On-Demand Learning

Even though our buildings are closed, HCPS continues to build and enhance the ways in which students learn remotely. Distance learning options began in March and continue in digital and nondigital forms. A central part of our online learning efforts is “Henrico Edflix,” a creative way to connect students to learning as they move through their learning.

Edflix now includes more than 120 instructional videos for elementary school students, created by HCPS educators and targeted to various performance tasks (although Edflix won’t be confused with a video streaming service). Edflix includes material for students with exceptional education needs.

“Season 3,” available for all grade levels, begins July 13. In an attempt to buttress summer learning and mitigate the effects of instructional time lost to the closure for coronavirus, all of the school division’s students will have access to prescribed learning pathways for the summer months. In some cases, students’ plans will be optional, and in others, will be required. The avenues will include both asynchronous learning (online learning that happens on students’ schedules) and synchronous learning (online education that happens in real-time, delivered by a teacher at a specific time).

Besides Henrico Edflix, HCPS uses a variety of other ways for students to learn remotely. Click on the buttons to find out more about options for each grade level.

Elementary Schools: Summer 2020

HCPS summer offerings for all students, known as “Edflix Season 3,” begins July 13 and runs through Aug. 6. The “summer season” is intended to prepare all students for the start of the 2020-21 school year with additional LifeReady learning experiences through several pathways. Important: LifeReady content-review and enrichment experiences are being made available for all students, which is different than in previous years. For instance, students who typically would have been identified to engage in Summer Academy for remediation, or in exceptional education extended-school-year programming, will also take part. This is possible because of the variety of pathways available to students.
Summer experiences for elementary students are described below:
Pathway 1: Teacher-directed virtual learning experiences to support identified students in need of foundational literacy and numeracy skills delivered by teachers over a four-week period (July 13 – Aug. 6). Parents and guardians will receive communication from the school if their student qualifies to participate in this pathway.
*Pathway 2: Online resources embedded in a daily schedule to support students in need of foundational vocabulary development over a four-week period (July 13 – Aug. 6). Available to access anytime, according to family’s needs. Parents and guardians will receive communication from the school if data indicates their child would benefit from participation in this pathway.
*Pathway 3: Online resources embedded in a daily schedule to support foundational learning and enrichment for all students for the upcoming grade level over a four-week period (July 13 – Aug. 6). Available to access anytime, according to a family’s needs. This pathway is recommended for and open to any student who may benefit from continued review, application and enrichment in preparation for the coming school year.
*For pathways 2 and 3, teachers will be available during virtual office hours (three hours each day) to answer parent questions, clarify content, assist with choosing resources and provide feedback, Monday through Thursday from July 13 – Aug. 6.
Exceptional Education:
Exceptional education support systems will be provided for students with disabilities using options that run from July 13 through Aug. 6. One option is for students who meet criteria for extended-school-year services, and the other option is for students who do not qualify for these services.
Option 1: Students whose IEP teams have determined that they meet criteria for extended-school-year services will have access to synchronous, disability-related services and support through virtual platforms as outlined in their individualized plans. These may include teleservices for speech, OT/PT, consultation with special education service providers, or direct instruction through virtual sessions with an exceptional education teacher. (July 13 – Aug. 6)
Option 2: Students with a disability who do not meet criteria for extended-school-year services will have the same level of access to learning opportunities provided for all HCPS students. Accommodations to support students’ access to the educational materials will continue to be provided.
Again, this message is about the overall plan and various options for students. If your student would benefit from pathways 1 or 2, then you will receive additional communication from your student’s teacher. If you would like your student to participate in Pathway 3, additional information should have been made available before July 13.
Questions should be directed to your school’s principal.
Middle & High Schools: Summer 2020 (Includes Summer Academy offerings)
Henrico County Public Schools is pleased to provide students with six pathways for continued learning this summer. These options involve “asynchronous” and “synchronous” approaches under the current health and safety guidelines.
- Asynchronous learning is online or virtual learning with students that happens on students’ schedules. While the content and resources are provided by the teacher, students have the ability to access the content in a flexible time frame. Methods of asynchronous online learning include virtual prerecorded lessons and preloaded resources.
- Synchronous learning is real-time online or distance education delivered by a teacher at a specific time. Methods of synchronous online learning include videoconferencing, teleconferencing, live chatting, and live lessons.
The six pathways that will be available to students, based on recommendations by teachers and counselors, are (participation dates vary based on the option):
Pathway 1: (Parents and guardians will receive communication from teachers or their school if students are required to participate in this pathway.) Asynchronous virtual opportunities for students. The students will continue in the course(s) they are working on; many of them will be missing one or more assignments. Teachers will monitor student progress on missed assignments and make adjustments to student records as assignments are completed. Teachers will provide frequent updates to students, parents, and guardians. (July 13-Aug. 6).
