EDUCATION
48
Trends In Education
Depot Centers where parents could pick up laptops and a
Tech Depot for technical assistance.
“It’s an all hands on deck approach, figuring out new problems
and solving them,” Moore says.
Gent says his district has worked with families, accommodating
those with no Wi-Fi access. Working with providers
for reduced rates, buses were strategically placed in underserved
neighborhoods to provide hot spots.
“We’ve learned so much,” Moore says. “Families and students
are taking control of their education. Remote learning
is here to stay.”
Treasure Coast school districts have given families remote
learning possibilities for years through Indian River Virtual,
Florida Virtual School and Mosaic Learning Academy. Even
if remote options at schools eventually change, families may
continue at-home instruction through one of these.
EDUCATION SETBACKS
New college students put on weight with such regularity,
there’s a name for it — the Freshman 15. Similarly, the COVID
slide now refers to a pattern of losing educational skills.
“Our students perform better in the classroom,” Miller
says, adding that data reveals in-class grades to be about two
points higher, with fewer failures, than with remote learners.
After the end of the first semester, students at home who
weren’t performing well academically were required to
return to school unless their parents signed a waiver. Despite
the fact that keeping them at home risked retention, some
remain uneasy about sending children back.
“Kindergarten through third grade is a key period,” Gent
says, “when there’s no substitute for the basic foundational
DIOCESE OF PALM BEACH
While some students experience falling grades without being at school
with teachers and peers, others thrive in the home environment.
skills in reading and math. Most students do better with live
teachers, but some do thrive virtually. You need to put the
child in the appropriate learning situation.”
While COVID-19 may not have affected students to the degree
that was feared, Moore says it has had “significant impact
on specific students.” To counteract the COVID slide, summer
programs are planned for many schools. Districts will use specific,
data-driven approaches for students, providing remediation
while including fun and enrichment activities.
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