OLDHAM COUNTY, Ky. — Some Kentucky students have continued virtual learning post-pandemic.

According to the Kentucky Department of Education, 115 school districts in the state offer full-time virtual learning options for students. 

The Oldham County School District is asking parents to share their opinions about a digital learning option.

During the pandemic, Sarah Maddox watched her two sons spend their school days at home, taking classes remotely. Her youngest son, Troy, who was in elementary school found the lack of structure challenging.

“I think he just didn’t do well; especially [with] reading, he struggled,” Maddox said. “He struggled to read a little bit ... just sitting there on a glowing screen for hours on end.”

After her day job and making her sons’ dinner, Maddox would become Troy’s teacher, who was homeschooled until he went back to in-person classes.

Her oldest, Nathan, excelled with the self-paced nature.

“He just thrived during that time,” she said. 

Since the pandemic, more families have asked about virtual learning, said Oldham County Schools superintendent Eric Davis. 

In January, the district sent a survey to families with students in the sixth to 12th grade to gauge interest in the option.

“The feedback that we had gotten, honestly, that kind of kicked this off from parents ... many wanted an opportunity to have a flexible schedule for a variety of reasons,” Davis said. 

Of the state’s districts, 67% offer an online learning program, according to the Kentucky Department of Education. Davis said the district has been careful not to rush into offering the option.

“This is something that has to be taken very slowly and to make sure that it is done right,” he said. “We’ve had a committee for basically this entire school year to look at things on a monthly basis.”

The Kentucky Department of Education outlines five digital guideline principles school districts must follow with digital learning:

    1. Review, Align, Endorse

    2. Steward Learning

    3. Ensure Access to Supports

    4. Personalize Experiences

    5. Apply Effective Teaching Practices 

A Kentucky Content Specific Certified teacher must approve the content complies with the Kentucky Academic Standard. Teachers monitor the students’ progress, and students have access to additional support, including content coaches.

The program is designed for students to learn based on their individual progress, interests and goals.

“When our programs are set up with these high-quality components and structures, then you can truly personalize in a way that is helpful to each and every kid who’s enrolled,” said Marty Park, the Kentucky Department of Education chief digital officer. 

Maddox is familiar with homeschooling, both as a parent and a student. 

In high school, Maddox traveled for large chunks of time to help with disaster relief, an opportunity made possible through homeschooling. 

“It opened up opportunities for me to be able to travel a lot with my parents, and I got a lot of life experiences out of that,” Maddox said. “Being able to take your schooling with you on a laptop or being able to travel to different areas like that, I think there’s definitely a positive that I see there as well.”

The state has seen some families who previously homeschooled enroll in the public school district’s digital learning when offered. The option can bring more students into the district. 

Park said many students, whether attending classes in-person or online, can be positively affected.

“If you have steady enrollment, then you can do some really great budget planning,” Park said. “If you have decreased enrollment over a couple of years, then that gets really tough.” 

Maddox has seen positives and negatives of virtual learning, but her own experience with remote learning has allowed her to reap the benefits, she said.

“I can see how it would have been beneficial ... to have some more of that one-on-one teacher interaction through the virtual learning,” Maddox said. “But I also know that when I was homeschooled, it opened up opportunities for me to be able to travel a lot with my parents, and I got a lot of life experiences out of that.” 

The Kentucky Department of Education provides a toolkit to help districts develop programs to comply with state guidelines and national standards.

Davis said a committee has been formed, and Oldham County Schools is ready to jump into digital learning next academic year.