Guam Department of Education officials confirmed the Tiyan campus, which houses Tiyan High School and Simon Sanchez High School, underwent the first phase of inspection by the Department of Public Health and Social Services on Friday. Although the results of the phase one inspection are pending, officials said they're hopeful students can return to in-person instruction before December if repairs and inspections proceed as anticipated.
Following the inspection, GDOE Superintendent Judith Won Pat, deputy superintendents and the affected schools' principals provided an update on the Tiyan campus noting the return to in-person instruction is contingent on the inspection results and repairs.
"We actually have our legal counsel working with Core Tech's legal counsel as well. ... Ulloa-Heath reviewed the contract and did a matrix to highlight what's Core Tech's responsibility and what's DOE's," Won Pat said.
The department said the matrix outlining GDOE versus Core Tech International responsibilities is still being finalized. Guam News Network files indicate the ambiguity in the contract regarding roles and responsibilities related to maintaining the lease-back facility were contributing factors in some facility needs not being adequately addressed over the years.
"Moving forward we will have definite clarification as to the responsibilities as well as how we will mitigate a lot of the deficiencies at the facilities," Deputy Superintendent of Assessment and Accountability Julie Ulloa-Heath said.
Won Pat said progress is being made at the campus.
"Several of us walked the campus the other day and I have to say, that I remember the first-time walking through it when it was first leased, then when it was used by JFK and then now to look at the campus today, there's a really big difference and improvement that we see in the campus today," Won Pat said.
The campus closed on Aug. 13, three days into the new school year. For the past four weeks, students from both schools were placed on asynchronous learning through hard copy learning packets and online modules, a move officials said was immediately implemented upon school closure.
"We do not anticipate requesting for a waiver for the 180-days," Simon Sanchez High School Principal Carla Masanayon said.
Tiyan High School Principal Sophia Duenas said that when students from both schools do go back to in-person learning, there will be some instructional time loss, however she stressed a plan is in place.
"If we pass inspection and we go into double session, of course, there will be some shortage of time, however, within that time frame we did put aside some time, it's called our Personal Learning Plan Time, where students can reach out to their teachers in where they will have the most difficulties in to catch up with learning. Teacher will be calling out students saying, 'Hey, you didn't quite understand this part you need to come see me during this time,'" Duenas said.
Masanayon said that double session involves three instructional blocks totaling 240 instructional minutes.
"There will be a Personalized learning plan period and a lunch period for our students that will be able to pick up lunch, that will be 45 minutes for a total instructional time and support time of 285 (minutes), that leaves us with an additional 15 minutes per day that we will need to make-up," Masanayon said.
In past school years, GDOE has relied on asynchronous learning, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic. Education officials at the time acknowledged the occurrence of instructional time loss while successfully securing waivers of the 180-day requirement through the Legislature when the mandate could not be met.
Masanayon said the remaining instructional time loss would be addressed once students are back on full-day schedules.
"By going into our regular time that will be three instructional blocks of 105 minutes and that already gives us an additional 15 minutes per day throughout the remainder of the semester," Masanayon said.
The principals acknowledged that some students may fall behind while on asynchronous learning for different reasons including not being able to establish a connection between teachers and students.
"Every day ... my staff is checking who returned their packets or who picked up packets, based on our counts we have 600 students on the hard copy learning packets, 584 of them picked up packets, 16 of them were delivered to their homes and 52 of them remain on the campus. There are about 52 students on the hard copy learning packets have not accessed their learning. I'm thinking maybe about the same percent or rate of the online learning which is about 5% so altogether 12% of our students have not accessed their asynchronous learning," Duenas said.
At Simon Sanchez High School, which has a student population of 1,350, Masanayon reported roughly 20% of her students have not picked up their packets.
Based on the school's population that's approximately 270 students.
"With that teachers are attempting to reach students making the phone calls home but the remaining 80% have been picking up their packets and are doing the Google Classroom," Masanayon said.
According to the principals unsubmitted hard copy packets are reflected as student absences, which continue to count toward the department's school attendance policy.
"Until we get a count of students that submitted their assignments, then we can go into their attendance rates and things such as that, but again they are still allowed to make up assignments in that personalized learning time when we do come face-to-face," Duenas said.
Masanayan added that teachers still maintain the ability to use the referral process if there is a need to reach out to families through the School Climate Cadre. She highlighted that the Yigo gymnasium has been made available for students to use the Wi-Fi connection to access Google Classrooms.
According to the school principals, accommodations have also been made for students with special needs who have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that may call for specialized educational supports. Tiyan High is utilizing two classrooms at the Guam Community College campus.
"Our teachers were there providing instruction to students. It was any student identified with an IEP that could access that. So, if they are also in a regular class all their packets were delivered to the Guam Community College so that the students can also receive assistance with the special education teachers who were there," Duenas said.
Similar accommodations were provided to Simon Sanchez High School but at D.L. Perez Elementary School.
"They were available in the morning and related personnel came and delivered services for students that came to the campus," Masanayon said.
Parents and guardians of students at Tiyan and Simon Sanchez High School were encouraged to contact their respective schools with any questions.
Won Pat said as soon as the results from the first phase of inspection are received, GDOE will issue a press release.