Chico Unified School District has faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, worsened by the lingering effects of the Camp Fire.
Teachers, parents and students have needed to adjust to the complexities of virtual instruction, hybrid school schedules and separation from classmates.
According to Jay Marchant, assistant superintendent of education services, student performance has suffered:
“At the elementary (level) they have certain assessments that we give,” Marchant said. “So we’re tracking that and we are showing a dip, a little bit in their reading levels and their math levels. And then at the secondary level, we’ve been tracking grades and we can tell you that first semester, all student groups, we’ve had an increase in F’s.”
In response, the district is providing a number of resources for students who have fallen behind. Some examples include ongoing technical support, tutorial services, and supplemental instruction over the summer and breaks.
Students have the opportunity to raise their grades by signing up for additional instruction. Marchant said it has helped to have kids back in the classroom part-time, but bringing all students back up to speed will require long-term effort and resources.
“I believe it’s a year and a half to two and a half (years)…that we’re going to need to get our kids caught-up,” he said.
Marchant noted that continuing these programs long-term will depend in part on additional funding from the state.
