Fresno Unified says extra assistance may be needed to catch students up this fall

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- As Valley districts prepare for the upcoming fall semester, many parents and teachers are wondering if the time away from the classroom could impact students' grades.

Parent Tacie Avedikian says homeschooling over the past semester has not been easy.

"The more that time went on, and we started to see a change in our girls' personality, that's when we were like, 'gosh we had almost taken advantage when they were in public school all day long and never realized how much they needed it,'" Avedikian said.

When COVID-19 forced schools to close their doors, Avedikian says she and her husband worked with their girls every day.

"I still feel like, 'oh my goodness, I need to make sure they're continuously learning even in the summer because I feel like things got put on such a halt previously that I don't know if they're behind," continued Avidikian.

Now they wonder if this time outside the classroom could impact their grades.

"I do worry if they don't do a recap at the start of next year, I don't know where she might fall," Avedikian said.

While each district's plan looks different, they all share the same goal to make sure students get back up to speed.

"It's not going to be a concept where we're going to catch everyone up the first three weeks of school," Carlos Castillo with Fresno Unified's Curriculum Instruction.

At Fresno Unified, staff members say they realize not all students are on the same page when it comes to their studies.

"Some of our students were engaged in taking care of other siblings or we had students working online from Washington and Oregon," said Castillo.

Fresno Unified plans to adjust the curriculum accordingly to make sure missed learning is addressed and add additional staff at school sites as needed.

"So when they come back, we have extra support at the schools to be able to help our students with some of these pieces at well," added Castillo.

They also say students may not be as behind as originally feared since the fourth quarter is often spent in review and testing.

"After testing, we're preparing for the next school year, so if we're going to miss a quarter, it would have been the fourth quarter that would be most advantageous to miss," said Castillo.

In Fresno Unified, parents will choose if they want their students to attend class in-person full-time or pursue e-learning.