Outcomes from Return to In-Person

With new vaccines and an increasing body of research on how to safely bring students and educators back into school buildings, Massachusetts school and district leaders are moving towards models that prioritize in-person learning this spring and into 2021-22.

This transition will not occur as a single “flip the switch” moment for all students. Specifically:

• Districts will accelerate the return to in-person learning for early grades first, followed by middle and high schools.

• Even with full in-person models in place, students will still have the option to participate in full virtual learning models for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.

In this document, we share insights and case examples from a group of Massachusetts school and district leaders, convened last fall as a Return to In-Person Learning Cohort, that can serve as foundation and inspiration for the current shift back to in-person instruction.