Pathway 2: (Students enrolled in an Online Health and P.E. course will receive communication from the online teacher in the near future.) Online Health and Physical Education. Virtual class meetings (teacher-directed) will begin with Health. Once schools are accessible, students will have an opportunity to obtain the necessary equipment to complete the P.E. portion of the course. (May 26-June 29)
Pathway 3: Online High School Acceleration with Virtual Virginia. These courses (Spanish I-IV, French I-IV, Latin I-III, Geometry, U.S./Va. History, English 12, Government, Earth Science, and Economics & Personal Finance) will contain video segments, audio clips, whiteboard interaction, multimedia activities and online discussions, as well as text. Instructors are available for phone and online communication with students throughout the day. Courses include asynchronous and synchronous components. (Early release: June 17 – July 28)
Pathway 4: (Parents and guardians will receive communication from teachers or their school if students are required to participate in this pathway.) Recovery (HCPS’ traditional Summer Academy offerings) will include online coursework, synchronous virtual instruction and daily teacher office hours. (July 13 – Aug. 6)
Pathway 5: Parents/guardians and students should visit Edflix Season 3 to access. Online continued optional review and enrichment opportunities made available on Edflix through the start of the new academic year for secondary students. This will include on-demand experiences for students with access to middle and high school teachers during virtual office hours (July 13-Aug. 6).
Pathway 6: Online Economics & Personal Finance (EPF) through Longwood University will run June 15-July 11. The students will access online modules and lectures and be able to reach instructors via email. The W!se exam will be given remotely in a proctored, online environment.
Exceptional Education:
Exceptional Education support systems will be provided for students with disabilities through options that run from July 13-Aug. 6. One option is for students who meet criteria for extended-school-year services, and the other option is for students who do not qualify for these services.
Pathway 1: Students whose IEP teams have determined they qualify for extended-school-year services will have access to synchronous, disability-related services, and support through virtual platforms as outlined in their individualized education programs. These may include teleservices for speech, occupational therapy/physical therapy, counseling, consultation with special education service providers and direct instruction through virtual sessions with an exceptional education teacher. (July 13-Aug. 6)
Pathway 2: Students with a disability who do not qualify for extended-school-year services will have the same level of access to universal learning opportunities provided for all HCPS students. We will continue to support students’ access to both synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities through audio versions of online text, closed captioning, and sign-language interpretation, as needed.
Again, this message is about the overall plan and various options for students. You will receive additional communication from your student’s teacher or counselor about the appropriate pathway for your student.
Questions should be directed to your school’s principal.
2020-21 School Year | Updated: June 15, 2020
To the Henrico community,
I write today, the last day of school, to keep you updated on the process for reopening schools in the fall. On Tuesday, new guidance was announced by Gov. Northam and the Virginia Department of Education. In short, I’m pleased to say that school will reopen “in person” in September, but it will look very different.
While HCPS is still reviewing the many pages of guidance and recommendations, we want to make sure you know where to find that information, should you wish to review it this summer.
The governor’s announcement can be viewed at the Virginia Department of Education website at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/health_medical/covid-19/recover-redesign-restart.shtml.
The state guidelines — available in a booklet called “Recover. Redesign. Restart.” — aim to help school divisions as they consider everything from identifying gaps in student learning to providing safe spacing on school buses. While the state documents provide guidance and flexibility, Virginia school systems like ours must ultimately decide themselves on a comprehensive instructional plan. We will also be required to submit a health mitigation plan.
In May, you may recall that we announced five possibilities for a return to school for the 2020-21 school year, which begins Sept. 8. Our early interpretation of state guidelines has helped us narrow our focus. We now believe that a “hybrid” approach to learning, along with a fully virtual, or “parallel” option, will be a significant part of our plans this fall.
- Hybrid learning: One portion of the student body would attend classes on campus for a period of time, while another portion would learn remotely. The two groups might alternate days or weeks on campus to build a blended learning environment. Having fewer students on campus would make it easier to implement distancing guidelines.
- Parallel learning: Based on parent choice, students may opt into a fully virtual learning experience that runs parallel to the “in-person” instruction that will be happening in our classrooms.
Of course, besides these plans, there are many additional aspects of school life that must be considered, and please know that we intend to keep you informed and involved this summer. That includes surveying the HCPS community to collect additional input and feedback from employees, families and students as our plans take shape.
In closing, there’s no doubt that we’re excited about opening our doors once again. This summer we will continue to work diligently to reimagine our learning environments and extracurricular experiences,
while building community confidence that our schools will continue to be healthy and safe places for students to learn and grow.
I look forward to being with you on this new journey!
Sincerely,
Amy
Amy E. Cashwell, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Virtual Learning Timeline: April-June 2020

