The numbers tell the same story across the country. Changes to educational learning models have coincided with increased course failure rates, leaving districts looking for ways to get the students, many who are attending classes virtually, the help they need.

During a school board workshop Tuesday night, Palmerton Area School District administrators presented data showing the percentage of course failures for 2020-21 compared to the last several years.

The high school saw a jump from 7.49% of students failing at least one class in the first marking period in 2019-20 to 13.01% for the same marking period in 2020-21. Out of 1,665 grades given at the high school during the first marking period in 2019-20, 45 of them, or 2.7% were an “F.” In 2020-21, 130, or 7.6%, out of 1,710 first marking period grades were an “F.” The percentage of students failing at least one first marking period course rose from 2.71% to 9.8% over the past year at the Palmerton Junior High School, from 3% to 7.66% at Towamensing Elementary, from 2.03% to 10.41% at S.S. Palmer Elementary, and from 1.10% to 4.90% at the Parkside Education Center.

“We’re certainly not alone in this endeavor,” Jamie Schuler, Palmerton’s assistant to the superintendent, said. “This has certainly been the most disruptive school year in the lives of these students.”

Similar increases were seen in Jim Thorpe Area School District, where 732, or 18.9%, out of 3,862 courses were failed during the first marking period of 2020-21, compared to a 6.4% course failure rate for all of last year. The course failure rate went from 1.9% to 4.3% at L.B. Morris Elementary, and from 1.8% to 4.8% at the Penn-Kidder Campus.

Palmerton and Jim Thorpe both started the school year offering hybrid and full virtual educational models. On Jan. 4, Palmerton returned to a hybrid model after a month of full virtual learning, while Jim Thorpe will be full virtual through Jan. 19.

The Pennsylvania departments of Health and Education on Thursday districts advised districts to keep elementary students in, at a minimum, a hybrid learning model, even if the county they are located in has a substantial COVID-19 transmission level.

“The research on offering in-person instruction during COVID-19 continues to emerge,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “While it is impossible to eliminate the risk of disease transmission entirely within a school setting where community spread is present, recent studies have shown that when mitigation efforts, such as universal masking, physical distancing, and hand hygiene are followed, it may be safer for younger children, particularly elementary grade students, to return to in-person instruction.”

The Times News has requested failure rate data from other area districts.

Lehighton Area School District responded to a Right To Know request in December stating it did not track failure rates.

“While there is an increase in failure rates, the numbers are certainly not as high as I was thinking they would be,” Palmerton Board President Kathy Fallow said during Tuesday’s board workshop. “I think with our students being more responsible about logging on and getting on to school, I think that will help to improve some things.”

Moving students out of the classroom and behind a screen has taken its toll across the country.

A nationwide issue

According to a study by the Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, the percentage of students with two or more F marks increased from 6% to 11% in the first quarter of the 2020-2021 school year compared to the first quarter of the 2019-2020 school year.

The Associated Press reported that Austin Independent School District in Texas had roughly 11,700 students failing at least one class by mid-October, a 70% jump from that time last year. Meanwhile, 46 percent of students in grades three through 12 in Wilson County Schools in North Carolina failed at least one class, which is more than double the rate from the same period in fall 2019.

At a board meeting in October, Williamsport Area School District had a course failure rate of 32% at the high school and 31% at the middle school through Oct. 20.

Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, in conjunction with the National Education Association, polled more than 1,300 middle and high school students around the country. A 58 percent majority of students said they were doing well academically before the virus; and only 32 percent believe they are doing well currently.

“Their school work has suffered and they crave the lost, personal interaction with their teachers,” GQRR said in its summary report from the study. “Over half attend virtual classes and many report diminished academic progress since the COVID outbreak. Nonetheless, most believe their teachers are doing the best they can. Three-quarters believe they are getting a good education, including 74 percent of those who attend online, full-time.”

Academic assistance

Palmerton surveyed its teachers about factors that contribute to failing grades. Tardiness to school or class made up 21.3% of responses, attendance issues 65.8%, failure to complete and/or submit assignments 73.7%, and lack of understanding instructional material 36.8%.

While data does show increased failure rates as a nationwide problem, local district officials and staff aren’t sitting idly by without attempting intervention.

Schuler said teachers, guidance counselors and administrators in Palmerton make daily phone calls and emails to students and families with attendance issues and academic concerns.

“Students are also given multiple opportunities to complete and submit assignments,” she said. “Instructional materials are posted in Schoology, hard copies are provided to support online instruction and videos of instructional lessons are posted to Schoology.”

Schedules in Palmerton were also adjusted to allow for additional instructional support sessions on Friday afternoons. Instructional assistants, meanwhile, provide support in break out rooms during online instruction.

“Student progress meetings continue to take place during hybrid and remote instructional models, and enrichment periods are provided at the high school during both hybrid and remote instruction,” Schuler said.

Guidance counselors in the district have also been active providing virtual Second Step lessons, conducting home visits, meeting with students virtually, and meeting with instructional teams to assist with supporting students and families. A mentor from AmeriCorps is beginning a check-in program for students and programs.

Frankelli said the district would continue to pursue grant opportunities to support after school and summer intervention groups, and contracted mental health services.

The district also encourages families to have a space at home conducive to learning, make sure students are logging on at scheduled times and completing and submitting assignments, stay in communication with the school on a regular basis and ask teachers for help when students are struggling.