Royal schools advance on online learning, graduation
ROYAL CITY — Like other districts in the area, the Royal School District is moving forward with online learning and making plans for graduation.
During a regular school board meeting on Monday, April 27, Royal School District Superintendent Roger Trail told the school board that Monday was the first day that all teachers and students were able to access online learning.
“We’ve been doing online learning as much as possible,” Trail said in a later interview. “We had a number of staff that needed to receive training.”
During the meeting, Trail told the board that all students in the district have been given access to Chromebooks. The district has also given students the option to use a mobile hot spot. The district was able to acquire the hot spots thanks to a Gear Up grant that allowed them to purchase 300 hot spots. Additional students who need internet access can use the Wi-Fi that schools are providing. The district has extended the reach the school’s Wi-Fi so students can access it in their school’s parking lot.
The Royal School District had started the process of bringing technology to students when they hired consultant Jeff Utecht last year. They had also given all the students in Royal Middle School their own Chromebooks. The district had planned to slowly roll out Chromebooks to other schools over a period of time. But with the closure of traditional schooling for the rest of the school year, the plan has changed.
“We converted from the phase-in model to the shotgun approach,” Trail said in the interview. “Our staff has really stepped up and done everything they can to get this going. I’m really proud of them. They’re certainly giving it their all.”
As all Royal students begin this new stage of online learning, teachers and staff are figuring out how to grade students.
“We are following the guidelines from the state of not giving an F,” Trail said in the interview. “We will not give an NC for no credit. We’re giving an A, B, C, D or incomplete.”
According to state guidelines, students must at least be given the grade they had earned up through March 17, unless it is an F.
“They get that grade or have the opportunity to improve between now and June 19,” Trail said.
The district is also looking to move graduation to an online platform, while adding some unique in-person touches. Trail said that the platform the district is planning to use for the ceremony allows the speeches and ceremony to be pre-recorded. Once the online ceremony is over, the plan is for graduates to meet in one of the school parking lots and parade through town. They will then return to the high school to pick up their diplomas. The event will end with a fireworks display.
Trail said that if the governor were to suddenly switch directions a few weeks before June 5 and open everything up complete, the district might consider a normal graduation ceremony. But Trail doesn’t think that will happen. He said that other districts around the state have canceled their graduation venues. For now, planning for the online ceremony will continue.
“This is plan A for now,” Trail said.
Rachal Pinkerton may be reached via email at [email protected].