Henry County school districts navigating online learning

Although Henry County schools have reopened their buildings for in-person instruction, many districts offer an online or remote-learning option for students and families who are not yet ready to return in light of the pandemic.

Mt. Pleasant Community School District Director of Curriculum Kathleen Gavin said about 150 students in the district are utilizing the remote-learning option for the fall semester. Most students choosing the model either have health conditions that make them more high-risk or live with family members who are of fragile health.

While secondary level students began their online curriculum Aug. 24, kindergarten through sixth-graders started on Sept. 1, Gavin said. Students and families were asked to make a final decision on which learning model they would be participating in by Aug. 24, a decision they would be committed to for the semester.

'It's a new process and we don't have the manpower and resources to handle that fluctuation,” Gavin said of the cut off date.

Mt. Pleasant Community School District students will be taught by teachers from the district who have designed the online curriculum. Gavin said the district chose this avenue both because it would make a potential transition to a hybrid or remote-learning model easier and because it keeps families and students connected to the district.

'The other thing we noticed from last spring was students who were highly engaged with learning had relationships with teachers. We're paying attention to that emotional connection,” she said.

Looking to the next semester, Gavin said whether or not numbers for online learning go up or down will depend on how the first semester goes.

'I pray we have all our students back with us safely but because the data fluctuates and the positivity [rate] for our county fluctuates so hard, it's difficult to make that call right now,” she said.

In the New London Community School District, 17 secondary level students opted for the remote-learning option. No students in kindergarten through fifth grade chose to do school online.

'We sat down with every family as much as we could to explain the challenge and commitment behind it. There's going to be a large commitment behind it daily. It's not something they can do just two days a week and stay up to par,” district superintendent Chad Wahls said.

Wahls noted three elementary families chose to do home schooling, slightly more than years past.

Students in the district who have chosen the online option will receive instruction through the APEX learning program. Wahls said the district usually uses the program to support students who may have gotten behind on credits or those who want to take college courses. Usually the district purchases about 10 to 15 licenses and bought an additional 10 this year in preparation for demand for the remote learning option.

'The numbers are up a little bit but not astronomically like it could have been, and I credit that to the effort of the team that put together our return-to-learn. We kept parents well-informed about how we're going to proceed with the school year,” Wahls said of the relatively low amount of students who opted for the online learning model.

While students obtain instruction through the program, teachers in the district have gone through the program to pare down lessons to meet the Iowa Core and state expectations, Wahls said. A teacher from the district also helps monitor students' progress to help make sure they do not fall behind.

New London students may choose their learning model on a semester basis. Like Gavin, Wahls said whether numbers go up or down will depend on the current semester.

'I think a lot will depend on the status of COVID-19 and what the rest of the school year looks like. Have we been able to stay face-to-face? Have we had to go hybrid? Things like that,” he said.

Wahls said a recent positive case of a middle school/high school student on Aug. 28 saw two additional families choose the online model, which faculty and staff supported. In addition to the positive case, four other students were recommended to quarantine for at least 10 days.

'We've talked as an administrative team about how long we can allow that to happen before it's not a benefit for a kid,” Wahls said. The district has not yet set a firm date on when families would no longer be able to opt for the online model.

Winfield-Mt. Union students are continuing to get enrolled in their online classes through the Edgenuity learning program this week, superintendent Jeff Maeder said.

'The company we're working with had a lot of schools to work through so we're just getting them started,” he said.

The district saw 12 kindergarten through fifth grade students choose the online option and additional 17 secondary students go remote as well.

'I think it's a little higher than we expected. I was looking for it to be in the single digits for each building, but this is all new,” Maeder said.

The superintendent echoed Wahls and Gavin about the unpredictability of whether the number of students who have chosen the online option will change, but said he predicts some students would return the following semester 'assuming everything goes well and we don't have any outbreaks where [the district] has to change their plans.”

Like New London, a teacher from the district will be monitoring progress, particularly with elementary school students who may take more time to adjust with the new teachers from the online program.

'They're not going to be providing instruction but will be able to answer logistical questions and provide motivation or encouragement from someone the student is more familiar with - it'll probably be the case more so at the beginning,” he said.

Maeder added that the online model 'is going to be a learning experience on how effective it is.”

'No one is really experienced in this type of learning,” he said.