How Did Elmhurst Students And Parents Feel About E-Learning?

ELMHURST, IL — Nearly two-thirds of Elmhurst middle and high school students said they were satisfied or very satisfied in their remote lessons after the local school district closed because of the coronavirus, a survey shows. Last week, Elmhurst School District 205 presented the results of a student and parent survey in May to the school board. Asked how they felt about the district's remote learning, 61 percent of middle and high school students were satisfied or very satisfied, while 52 percent of parents felt the same way.

Throughout the survey, middle and high school students were generally more positive about e-learning than parents. For instance, 84 percent of students and 71 percent of parents felt they had support from their teachers and schools during remote learning. And in another case, 70 percent of students believed their assignments helped them learn, while 56 percent of parents agreed.

In the survey, parents' most common suggestions were for a structured schedule and more live instruction online from teachers as part of remote learning. Many students agreed they needed more live instruction, but also advised reducing the number of assignments, particularly those involving busywork.

According to the survey, 95 percent of students said they had sufficient access to devices for remote learning. The district said 10 students lacked internet access. According to state figures, 15 percent of District 205 students come from low-income homes.

At last week's school board meeting, board member Karen Stuefen asked whether there was enough consistency in lessons among teachers in the same grade. In response, Superintendent Dave Moyer said the district was always working on consistency.

"I don't know what we are seeing (with remote learning) is markedly different from what we experience if teachers were in a traditional setting," he said. "The vast majority of our teachers did a good job. I think some teachers struggled a little bit."

According to the district, 17 percent of middle and high school students and 28 percent of parents responded to the survey.

In 2019, the school district's enrollment was 8,573, according to the Illinois Report Card.

Illinois students are returning to in-person learning in the fall, the state announced Tuesday.