receive their instruction remotely.

Once the 2020-21 school year begins, parents will have the opportunity to change their preferred method of instruction at the end of each grading period. Please remember, however, that frequent changes may negatively impact student achievement.

Yes. Parents and students will have access to training to prepare them to navigate our learning management system, Canvas. Canvas will be used by all Remote Learning students to turn in assignments and record daily attendance.

Yes. Parents will have the option to change their preferred method of instruction at the end of a nine-week grading period.

CFBISD will offer the AVANT test remotely on July 30 at 8:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Our technology department is currently working to ensure our K-12 students will receive their device in early August

Yes, we will have Pre-K Remote Learning with age appropriate educational activities for your child.

Parents will be able to make the choice online for Remote Learning soon. All parents will be required to select to enroll in either Remote Learning or traditional onsite learning.

Yes, students who select Remote Learning may participate in extracurricular activities if they meet all UIL requirements, are enrolled in the applicable extracurricular course section, and are able to attend on-campus practices and competitions. Students must have their own transportation to and from practices, rehearsals, etc. Guidelines for UIL and extracurricular activities change often and CFBISD will follow safety guidelines and directives as they are shared with us.

CFBISD has chosen to use a blended model that will utilize both synchronous (working with a teacher) and asynchronous (working with content on or offline without a teacher) learning. These learning opportunities will be offered during regular school hours. This means that parents who choose Remote Learning will have to have some flexibility if they are working. If you have selected the Remote Learning option for your child for the 2020-2021 school year and they are in elementary school, the schedule has been planned to provide the best learning for students and an understanding that some parents need to work. In this elementary schedule, the majority of core content work will be completed by 12:30ish, and the afternoon time has been developed to provide for small group and individual learning. Specials (art, music, and P.E.) are also offered in the afternoon. (The younger the student, the more support they will need during instructional time. The Remote Learning schedule for secondary will be based on the students’ course schedule from their home campus. The middle school and high school schedule will be a blended model of synchronous and asynchronous learning.

• Synchronous Learning – Synchronous learning requires participants to be present at the same time, virtually (e.g., live interactive classes with students and teachers as a whole group, small group or individually).
• Asynchronous Learning – Asynchronous learning does not require participants to be virtually present at the same time (e.g., self-paced online courses, pre-recorded videos, independent student work).

Yes. At this time the Texas Department of State Health Services has not waived the vaccine requirements for students.

Yes, students in a Stellar program may select the Remote Learning option and still retain their Stellar seats.

Remote Learning – (Coming to 2020 – 2021 School Year)

• Focus on mastering grade level standards
• Adheres to district’s grading procedures and expectations
• Set schedule for student learning
• Required daily attendance for specific amounts of time
• Daily assignments will be required

At-Home Learning – (March – May 2020)

• Focus on Engagement
• Designed to help, not hinder students’ grades
• No set schedule, students could participate when convenient
• Attendance was not monitored
• Weekly assignments were provided

Schools will continue to be staffed based upon student enrollment. Remote Learning versus traditional onsite staffing will be determined by enrollment and student course selections.

The CFBISD Board of Trustees approved the purchase of additional mobile hotspots for students to use. This authorization allows for the purchase of up to an additional 1,500 hotspots as needed. The school board also approved the purchase of 2,100 laptop computers for teachers. The laptops will replace aging desktop computers and outdated Chromebooks.

Technology devices will be distributed from students’ home campuses. 

Students in the traditional and the remote models will utilize the same

• Curriculum
• Grading requirements
• Attendance requirements
• Criteria for promotion

This continuity across both platforms will allow greater success should the district have to move in and out of Remote Learning for all students. What will differ are the methods teachers use for students to engage with the content.

Because all students need to demonstrate mastery of grade level Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, elementary, middle and high school students will experience most of what they would experience in a traditional classroom.

This will include instruction in all subject areas, time for the whole class, small group and individualized instruction, and opportunities for students to work independently and with others.

Students will be asked to log on for instruction at various points in the day for synchronous instruction and work independently viewing prepared videos (asynchronous instruction) or working on assigned tasks at others.

Students in the traditional and the remote models will utilize the same

• Curriculum
• Grading requirements
• Attendance requirements
• Criteria for promotion

This continuity across both platforms will allow greater success should the district have to move in and out of Remote Learning for all students. What will differ are the methods teachers use for students to engage with the content.