Data shows Knox students had ‘Opportunity to Learn’ during COVID-19

Chromebook shown with text opportunity to learn

School Report Card data released by the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) on Wednesday included non-assessed data including ‘Opportunity to Learn’ survey results.

The Opportunity to Learn survey was added for the 2020-2021 school year, which contains seven survey items on each form. The survey was designed to capture students’ perceptions of their educational circumstances during the 2020-2021 school year.

The results from the Opportunity to Learn survey show evidence that despite the unfortunate circumstances created by COVID-19, most students viewed their virtual learning as a positive
experience. Knox County data compared to the state average shows that Knox was higher in two of the three questions reported by the state. In the third question, Knox County was higher in two grade levels and only 1.6% lower in a third.

In the news release published, KDE commended teachers.  The report states, “due to the extraordinary efforts Kentucky’s teachers and district staff, overall, Kentucky’s students felt supported throughout the school year.”

Three of seven questions released by KDE in their report were:

“When my school building was closed because of COVID-19, I was able to work with my teacher and classmates online.”

Agree / Strongly Agree Knox County State Average
Elementary 91.6 90.33
Middle School 84.2 80.5
High School 75.3 77.6

“My teachers were available when I needed help (such as through virtual office hours, email, chat).”

Agree / Strongly Agree Knox County State Average
Elementary 94.5 91.5
Middle School 91.1 87.7
High School 85.8 84.2

“My schoolwork helped me learn new things this year.”

Agree / Strongly Agree Knox County State Average
Elementary 96.1 95.1
Middle School 85.9 80
High School 75.2 61.7

Knox County contributes the higher than state averages to the investment in technology the district has made.  The district is now 1:1 with student Chromebooks, digital learning coaches were in place at all schools to assist their colleagues with the setup of online learning environments and various online resources to supplement their virtual classroom, and the district through grant partners was able to provide temporary Internet access to households.

The district feels that temporary and long-term closures during COVID-19 have helped teachers and students grow.  With technology upgrades in every classroom, and students familiar with the online tools, the online learning experience will continue post-COVID.  Students who are absent from class may be able to log in and watch their teacher live or recorded and complete assignments for the day.  Students who were in class, but need to refresh their understanding of skills or review for an assessment, will have the archived lessons that they can refer back to.

Complete released data from KDE is available online in the School Report Card suite at www.kyschoolreportcard.com.