Don’t treat second round of NTI as another vacation from learning

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Jefferson County Public Schools students haven’t been in an actual school building since March. They are headed back to round two of Non-Traditional Instruction on Aug. 25.

If you are feeling nervous about it, you aren’t alone. The district said it has learned a lot and plans to make the process easier in the new school year. There are things parents can do to make it smoother, too.

Don’t let children treat this second round of NTI as a vacation. Summer break is almost over, and it’s important to remind them that learning is still important, although they’ll be learning in a different way again.

”Parents could have a conversation with their kids about what they thought worked well and what they thought didn’t work well,” Taylor Garver, from UofL Health Peace Hospital, said.

Garver said reading is one of the best brain-building activities parents can do with their children. If they have had the summer off from learning, start breaking out the workbooks to ease back into learning. Start figuring out a good space for kids to learn that will limit their distractions.

”The more calm they are, in a calm environment, they are able to gain more information,” Garver said.

JCPS said it realizes students will have some ground to cover with missed learning opportunities.

”Nationally, predictions are that students will be behind in reading and more significantly in math,” Dr. Carmen Coleman, JCPS Chief Academic Officer, said.

The district will be assessing where kids are in September virtually through their MAP assessment, which is a measure of academic progress. With NTI 2.0, there will be more structure, and parents also will have improved access to a tool kit with resources to help them.

Coleman said the district and parents should pay close attention to children who are transitioning from one level to the next, like students going from elementary school to middle school or middle to high school.

JCPS also said it wants to help children who have lost a loved one during the pandemic, adding that such a loss can have an impact on their learning. Coleman urged parents to tell their child’s teacher or counselor to help them cope.

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