Long-term Problem(s): The COVID-19 Pandemic negatively influenced the overall education sphere and caused a decline in students’ academic achievements nationwide. The pandemic also unevenly impacted minority, low-income, and disabled students. The distant education measures taken to combat the negative influence of COVID-19 pandemic affects emphasized the border between regular students and students from vulnerable segments of the population who have limited access to internet technology. Among young students, progress in reading and math declined significantly. At the same time, there is no sufficient strategic plan to ensure students’ participation in the education process for middle and high school learners. Therefore, in order to provide access to distant education technologies, Charleston County introduces the After-Hours Academy.
Contributing Factors
- COVID-19 pandemic;
- Social distancing policies;
- Interruption of the educational process;
- Shift to virtual learning model;
- Lack of alternatives to distant education;
- Limited access to technology among the vulnerable population;
- Discrimination of minority, low-income, and disabled students;
- Decline in academic achievements;
- Significant decline in reading and math skills among children;
- Lack of strategy to ensure students’ participation in the learning process;
- Lack of resources to provide equal access to virtual learning to all students;
- Low level of nation’s computer knowledge;
- Low level of parental participation in the educational process.
Strategies & Practices
- Address the gap in access to education among students from a vulnerable population.
- Provide the necessary equipment (computers, access to Wi-Fi) for students who have trouble accessing virtual learning.
- Provide tutors to educate the students on the proper use of equipment and functions of virtual learning model systems.
- Provide informational support for students’ families and./or caregivers to ensure students’ participation in the learning process.
- Improve the situation with a decline in academic achievements among Charleston County.
- Provide the necessary support for the students to help them achieve career and life goals.
Outcomes & Impacts
Systems Change
- Introduction of the new strategy that overcomes the negative influence of COVID-19 on the education system.
- Increased level of students’ academic achievements and the education system’s efficiency.
- Increase in the population’s computer knowledge and internet literacy.
- Providing access to the Internet for a vulnerable population and widespread encouraging use of Internet technologies.
- Reduced/eliminated disparity in limited access to the virtual learning process among minority, low-income, and disabled students.
- Providing more workplaces for tutors and practice places for students of educational programs.
Performance Measures
Annual Targets
- 100% of Charleston County students who have no access to virtual learning will have all the necessary equipment for participating in the education process.
- 100% of minority, low-income, and disabled students’ families or caregivers will provide support for the students during the educational process and ensure their participation.
- 10% increase in Charleston County students’ academic achievements compared to pre-pandemic results.
- 0% turnover rates among the tutors (consultants) team.
- Competitive salary compensation level that exceeds the labor market’s offers by 5%.
- Acquiring the support for the project from 3-5 sponsoring companies/retail stores.
Long-Term Objectives & Goals
5-year Targets
- 100% of students from different social groups of the local population in Charleston County will have equal access to the educational process.
- 250 minority, low-income, and disabled students will have access to the virtual learning process.
- The social entrepreneurship project will reduce the discrimination of minority, low-income, and disabled students in education.
- The reading and math skills of 250 students in the After-Hours Academy will significantly increase through the availability of constant access to the educational process.
- 100% of the participants will have an increased level of engagement in the educational process.
- Academic achievements and progress of 250 students from Charleston County will increase in a significant way.
- 100% of students’ families and caregivers will receive substantial Improvement in informational support.
- Promotion of widespread internet technology use and improved computer literacy and knowledge in the population.
- 0% turnover and high workplace satisfaction rates among tutors.
- Potentially gathering enough resources and equipment from sponsors to offer similar educational support projects in other counties of the state.