Five area school districts and Schuylkill County Intermediate Unit 29, Mar Lin, received grants to implement hybrid learning programs for students in kindergarten through 12th grades.
North Schuylkill, Pine Grove Area and Shenandoah Valley school districts will receive $20,000 while Marian High School, Hometown, Schuylkill Haven Area and IU 29 will received $17,500.
"These funds help our students improve their academic performance through 21st century learning innovations," state Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, said in a prepared statement Wednesday. "These grants enable local students to further their opportunities in the classrooms with both their teachers and their peers."
The programs provide opportunities for students from kindergarten through high school to learn in small groups and rotates them through different education stations. These stations include direct instruction with a teacher, independent learning on a computer and group collaboration with peers.
"Innovations such as hybrid learning are necessary to ensure students get the best education possible," state Rep. Neal Goodman, D-123, said. "This wise investment of federal money will help make this important innovation possible. I also want to congratulate these school districts for incorporating hybrid learning into their educational programs."
The pilot hybrid learning program was launched in 2012 in 15 Pennsylvania schools with $1.1 million in federal Title II A funds. It involved 1,900 students and 48 teachers with the goal to improve student achievement though smaller, more manageable student group sizes and deliver personalized, focused instruction to students using real-time data in a cost-effective manner.
"School districts are facing the same financial pressures as other organizations, which often has them looking to taxpayers for additional revenue," state Rep. Mike Tobash, R-125, said. "These hybrid learning opportunities will afford our children access to innovative opportunities while keeping costs low. This presents the added benefit of allowing our school districts to keep property taxes for our citizens as low as possible."
State Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-124, agreed.
"I'm pleased that these grants will help expand educational opportunities for some of our local students," he said. "When grants take pressure off local school boards while supporting innovative education strategies, it is a win both for taxpayers and students."