Akron Public Schools will offer summer classes as part of its approach in dealing with pandemic-related learning loss. The district submitted its plan on the eve of the April 1 deadline given by Gov. Mike DeWine to all Ohio school districts.
The summer programming will be part of Akron鈥檚 鈥渢hird semester,鈥� according to Mary Outley-Kelly, executive director of elementary education, who adds that providing summer classes is nothing new for the district.
However, after roughly one year of all students being fully remote, the district鈥檚 curriculum specialists have identified grade-specific areas of reading and math that the students need 鈥渕ore time with鈥� this summer, Outley-Kelly said. And at the classroom level, teachers will determine who has the greatest need to attend summer classes.
鈥淭hey are the experts and they know what their students need,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o they've always had the charge to identify the students that would benefit the most, and that's who the program is offered to first.鈥�
For elementary school students, the district will offer three sessions of 鈥渕ystery camps鈥� in partnership with organizations including the Akron Art Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art. During the mystery camps, students will answer a central question like 鈥淲hat is water?鈥� while also being taught core subjects.
鈥淲e wanted to make sure that what we offered during the summer was exciting, yet educational, that was hands-on and engaging,鈥� said Outley-Kelly. 鈥淪o, we're embedding the learning in fun. We're sneaking it in, you know, so again, because we want them to be there and to tell a student, 鈥業 want you to go to school for six more weeks in the summer,鈥� that鈥檚 not fun for them.鈥�
Middle school students will be offered summer classes to continue with their core learning in the areas of reading and math.
鈥淭his is an extended learning opportunity and the students will have their own personalized pathway to engage in that kind of individual diagnostic assessment of where the child is at academically,鈥� Outley-Kelly said.
Summer school will be offered to high school students who are not on track to graduate and for some rising seniors in the class of 2022.
鈥淚t鈥檚 for our credit recovery courses for students who are lacking the credits to graduate. We want to give them a chance to recover credits during this program,鈥� Outley-Kelly said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a 5-week program, 4 hours per day. And it鈥檒l be Monday through Thursday.鈥�
The district鈥檚 learning loss plan also includes the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years, implying that dealing will the impacts of the pandemic on academic learning will be an ongoing effort.
鈥淲e will be providing assessments to the students during April and May. That鈥檒l give us a better understanding of where they are performing academically, our team will come together and devise a plan on how we will address that for the upcoming school year,鈥� Outley-Kelly explained.
After a year of remote learning, she emphasized the district鈥檚 gratitude to students, staff and parents for working as hard as they did during the pandemic.
鈥淲e appreciate how our staff and our parents and students rallied during this very unexpected, unprecedented time.鈥�
