Bentonville school board talks pandemic learning, graduation planning

BENTONVILLE -- The School Board held a work session Tuesday to discuss student learning during the pandemic and the 2021 commencement.

Leandra Cleveland, assessment and data manager director, shared information from the Measures of Academic Progress assessments with the board.

The assessments were given to both blended and online students in third through 10th grade, according to supporting documents.

The online assessment allows schools to assess students for growth, according to the Northwest Evaluation Association. Assessment data allows schools to adjust instruction for individual students, groups of students or entire classes based on its results.

Families had the option of online or blended learning models for the 2020-21 school year, according to supporting documents.

Almost 30% of students selected online learning, said Debbie Jones, superintendent.

The overall performance for online and blended students was similar, Cleveland said, noting all students were online at the end of the 2019-20 school year.

Growth for Bentonville students during the pandemic was also comparable in both reading and math to what it was the year prior to the pandemic, Cleveland said.

Kelly Carlson, board member, said the district should be proud of the initial results of the MAP testing.

"It's very hopeful," Jones agreed. "We'll know the full picture in the fall."

Although student learning is maintaining, Cleveland said students are becoming less engaged in school during the pandemic.

The number of failing grades recorded in the fall of the 2020-21 school year has more than doubled compared with previous fall terms, according to supporting documents.

Some 1,057 failing grades for students in fifth through eighth grade and 1,305 failing grades for students in ninth through 12th grade were recorded for the fall term, according to supporting documents. That's a respective increase of 288 and 609 from the previous year.

"We do think it is a reflection of the difficult times," said Jennifer Morrow, secondary education executive director.

The percentage of students presenting with new absence concerns also increased by 4% for elementary school students, 8% for middle-schoolers and 3% for high-schoolers, according to supporting documents.

"Every single student behind those percentages is a concern," Cleveland said.

In other news, Morrow discussed the initial plans for the 2021 commencement with the board.

The ceremonies will be at 8 a.m. May 15 at Tiger Stadium for Bentonville High School and at 7 p.m. May 15 at Wolverine Stadium for West High School, Morrow said.

The board wasn't in favor of discussions to have the ceremonies at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, as had been the case prior to the pandemic.

No more than 288 graduates can be seated at Bud Walton during the pandemic, which would result in three ceremonies for Bentonville and two for West, Morrow said.

"I can't imagine a universe with five graduations," said Matt Burgess, board member.

Jones made the administrative decision at the meeting to have walk-through ceremonies at students' home schools similar to what was offered for graduates last year.

Morrow said commencement organizers wanted to have walk-through ceremonies for students again this year, even though it would mean more work for district staff.

"I realize it's a complicated decision," said Joe Quinn, board member. "I think we could tweak what we did last year in our own facilities and make it even better."

Carlson said it would make for a more memorable experience for students to have ceremonies at their home school.

"Most parents would much rather have it at home," said Jennifer Faddis, board member. "I know there's always going to be people who disagree."