For some students virtual and distance learning that was established to contend with the coronavirus pandemic is not working. It also appears that the more difficult the subject matter the larger the number of failures.
Learning results from the first nine week term were presented to the Simpson County School Board at their last meeting by Deputy Superintendent Debbie Davis.
A total of 322 Magee Middle School students are considered “hybrid learners.” This means that they attend class in person every day except Wednesday, which is set aside for virtual learning on computers at home. At the end of the first nine weeks, 51 of these hybrid students were failing, and 16 of 59 completely virtual students were failing. Virtual students are receiving all instruction from remote locations.
Mendenhall Junior High had better results with only four of 319 hybrid students failing. Of 49 virtual students, only one was failing.
Simpson Central lists 422 hybrid students with 22 failing and 77 virtual with seven failing.
Magee High School has a total of 330 hybrid students with 73 failing. Of 53 virtual students, 18 are failing.
Of Mendenhall High School’s 483 hybrid students, 90 are failing and of 80 virtual students 22 are failing.
The elementary schools are showing better numbers. Magee Elementary has 513 hybrid students with 34 failures and 63 virtual students with two failures.
Mendenhall Elementary has 396 hybrid students with 20 failing and 50 virtual students with three failing.
Davis also reported that some of the teachers have discussed their frustration over failing students. But she reported that teachers are doing what they were expected to do including contacting the parents to inform them about the problem.
At the root of the problem is the fact that some students did not understand the grade level instruction. Some virtual students were not participating in class activities. Some students are not completing assignments. Another problem is limited accommodations for Special Education students, and the availability of internet connectivity to all students remains a problem.
The school district’s central office staff are well aware that in-classroom instruction is the best option for teaching students. Parents have been contacted to notify them of their children’s progress and the issues they are facing. The majority have opted to remain in the existing programs.
Chromebooks, the computers on which students are working and completing assignments this year, have been distributed to students at the individual schools. The problem exists with connectivity. Funding was made available for this through Senate Bill 3044. The district received approximately $1.1 million and had to pay approximately $400,000 in matching funds.
The problem arises in funding through House Bill 1788. The district was allocated funding in the amount of $674,202.48. The catch is that the funds have to be expended by December 1 or returned to the state. The district has booked the funds, but those funds for equipment and installation will not be spent by the required December 1 deadline which is in less than two weeks.
Board member Stan Bulger commented at the first of the meeting that extending the deadline for the equipment took the vendor off the hook about being able to get the equipment and have it installed on time.
Superintendent Paes said that some districts had returned the money to the state because they could not comply with the time line.
At a previous meeting, the board approved moving ahead with using the funds to provide computer access for all students. Paes pointed out that the technology was “a must.”
Bulger stated that he did not feel it was the responsibility of the district to provide additional computers in the future. Paes said that part of the approval process for the initial funding was that the district would perpetuate a plan to fund the computers in the future. He pointed out to board members that the Chromebooks would replace traditional textbooks in the future.
