Many students in Bay County have started the new school year better prepared after two-years of disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The district launched a four-week summer learning recovery program to help make up for pandemic-related learning losses. District leaders say that it was successful in helping elementary school students catch up and helping high school students regain lost credit hours.
“We are incredibly proud of all the students who made such good use of their time in summer learning recovery,” explained Bay District Schools' Superintendent Bill Husfelt in a press release. “The numbers speak for themselves and it’s clear that great gains were made.”
Husfelt also praised teachers, support employees, and administrators who worked during the summer to help students make up for learning losses. “I really can’t say enough great things about those teams of employees,” he said. “They were tired from the school year but stepped up to the plate, once again, because they knew our students needed this opportunity.”
Thousands of students took advantage of the district's summer learning recovery program.
The district reports 2,037 elementary school students applied to the summer program, which included personalized computer-based lessons and small group instruction with a teacher.
Of those elementary school students enrolled, 74% passed their reading iReady assessments and 70% passed their math assessments. iReady assessments adjust to meet a student’s learning level. If students answer a series of questions correctly, it results in slightly harder questions. While students who answer questions incorrectly will get slightly easier questions.
Bay County high schoolers also recovered lost credit hours. More than 1,205 courses were completed among the county’s high schools. Rutherford High School had the most with 255 courses completed.
