School district sees spike in students failing classes during pandemic

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Mohonasen Central School District is seeing a higher percentage of students forced to take summer school in order to pass a class.

Superintendent Shannon Shine said about 40 percent of his high school students are in summer school after failing a class. That number took Shine by surprise. 

"You're thinking, 'This can't be.'" That type of statistic doesn't have a place here," Shine said. 

The Mohonasen superintendent said, pre-pandemic, only 15 percent of students were in summer school. He attributes the spike of students failing classes to distance learning during the pandemic. 

"Despite all best efforts we still had a segment of the population who weren't being as successful," Shine said. 

Instead of students repeating the same class, there's a program called Apex. It targets specific areas of a subject where a student has difficulty. Once they've hit competency level in that area, they'll pass the class. 

"We're meeting students exactly where they're at and we're giving them what they need," Shine said. 

The issue is not a suburban, rural or urban problem. Shine's collaborating with other superintendents in the Capital Region who are having the same issues, so all students in the area are able to succeed. 

"When we're open and honest in dialogue and collaboration, it's kind of synergistic. You get better ideas, and you can better serve the students and faculty and staff," Shine said.