As the new semester begins, Cherokee County Schools students have the opportunity to make changes to their schedules. While the number of students fully virtual hasn’t changed much since students returned on Jan. 7, Digital Teaching & Learning Director Leslie Ledford said it may be soon to tell, especially with the recent increase in local COVID-19 cases.
Ledford said the district had a lot to overcome in the first semester, from making connections to following changing guidelines from the state, and thought everyone did really well.
“I think that we have as a whole, we’ve really done remarkable,” she said. “Learning is happening.”
Ledford said their biggest issue was contacting families and ensuring students had what they needed to succeed. She added that educators filled gaps and addressed issues, while everyone in the district is still learning and working on improving methods.
“Given the circumstances, what this year is, we’ve done phenomenal,” she said.
Dr. Jeana Conley, superintendent of schools, shared at the Cherokee County Board of Education meeting Thursday that students’ iReady scores for kindergarten through eight grades were up across the district, and End of Course grades have also been much better.
In fact, she said the Math 1 scores at Murphy High School were the highest she had seen at the school.
“It’s just such a great surprise,” Conley added.
In the last quarter, 880 students out of about 3,000 total were full-time virtual students. Ledford said the third-quarter numbers should be finalized around the 20-day mark.
The district saw more students return to in-person learning from virtual, especially when the state lifted some restrictions on elementary schools. When those changes were made, the Cherokee County Board of Education decided elementary school students in the district could start attending four days a week, with Wednesdays continuing to be a virtual day and planning day for teachers.
Because capacity restrictions in place allowed it, Andrews High School soon went to the four-day schedule. Hiwassee Dam High School planned to start going four days this semester.
“We would like to think it’s because they prefer in-person instruction,” Ledford said. ”I think for working families, the opportunity to have children at school … was more appealing.”
With the hybrid model, families could choose whether they wanted in-person instruction or attend school virtual every day, but had to make a commitment to whichever schedule they chose. Ledford said it was a very personal decision for families, often based on what was best for their family.
She said virtual learning also works very well for those who have the tools to use it. Those in the more rural areas of the county – like Hiwassee Dam and Martins Creek – were more likely to chose in-person instruction. To combat connectivity issues in more rural areas, the schools distributed 200 hotspots purchased with COVID funding.
The schools have also given out thumb drives with lessons for students, but Ledford said the digital learning tools the schools use allow for offline work. For those who live in areas where hot spots do not work, there are several locations throughout the county where students can access free WI-Fi.