Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes ofwebsite accessibility

West Michigan schools report 2x increase in failing first-quarter grades from 2019 to 2020


West Michigan schools are reporting in line with a nationwide increase in failing grades during the first quarter of the 2020 school year. (WWMT/File)
West Michigan schools are reporting in line with a nationwide increase in failing grades during the first quarter of the 2020 school year. (WWMT/File)
Facebook Share IconTwitter Share IconEmail Share Icon

After a nationwide report revealed more students had failing grades on report cards in 2020 compared to 2019, News Channel 3's Hannah Knowles began digging into West Michigan data and found a similar trend happening in the area.

According to Rick Reo, the Paw Paw Public School's Superintendent, 2020 first-quarter report cards showed an increase in failing grades for both high school and middle school students compared to the same time in 2019.

Reo's data showed for high school students in 2019, 6.76% of students reported failing grades during the first quarter of the school year. In 2020, that number had jumped to 11.66%.

For middle school students, 2019 data showed 2.19% of students reported failing grades, while in 2020, that number had more than tripled to 10.24%.

"What's happening now will impact how next year starts, and we need to meet kids where they are so if they are not ready for the incoming year, that's where we will start them when the fall begins," Reo said. "I can tell you it's a lot better than it was in the spring. We've come a long way, but we aren't where we want to be. We will keep after it because we don't have a lot of options right now."

Continuing coverage:

Tim Allard, superintendent of the Battle Creek Area Learning Center, an alternative high school, said there would be a lot of catching up to do once schools returned to a more standard schedule.

"No one wants to be very public about the fact that kids are struggling but it's happening everywhere, not just here," Allard said. "Am I seeing an increase in failure rates? Absolutely. I'd say we are at least at 50%."

Allard said his students were typically those who struggled with traditional learning and had fallen off track. Allen predicted more kids could soon be moving to layouts like his district if current trends continued.

“When you give them an online course that is designed for everyone in the state, there is a certain rigor behind it, and the reading and comprehension level is very difficult," Allard said. “I have no doubt the toll this is taking on them emotionally is adding up.”

News Channel 3's Hannah Knowles reached out to seven different West Michigan school districts to see where their grades sat on the report card system in 2020.

Kalamazoo Public Schools declined to comment, Battle Creek Public Schools, Mattawan Public Schools, and South Haven Public Schools never returned Knowles' calls.

Otsego Public Schools did not provide any report card data for the 2019-2020 school year, but they did provide a statement:

Otsego Public Schools is currently reviewing first-trimester data with respect to failures at the secondary level. Once this data is reviewed to determine the number of failures in comparison to last Fall we will be making recommendations for improvement starting January 2021. We have been meeting monthly with our Return to Learn Taskforce to identify ways to improve our Hybrid Learning Platform with the intent of creating additional contact time with students during their remote learning days. We are in the process of hiring additional staff to meet these needs for our students." — Jeff Haase, superintendent of Otsego Public Schools

Portage Public Schools did not provide any statistics on grades and report cards in the district, but they did provide a statement:

While we have seen students thrive with virtual learning, we have seen that there are many challenges for students learning remotely. Not just grades, but socially and emotionally we see it taking its toll. The same could be said for the teachers and staff. That is why we are making plans to bring elementary students back in-person after winter break, and secondary students a second semester, but only if we can do so safely. For our student's sake, we need everyone to do their part to slow the spread." — Michelle Karpinski, community relations manager for Portage Public Schools

According to the Portage Public Schools website, the district was set to return to in-person learning on Jan. 4, 2021.

"Anytime a child fails a class, that is an indication that we have a problem," Reo said. "We are dealing with a really challenging situation right now and I have to give praise to all my teachers who are working so hard to keep kids afloat."

Knowles also reached out to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's press office for a response to the state's declining grades. After five tries, she never heard back.

More:

"We just have to keep holding out hope that things are going to start trending towards normal and that hopefully kids can return to in-person learning after the holidays," Reo said. "We have gotten the feedback from parents that they have noticed the changes in children and they are to some level depressed.”

"Kids are missing out on so many other things besides just academics," Allard said. "Kids are social creatures and without interaction, it feels like next year is a long way away. ... I don't know what the solution is, this has been a tough year for these kids many of who already have barriers. We just are not seeing the kind of response or interaction we need to help them be successful."

Follow Hannah Knowles on Facebook and Twitter. Send story ideas and tips to hknowles@sbgtv.com.

Loading ...