The Greenville Public School District Board of Trustees this week voted in approval of certain policy suspensions as they pertain to the extended school year and credit recovery programs.
Chief Academic Officer for GPSD Latanya Calhoun discussed at length during Monday’s special called meeting how an astounding number of students finished the 2019-2020 academic year with grades lower than usual.
One of the main contributors to that fact Calhoun believes is the suspension of in-class instruction for the remainder of the academic school year.
On April 14, Governor Tate Reeves directed all Mississippi schools to remain closed through the end of the 2019-2020 school year to curb the spread of the COVID-19 (coronavirus).
Reeves said schools should continue offering distance learning opportunities to students through the end of the school year, and districts throughout the state may have very well done so to the best of their ability. However, such a drastic change in student routine can come with unpredictable results.
Calhoun said there were many elementary students who yielded failing grades in at least one major subject.
At the middle and high school, however, there was an overwhelming number of students whom Calhoun and other administrators felt they had received the instruction they would have if not for the COVID-19 pandemic, they may have been somewhat more successful as it relates to them being promoted to the next grade.
After meeting with administration, Calhoun said everyone gave their input and came to the consensus that to be fair, all students who failed either English Language Arts or Math, but not both, should be afforded the opportunity to participate in the extended school year.
“Our criteria really looks at students who have a grade average of 50 to 59,” she said to the board.
But, given that such a large number of students finished with such low grades, Calhoun recommended those students be given a unique opportunity to rectify any academic setbacks by allowing them to participate in the extended school year and summer school.
“It was going to increase our overage population as well,” Calhoun said. “So we said we have to look at this from the perspective of how we can better assist our children and do what’s in their best interest.”
She added, “We know we have to make some changes in the school district as it relates to instruction with some of our teachers, too.”
The board voted unanimously for the motion to consider approval of the policy suspension currently in place.
