Baker details education options

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Rhonda Baker (R-Yukon), chair of the House Common Education Committee, on Monday commented on education options that are being provided for Oklahoma public school students after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of public school facilities.

Schools initially were closed through April 6, tacking an extra week onto spring break. The State Board of Education met last week to determine that public school buildings would remain closed for the remainder of the current school year but instructed schools to begin planning distance-learning options for each of their students.

“For many students, this will involve some type of online learning,” Baker said. “For others that have limited or no internet access, their districts are meeting to plan curriculum options and ways to distribute homework packets to each student. Districts are involving their teachers in the process. Our goal is for students to be able to continue learning so when this crisis is over, they can move forward into their next grade without being behind in their studies.”

Baker said in addition to traditional schoolwork, students that are taking Advance Placement (AP) through College Board will be able to continue those courses for free online with at-home exams so they can continue to earn the college credit toward which they’ve been working.

Resources include at home digital testing that will focus on what most schools were able to complete by early March. Students will be able to take exams on any device to which they have access, a computer, tablet or smartphone. They also will have the option to write their responses by hand and submit a photo.

Students also can access free online review courses delivered by AP teachers from across the country.

Details on AP are available here: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/coronavirus-updates.

College Board also is working to help students with connectivity issues. Students who need mobile tools or connectivity can request help by going to: https://collegeboard.tfaforms.net/74.

Baker said she also was pleased that the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority has adjusted its daytime schedule to provide curriculum-based programming for students on its broadcast channel, OETA World. More information and program schedules can be found here: http://www.oeta.tv/blogs/education/distance-learning-with-oeta/.

“It has been encouraging to see teachers and parents work together as a team to continue the important work of educating our students,” Baker said. “I appreciate the efforts of each of them during this unique time in history.”