Virtual learning passed as way to make up snow day

   Virtual learning is back.

   Not as an alternative to in-person learning, but as a chance for students to make up learning time without having to make up snow days.

   The Monticello School Board, at its Dec. 20 regular meeting, approved adding virtual learning hours to the 2023-24 school calendar.

   At its last session, the Iowa State Legislature approved allowing up to 30 hours of virtual learning over the course of a school year.

   Rather than the 30 hours approved by the legislature, the Monticello Community School District will begin with a six-hour “pilot study,” as Supertintendent Brian Jaeger called it.

   Jaeger said the intent is not to have students spend their snow day completing six hours of schoolwork, which he said is not practical, but rather to give them projects they can work on over a period of weeks to make up the day.

   “Rather than jump into this with 30 hours,” Jaeger said, “We thought, ‘Let’s try it with six first, look at our data afterward and see how many kids completed those tasks, and try to (determine), how we can be better at this, before we expand it.’ ”

   A committee was formed to develop plans for the use of the six hours that would allow for levels of instruction, activity and assessment.      

   Three staff members spoke of the plans for student projects covering six hours. At the elementary level, Heather Hansen said the students will receive a “bingo board” of assignments they can work on through the Seesaw platform, with which they are already familiar.

   Kim Carlson spoke about plans for the middle school, using the Everfi online learning component to receive six hours of lessons, aligning with math, English, social studies and more.

   At the high school level. Rebecca DeWitte said, student will use Xello college and career readiness software to work on individual career and academic plans. The six hours of lessons will vary by grade.

   Jaeger said that if the experiment is successful, six more virtual hours can be added in the event of a second snow day, as well as additional hours in years to come.

In other board business:

   • The board approved the first reading of several board policies, including one pertaining to regulations on reconsideration of instructional and library materials.

   The changes within that policy, including striking the provision that two high school students be part of any reconsideration of materials, were to reflect recent changes in Iowa law.

   The board voted 4-1 to approve the first reading. Mark Rieken voted no, saying he wasn’t comfortable with the legal terms listed in the policy regarding responsibilities of the board of directors.

   • The board approved a resolution for modified allowable growth request for at-risk/dropout prevention in the amount of $369,763.

   • The board approved an additional early graduation request.

   • The board approved an educational assistance plan for a Teacher Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship Program (TPRA).

   • The board appointed Rieken to serve on the Jones County Conference Board.