In spring of 2021, a year after the pandemic affected schooling in the U.S., NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) used data from 8 million students and found that reading scores had fallen 3 to 6 percentile points and math scores had fallen 8-12 points. NWEA is a non-profit organization that creates testing and then uses the data from that testing to provide insight to districts, teachers, and other stakeholders so that they can better understand their student’s areas of growth and decline.
Updated scores from spring of 2022, a full two years since the pandemic closed schools, show that even after over a year back in the classroom, students are still behind. Though they have made some minor progress, the public school system is still struggling to bridge the gap that became obvious when students returned to school after lockdowns, especially since they started with an achievement gap to begin with. Every age group who took the NWEA test only showed a few percentage points of growth moving toward grade level achievement.
If your students is continuing to show signs that the pandemic achievement gap is negatively affecting them, then Excel High School might be a good option for you. We’ve got a couple of choices that can really help your student move forward rather than idling in the same skills-deficit they’ve been in since 2020. Add to that gap the large teacher shortage in different areas, and it’s time for families to find solutions for their students instead of waiting for the school to act. At EHS, we’re here to help close that gap rather than just keep pushing forward with the blind hope that it will go away.
Individual Courses
If your student is struggling to earn credits as the public school system pushes them forward into the next level, then having them retake the previous grade level content is a really good way to make sure they catch up. For example, in most school districts, a student who doesn’t pass English 9 will automatically be moved to English 10, even though they demonstrated that they were lacking the foundational skills necessary to perform well in English 10. The logical step would be for that students to retake English 9 and have the chance to make up the English 10 credit in summer school or through credit recovery. However, that’s not the plan of most school districts. As a result, your child could be sitting in English 10, Algebra II, or Geometry without a chance of being successful.
If that’s the scenario you’re facing right now, EHS offers our individual courses as a credit recovery option for students so that they can earn missing credits and have a chance to catch up with the skills they previously missed in the past so that they can be successful in the future.
Full-Time Enrollment
For some families, the school district they’re in has caused enough of an academic gap for their children that they’re ready to find a full-time solution to the problem. At EHS, we offer full-time enrollment for students, and with enrollment in our online program, students have the opportunity to work at their own pace, are given 12 months to complete a grade level of courses.
Self-paced, flexible learning means that your student can even focus on one or two courses at a time if they’d like, they can take their time to make sure that they understand the content, they won’t be distracted by overcrowded classrooms or unruly peers, and if they need help, they can schedule a session with one of our academic success coaches. We know that students work at their own pace and all need help at different times. Some students will fly through their math classes, but they’ll need a little extra time in their social studies classes. Others will fly through English but struggle more in math. EHS’s programs are truly designed to help students succeed.
In fact, some students have even chosen to completely repeat a grade level with us in order to bridge the gap in skills they faced at their school during the 2020 pandemic school shutdown. Because students can work through courses at their own pace, some students have chosen to retake classes at a faster rate to review and then move on to the next grade level all within the time period of one grade level of traditional school. Many modern students simply find online learning with Excel to be a more productive use of their time than what they face every day in overcrowded classrooms in a traditional brick-and-mortar school.
About Excel High School
Excel High School is an accredited online school that offers many different academic program options for students grade 6 through graduation. Our fully online, self-paced programs fit around your family’s schedule, and our support team is here help you along the way. If you’re not already a student with Excel High School but would like to learn more, feel free to check out our programs on our website. Still got questions? Feel free to reach out to us by text at 952-465-3700 or call us at 800-620-3844. Our staff will be happy to answer any questions you have and guide you to the best program for your individual needs.
