AMI Days Granted for El Dorado School District
El Dorado School District was recently approved for up to five Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI) days by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). While we will not be able to use the AMI packets for previously missed days, we will be able to use them in the case of any future closings, whether inclement weather or emergency. Read on to find out how AMI days will work and what this means for our schools.
What is an AMI Day?
AMI (Alternative Methods of Instruction) Days may be declared if the superintendent has reasonable information to determine that schools will be closed the following day(s) due to inclement weather or other emergency circumstances.
If an AMI day is declared, then the missed day will not have to be made up at the end of the school year. El Dorado Schools have been granted up to five (5) AMI days per school year.
What is an Alternative Method of Instruction?
AMI Packets have been put together for every class including fine arts, physical education, CTE, and core content classes.
The packets include lessons for students to complete at home when school is closed. The material in the packets will be relevant to the current nine (9) weeks’ curriculum and is structured so that the work can be completed individually by the student. Assignments will include options for online or paper copy completion. Modified packets will be available for those students who receive special education instruction.
The work in these packets will be completed ONLY if school is cancelled and an AMI Day is declared.
How does an AMI day work?
Based on the standards set forth by the ADE, students must complete assignments in order to be considered "present" for the school day. ESD students will receive their packets this Wednesday, January 31st. These assignments will be labeled with Day One/Day Two/Day Three and instructions. Students must keep these packets in a safe place.
If there is an inclement weather day or an emergency that requires school be closed, announcements will be made through the El Dorado School District by phone/website/social media/news outlets. Students will be instructed as to which AMI assignment to complete. For example, if the school district is closed for one day, students will complete the Day One assignments. If school is closed for two days, students will complete Day One and Day Two assignments.
How will I know if a missed day is an AMI Day or a regular Cancellation Day?
El Dorado School District will post online via the website (www.eldoradopublicschools.org) and social media (Facebook & Twitter) when school is cancelled and will note whether the day is an AMI Day.
Additionally, parents can be notified by text message or phone call, using the phone number on file in the school office, when school is cancelled. If your phone number has changed since the beginning of school, please contact your school’s attendance secretary to update your information.
If school is cancelled unexpectedly and not declared an AMI Day, then it will be considered a regular cancellation day and will be made up at a later time.
How come we don’t have to make up an AMI Day?
Students will complete the work in the AMI packet and return it to their teacher(s) when school resumes.
Teachers will provide their contact information in case any questions arise while completing the assignments. The work will be assessed and recorded within five (5) days of the time school resumes.
If the work is not completed or returned, the student will be counted as absent for the missed day.
Since students are completing the work and teachers are assessing it, the day can be counted as an instructional day and does not have to be made up at the end of the year.
What if we get an AMI packet and then school is not cancelled?
If school is not cancelled, then keep your packet in a safe place for future use.
Do NOT complete the work inside the packet unless school has been officially cancelled and declared an AMI Day.
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding AMI, please contact your school office. For questions regarding individual assignments, please contact the student’s teacher directly through email, which can be found in the STAFF section of our website, or by calling the school office.