May 6-June 12
Students on track to graduate in June 2020 who are currently enrolled in (or who have not completed) a U.S. or Virginia history course, a fine or performing arts course, a career and technical education course, a second of sequential electives, and/or an economics and personal finance course will engage in required* new learning experiences. This includes essential missing content that would have been taught after March 13, 2020, in order to earn the standard credit for the course.
This content will not be graded, however there will be a denotation on the transcript that will be removed upon completion of the missing content/new learning modules.
All other students (middle and high school) currently enrolled in a high-school credit-bearing course will engage in required* new learning experiences that will include essential missing content that would have been taught after March 13, 2020. This content will not be graded, however, there will be a denotation on the transcript that will be removed upon completion of the missing content/new learning modules.
*Students who are unable to complete the modules during this window will have another opportunity in the 2020-21 school year. Students enrolled in a course with an associated verified credit (e.g., related SOL) who need the associated verified credit to meet graduation requirements and have received the standard credit will be awarded a Locally Awarded Verified Credit (LAVC).
April 14-June 12
All pre-K students will be provided with optional opportunities for literacy and mathematics review and enrichment. They can also use “choice boards” for social-emotional learning and fine/gross motor skill development.
All K-5 students will be provided with optional opportunities for review and enrichment that support connections to previously taught material. They will also have opportunities that extend the “6 C’s” skills and attributes within the Henrico Learner Profile, including social-emotional learning.
All students in grades 6-12 will be provided with continued optional opportunities for review and enrichment of content that was previously taught. This will be delivered in Schoology by the current class teacher for classes in which the student was enrolled. Social-emotional learning modules will also be available.*
*Please note, during this window if students move on to grade recovery or new learning (as outlined below) they will not be expected to engage in review and enrichment.
April 14-May 5
Middle and high school teachers who teach a high school credit-bearing course will plan and develop learning experiences that address essential missing content that would have been taught after March 13, 2020.
April 14-24
Students in grades 6-12 who would like to improve their final Marking Period 3 grade may complete recovery assignments in Schoology on previous MP3 content. Students must complete and submit all recovery assignments, as assigned by their teachers, by Friday, April 24 at 4 p.m.