Manatee School District moved quickly to teach students online. They’re logging on
After the emergence of COVID-19 and the abrupt move to online learning, Manatee County schools are celebrating their victories and working to connect students with their online classrooms.
Between March 30 and April 19, about 97 percent of students logged on to Schoology, the district’s online learning platform, according to data obtained through a records request.
When the Bradenton Herald first inquired about student participation in early April, spokesman Mike Barber said the school district was tracking 44,378 students at district-run programs. About 89 percent had logged in at the time, not including the students at charter schools, contracted sites or home school.
The updated reports include a smaller pool of students — just under 42,000 — and a total log-in rate of 97 percent. In a prepared statement sent through Barber, the district said its updated numbers reflect actual enrollment and Schoology usage.
“Our original report for Week 1 included every student who had been enrolled in the district at any point during the 2019-20 school year,” the statement read. “Week 2 only listed those who were still enrolled. The percentage of students logging in online increased because we distributed more computer devices and provided additional Wi-Fi Accessibility.”
The reports break down student involvement at each school and grade level, and while 97 percent of students logged in at some point during online learning, the weekly participation varied.
Four schools had 100 percent of their students log in to Schoology at some point between March 30, the start of online learning, and the close of April 19.
They were Haile Middle School, Witt Elementary School, Stewart Elementary School and Gullett Elementary School. Another 23 schools were nearing the same milestone, with 99 percent of their students logging in to Schoology at some point in the past three weeks.
Horizons Academy, an alternative school in Bradenton, appeared to be struggling. The campus had an overall log-in rate of 41 percent, but according to Manatee’s statement, the rate was misleading.
“Horizons focuses a lot more on credit recovery and is therefore using the credit recovery platform instead of Schoology,” the statement read. “We are working to adjust future reports to compensate for this.”
Access to Education, which provides special education services, was at 76 percent. Manatee Virtual School was about the same, with 77 percent of students logging in at some point over the last several weeks, according to the reports.
However, the district said, students in virtual school use a different eLearning program, and students in Access to Education receive more of their coursework through verbal communication and individualized help.
“We have students who do not show up in Schoology results because they use other platforms for remote learning,” the statement read. “Those numbers were not captured in previous reports.”
The records also indicate that most Title I schools — campuses with a high number of economically disadvantaged students — had met or exceeded the district’s log-in rate of 97 percent.
Lincoln Memorial Academy: 99 percent, totaling 420 students.
Palmetto Elementary School: 99 percent, totaling 643 students.
Lee Middle School: 99 percent, totaling 1,001 students.
Moody Elementary School: 99 percent, totaling 621 students.
Bayshore Elementary School: 99 percent, totaling 728 students.
Palm View K-8 School: 98 percent, totaling 540 students.
Sugg Middle School: 98 percent, totaling 978 students.
Sea Breeze Elementary School: 98 percent, totaling 539 students.
Abel Elementary School: 98 percent, totaling 467 students.
Bayshore High School: 98 percent, totaling 1,367 students.
Blackburn Elementary Schools: 97 percent, totaling 488 students.
Tillman Elementary School: 97 percent, totaling 662 students.
Samoset Elementary School: 97 percent, totaling 571 students.
Ballard Elementary School: 97 percent, totaling 416 students.
Daughtrey Elementary School: 97 percent, totaling 675 students.
Prine Elementary School: 97 percent, totaling 696 students.
The rate of participation varies each week. For example, while the district-wide report shows 97 percent of students logging in during the course of online learning, the rate was slightly less in the week between April 13 and 19, with 94 percent of students accessing Schoology.
Oneco Elementary School was at 93 percent overall, but it had 81 percent of students online — 12 percentage points less — over a one-week period.
Students are counted as present for five days of the week if they completed — or attempted to complete — all work during the school week, according to Manatee’s eLearning handbook.
While the typical week ends on a Friday, the online school week is Monday through Sunday.
“As students work in an on-line environment, flexibility is important when considering various student learning styles,” the handbook states. “Students will have seven days to complete all weekly assignments.”
Manatee schools passed out thousands of laptops, and the district installed WiFi hotspots on dozens of school buses, sending them into the community.
But even with the proper tools, online learning requires heavy involvement from parents, who might be consumed with work or other everyday responsibilities. In past interviews, several parents said they were apprehensive about tackling unfamiliar subjects and becoming overnight teachers.
The School District of Manatee County said the high log-in rate — 97 percent as of April 19 — was evidence of a successful transition to online learning.
“Our teachers and support staff are committed to helping our students finish this school year on a strong note regardless of the circumstances,” the district said in a community update.
This story was originally published April 27, 2020 at 5:00 AM.