Q. My school district has been operating a hybrid instructional model with two cohorts of students each attending in-person two days per week. One day per week, all students receive instruction via distance learning. How do I account for this in the online certification for the In-Person Instruction (IPI) Grant?
A. The California Department of Education (CDE) recently released the online certification form required for the In-Person Instruction Grant (see “In-Person Instruction Grant Certification Now Available” in the May 2021 Fiscal Report). The CDE has clarified that for your hybrid model, you should identify your 100% distance learning days as “Instructional Day, In-Person Instruction Offered” on the form. The CDE also affirmed that there would be no penalty for this type of hybrid instructional model as long as the local educational agency is offering in-person instruction to the greatest extent possible. This clarification is included in the CDE’s frequently asked questions page for the In-Person Instruction and Expanded Learning Opportunities Grants, which is available here.