The recent foray into online learning caused by the coronavirus pandemic has taught parents and students something USD 257 administrators have known for awhile: virtual learning has its downside.
Citing decreased graduation rates since 2006, administrators asked the school board to consider major changes to the Crossroads virtual education program. The program’s name will be changed (to be determined) and the school will move to Iola High School, where students will be required to attend at least 10 hours each week and meet with teachers and paraprofessionals on a regular basis.
“It’s been a struggle every year to get those kids to do the work and graduate,” said Scott Carson, assistant Iola High School principal. Carson will take the reins as principal for the next school year.
“It’s mainly the lost connection to the high school. I think this last month has shown how important it is to have that connection, to be around teachers, administrators and other students.”
Only juniors and seniors would be allowed to attend the program, with sophomores evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Currently, it’s easy for sophomores and upperclassmen to opt for the virtual education program, with little interaction with other IHS students and staff.
“We just kick them down there and never see them,” Carson said. “We want them to feel like part of the high school.”
In 2006, the graduation rate for Crossroads students was 92%. It has continued to drop since then, to around the mid-80s now, Superintendent Stacey Fager estimated. About 20 students currently attend the program. Administrators would like to reduce that number to around five.
The program originally began at a building in Gas with four teachers. It has been modified over the years, and now requires little to no interaction with others in the district.
“Just placing students on virtual and expecting them to succeed can be a challenge,” Fager said. “We’re all experiencing that now.”
Often, students who attend Crossroads struggle in a traditional learning environment. The virtual program gives them an opportunity to learn at their own pace, without the distractions and disruptions in a classroom setting.
But it’s easy for struggling students to use Crossroads as a default and escape the reality of high school, Carson said.
“They get in a spot and think, ‘Well, I flunked everything my freshman year. I don’t think I can do the work at the high school level,’” he said. “It is tough. And there is a time when a junior gets so far behind that they need help.”
It’s also important to change the name, Fager and Carson said. “Crossroads” can have a negative connotation, they said. They are considering a name with some version of the word “Blended,” as the new model will blend the virtual and physical locations.
The board agreed to allow Carson to explore the changes.
In other news, the board:
— Approved spending $174 each on 200 new Chromebooks, after approving a cost of $167 each at the last board meeting. That’s because the company rescinded its offer after increased demand, and planned to charge $209 for a different model.
At a coming board meeting, the board will debate whether to offer used Chromebooks for sale to eighth-graders. The district assigns a specific Chromebook to fifth-graders, which they’ll use until eighth grade. In ninth grade, they get a new Chromebook to use until graduation, and have the option to purchase that device. Some eighth-graders said they would like to buy their Chromebooks, which would provide an extra device for home use and could save on wear and tear for the high school models. The district currently has a glut of used Chromebooks, and already approved selling the devices to seniors for just $25, or half the usual cost.
