District proposes new instructional model for Chesapeake Center for Student Success
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Summary
CPS staff recommended moving middle school CCSS students to full-time in-person instruction and high school CCSS students to a fully remote synchronous model, following a review showing declining achievement and rising disciplinary exclusions.
Chesapeake Public Schools staff presented proposed changes to the Chesapeake Center for Student Success (CCSS), the district’s alternative program for middle and high school students with behavioral or academic challenges, recommending an in-person middle school model and a fully remote synchronous high school model for the 2025–26 school year.
Doctor Miller (CPS staff member) told the board the division conducted a comprehensive evaluation—reviewing instructional practice, behavior trends, attendance and graduation data—and found rising exclusions and declining on-time graduation rates among CCSS students. The review used the Virginia Department of Education’s rubric for program evaluation and prompted consideration of alternate instruction models.
The options considered for middle school included fully remote synchronous instruction, continued in-person instruction, or in-person attendance with asynchronous courses provided by an online provider and supported by a teacher case manager. For high school, staff considered remote synchronous instruction (day or evening), fully asynchronous instruction via an online provider, and a hybrid evening model combining district teacher instruction and online asynchronous work.
Recommendation: Doctor Miller said the division does not favor a fully remote model for middle-school-aged students because they require supervision and direct instruction; instead the staff recommended that middle school CCSS students attend in person each day with direct instruction in reading and math from CPS teachers, while history and science would be delivered asynchronously through an online provider with CCSS staff support. For high school students, staff recommended a fully remote model with synchronous instruction from CPS teachers, supplemented by asynchronous online provider courses to expand course offerings.
Next steps: staff will work immediately with school leadership and CCSS staff to identify any necessary staffing adjustments aligned with the proposed models. Doctor Miller said the intent is to improve attendance, engagement, student agency and behavior so students can reintegrate into home schools and improve graduation outcomes. The presentation was an information item; no final action was taken at this meeting.
