To put together our annual public high school report card, we gleaned information from the Florida Department of Education to gather key data in areas like graduation rates and senior class size. Due to COVID-19, the average SAT scores were not available to us at press time, so we are running the most recent numbers and encourage you to visit our website in the near future after we have had chance to update the statistics. We also spoke to several educational leaders to find out what this school year will bring as districts aim to get students back on track after the challenges caused by the pandemic.

Orange County Public Schools and the Osceola County School District have been hard at work preparing for the new academic year as they aim to get students back on track after last year’s unprecedented hurdles.

The 2020-2021 school year was by far one of the most challenging for students, teachers and administrators around the world. Closer to home, Orange County Public Schools and the Osceola County School District were determined to ensure that students were still able to learn even through unconventional methods, such as distance learning. Though some students were seemingly unaffected by the circumstances, others inevitably could not overcome the social, emotional and academic obstacles caused by the pandemic.

In April, an executive order signed by state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran allowed for school districts to waive state assessments, including those required for high school graduation and the advancement of third graders to fourth grade. This did not allow for a “free pass” for students as their academic records needed to show a “comparable level of achievement” in order to graduate. Those determinations were made on a case-by case basis.

The superintendents in Orange and Osceola counties, Dr. Barbara Jenkins and Dr. Debra Pace, respectively, agree that this decision was advantageous to all students. Pace says, “The 2020-2021 school year was certainly different than anything any of us have ever experienced. It took quite an emotional toll on students as well as teachers, faculty and parents. We recognized that some students would most likely fall behind academically, given the challenges faced, particularly those who remained in the digital environment for a longer period of time.  However, instead of penalizing kids for circumstances out of their control, the decision was made to have the students tested without having those high-stake penalties hanging over their heads.”

Jenkins concurs, adding, “The waiving of certain penalties based upon state achievement tests was beneficial to students and schools. After such a tumultuous year, it would have been devastating to enforce third-grade promotion, graduation and school grade decisions based upon outcomes that were impacted by the pandemic. It will be useful to receive state testing data that will inform instruction for the coming year. Principals and teachers will be able to appropriately plan to accelerate learning for students.”

Though last school year’s grade level advancement and graduation were not contingent upon passing final exams, testing was still administered, and in advantageous cases counted toward the students’ grades. Pace explains, “What we are doing with the end-of-course (EOC) exams, which are typically a percentage of the students’ grades, is giving students the benefit of the doubt. If that EOC score would improve their grade for the year then we are going to count it, if it would harm their grade for the year then we are going to leave it out of the equation. Being able to look at each individual situation, as well as collectively, allows us the opportunity to examine each child’s progress in order to help make good decisions about how to move forward.”

Both counties have offered academic support programs for students this summer to help offset some of the learning loss experienced during the pandemic. “We were pleased that 50,000 students have been thriving at this year’s summer enrichment program,” Jenkins states. “It should position them for greater success as they return for the next school year. Our incredible teachers and staff will continue to closely monitor all of our students and provide support and assistance when needed. Additional resources will be in place for academic tutoring and counseling as well.”

Looking ahead

As the start of school nears, both counties are preparing to promptly get students moving in the right direction. “Prior to the start of school, our teachers and counselors will have had some time to really look at last school year’s testing data and then develop strong teaching plans right out the gate,” Pace says. “We plan to start the intervention and enrichment processes from the first day of school. In addition, we are making a plan for the federal dollars that are coming in to see what kinds of programs we can put in place to help support kids who need more time, more attention, more small-group work in order to catch back up on the learning that they have missed and fill in those academic gaps.”

Even with the pandemic still ongoing and much work ahead to get students back on course, many are feeling a great sense of hope and optimism as the new school year approaches. “We are excited to welcome over 204,000 students back for the 2021-2022 school year,” Jenkins says. “Our families should expect similar safety measures as were in place last year. Obviously, social distancing where possible is further limited due to increased attendance. Hand sanitizer will remain available for students and staff while campuses will continue to be regularly cleaned and disinfected. A critical safety strategy is for parents to keep students home when they are not feeling well. While not mandated at this time, the school board is recommending the use of face masks inside the school and on buses for children who have not been vaccinated.”

Pace echoes that sentiment. “At this point in time our board has gone with a mask optional policy,” she says. “We are going to continue to practice social distancing as much as we can. It will be a challenge with 100% of the kids back in school, however, we will make sure desks are facing one direction, hallway movement is one direction, when possible, as well as maximizing the use of our outdoor spaces.”

Only time will tell how the 2021-2022 school year will pan out for students and educators, but if the care, thought and preparations going into it are any indication, then the upcoming year will hopefully prove to be more successful than the last.