State Superintendent invests in online tool to mitigate learning loss
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister is working to make sure all schools have the tools they need this school year after students spent nearly six months out of the classroom.
In June, Hofmeister announced a new online tool called Exact Path that all school district’s across Oklahoma could use for free to help students catch up after potential learning loss.
“This can be used with a district whether they are building their own online platform or using one of the high-quality vendors that can supply that right away for all their students in their schools,” Hofmeister said.
Exact Path is a math and reading online supplement for K-12 students.
“It helps determine where their strengths and weaknesses are and customizes a plan to build toward that academic growth roll, being on grade level by the end of the year, for example,” Hofmeister said.
Hofmeister said it will give students a more tailored approach in that growth goal and lessons to succeed to reach it.
During an interview with FOX 25, Hofmeister said the tool is critical in helping determine where students stand at the beginning of the school year and how to close any learning gaps they may have.
“When we think about (it), our children haven’t been in face-to-face learning since March 16, so there’s already unfinished learning and now we know over the summer, there are also learning gaps that develop. We call it the summer learning slide,” Hofmeister said. “That’s been compounded by COVID-19. This year, as we come back in, we would normally be reviewing the spring test results and making plans on how to close gaps, that didn’t occur. So, we don’t have that information for our schools.”
Hofmeister said through the CARES Act, the state was able to purchase Exact Path.
“It was given to the State Department of Education and we then, in return, made this purchase at a state rate which is much less than if districts were doing that on their own,” Hofmeister said.
She said 75% of school districts are using Exact Path.
“These are the modules that we would have a student do for distance learning. They would do a lesson, a practice, and a quiz daily for each subject: math and reading,” Kali Naylor said, teacher at William R Teague Elementary.
“Not only does it address the need of learning loss and making sure the students don’t fall behind, it allows them to continue to accelerate where they’re currently at,” said Ryan Hagedorn, COO of Edentum.