GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Northeast Wisconsin’s largest school district reports more students are struggling with grades as classes are held online. The failure rate is up, and it’s likely other districts are facing similar struggles.
At last night’s Green Bay school board meeting officials talked about how to get students more engaged.
Green Bay schools are looking for solutions to a problem. During public comment, one parent expressed concerns in a letter read by the school saying, “achievement gaps for students are widening instead of narrowing.”
Officials with the Green Bay Area Public School District confirms that. According to a memo from the district’s Executive Director of Secondary Schools, the first six week grading period indicated many students were not performing well. In some cases, failure rate was almost double compared to the same time period of previous years.
Judy Wiegand, the district’s Executive Director of Secondary Schools said, “we know its really difficult sometimes to be online, we know that, stay with it, we’re going to provide some options for you to hopefully stay engaged. ”
Many parents have complained about the effectiveness of online learning.
To address that the downturn in grades–grading options could be expanded. A traditional grading approach would still stand. But, another option is a grade/limited enrollment, incomplete, and pass ability.
Students could opt for this model and it would not effect their GPA. They say it helps in response to the evolving situation.
“We can’t predict future,” said Wiegand, “may be in and out if we get to hybrid and so forth at the secondary level, so providing as many options as possible.”
The goal is to keep students engaged throughout the entire grading period. It’s an idea some teachers have expressed favoring.
“For the most part the response from teachers has been positive,” said Wiegand, “they do want to of course to say that in order to be eligible for the pass option, and even the incomplete option, students needs to be engaged for grading period.”
As well as some school board members.
“It doesn’t just move kids on, they still have to do the work,” said member Kristen Shelton, “it gives them an off ramp if things aren’t working well.”
Wiegand also expressed that communicating the idea to parents, families and staff will be key, if the board decides to move ahead in adding this option.
The board is looking to implement this additional grading policy for all secondary schools. Including high school and middle school.
Comments