In a letter sent today to Long Beach Unified School District families, Superintendent Chris Steinhauser laid out a new framework for learning from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The school district has been testing and tweaking its home learning program for the last four weeks since it shuttered campuses. The new requirements will go into effect after this week’s spring break.

“As of April 23, students will be responsible for assignments and participation,” said Steinhauser in his letter. “We know, however, that students are not simply ‘learning at home.’ They are learning at home during difficult circumstances for themselves and their families.”

The district has accordingly altered its grading measures and announced that elementary students will not receive report cards for the second semester of school. Middle school students will receive pass/fail final grades, and high school students will receive credit/no credit final grades.

The district also released guidelines for how long teachers and students are expected to spend teaching and learning each day, in line with the district’s recent memorandum of understanding with the Teachers Association of Long Beach, the union for the city’s largest workforce.

Under the new plan, elementary school students will be expected to participate for three hours a day, while middle and high school students will be three to four hours per day depending on class load.

For the one-sheet Expectations for Students page from the district, click here.