Area school districts see more failing grades fall semester

The first semester of the 20-20 school year with concern.

School leaders learning the impact a pandemic can have on student's grades.

Kq2's kilee thomas with the story.

<<kilee thomas reportingreport cards across the region have taken a sharp dive sot: dr. van zyl, sjsd superintendent- "the hybrid model hasn't been as positive or effective as we would like for it to have been."

The covid-19 pandemic altering how students learn this fall semester-both the cameron and sjsd offering hybrid and virtual learningbut superintendents say that nontraditional learning styles failing students.

In a normal school year 9.3% of all grades were failing or near failingbut this year failing grades more than doubled.20.9% of all grades are d's or f's sot: dr. marlie williams, sjsd assistant superintendent- "large school districts have seen a greater number of students who are having d's and f's.

Not just virtual learning, but face- to-face learning."

Sot: zyl- "most everybody is having the same type of struggles because academic learning is best done face-to-face for the majority of students and we haven't been able to do thatthese numbers for the sjsd focus on secondary education-both virtual and in-personbut dr. van zyl says students are struggling at all levels sot: zyl-"but also speaking to our elementary, i know that they are having struggles.

Not quite as bad because they are there four days a week, but there are still challenges because there's a lot of stress and anxieties for students and families even when they're there four days a week."sjsd isn't unique in seeing poorer report cards this semestersot: dr. matt robinson, cameron school district superintendent-"we probably have more d's and f's at this point in time than we normally would."

For cameron high school-there are 41 d's amongst 32 virtual students and 241 f's out of only 67 students cameron superintendent dr. matt robinson says these numbers are after teacher, counselor and principal intervention.he says the district is really struggling with virtual learning sot: robinson- "i'd be sugar coating it if i said it wasn't.

That's a whole different realm than we're used to doing" "just because trying to reach kids that we don't get to see on a daily basis is very hard."cameron has started asking failing virtual students to return to the classroom sot: robinson- "and we've already seen grades start to improve because of that.

We're opening that option up more second semester."

And for sjvan zyl says second semester plans will be discussed at their next board meeting mondaysot: van zyl "there will probably be a pretty good discussion about trying to bring students back in for second semester, but it's covid dependent.

That's the caveat that's always there."

Both school districts say the numbers speak for themselves.

Kids are struggling.

Reporting in st.

Joseph, kilee thomas, kq2 news.

For second semester, the cameron school district anticipates less than 60 virtual students.van zyl says students in the st joseph school district still have time to turn in homework to increase those failing grades.

The last day to turn work in is january 13th.

For st.

Joseph students, their winter break began today.

In