Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he wants schools in Ohio to develop plans to helps students who have fallen behind during the pandemic.
DeWine addressed this during his briefing on Tuesday while providing an update on getting K-12 students back in the classroom by March 1.
According to DeWine’s office, 45% of Ohio students were attending school remotely full-time in December but today, that is less than 15%.
Despite the progress, DeWine said the pandemic has taken a toll on academic progress which was covered in the Ohio Department of Education’s fall 2020 enrollment report.
“This once-in-a-lifetime pandemic has impacted all of us, so it should be no surprise that it has impacted our children. But we should not panic, nor should we be surprised by the results of assessments,” DeWine said. “Instead, we should do what Ohioans have always done when facing a challenge – stay calm, roll up our sleeves, and work to solve the problem."
DeWine asked school districts to work with their communities to help students advance and make up for any learning lost or delayed during the pandemic.
He also asked districts to create plans to meet the needs of the students including ending the school year later than scheduled, beginning the new year early or extending the school day. Summer programs, tutoring or remote options could also be considered.
DeWine said there is $2 billion available from the federal government to help districts with these programs.
Districts should provide their plans to the public and General Assembly no later than April 1, DeWine said.
