Spring ISD reaches out to struggling students with home visits
SPRING, Texas -- If you live in Spring, a knock on your door on Saturday may not be a salesman, especially if you have children who attend Spring ISD schools.
Volunteers spent their Saturday visiting homes of students who are struggling with attendance or are failing classes.
Staff from all 40 schools in the district fanned out to make contact with children who need help.
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Organizers said they want to help find out what's keeping students from succeeding during remote learning, as well as offer them counseling and tutorials.
This week, the Texas Education Agency said school districts can pinpoint students with a class average of 70 or below and require them to return to in-person learning. Students with three or more unexcused absences can also be required to return to the classroom.
While Spring ISD volunteers fanned out, other districts like La Porte ISD are reporting grim numbers about online engagement and success.
As many as 40% of La Porte's students who are learning remotely are failing in grades 6 through 12, according to staff. Only 24% of students taking classes in person are failing there.
"We are defeated because no matter how hard we work, many of the students who are not face-to-face are struggling to keep up," said Michell Jackson with La Porte Junior High. "We are giving 110% every day, and we are positive that not all of our students are receiving it."
Back in Spring, volunteers asked students and parents to make a commitment: participate in online learning or return to the classroom in person. Around 50% of the 35,000 students in the district are already back in the classroom.
