It was July 28, and four teachers sat in an otherwise empty room. Make no mistake however, they were hard at work teaching.

Ever since Warwick high schools introduced a virtual summer school program during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s been a popular option for students behind on credits.

“For better or for worse, once you offer something like a virtual option, it’s kind of hard to take that away,” says Tim Kane, director of the Warwick Area Career and Technical Center who oversees the summer program.

 Kane says the vast majority of summer school students now choose to stay fully virtual to complete the requirements. Some, however, still find themselves better suited to face-to-face learning, that was offered for Warwick high school students this year at Pilgrim High School.

One such student is Maggie Baker, a member of the Pilgrim Class of 2023. It was her first time attending summer school, and her first day this summer coming to meet with a teacher in person. Baker started working on her math and English credits virtually in June, but found it difficult to sit still and focus on the computer for so long, so she decided to come in.

“She learns better from people than from a computer,” says Shana Willis, math teacher in charge of her section.

Willis says virtual learning is a “good option for busy kids,” but she prefers in-person teaching. Baker, who benefited from special education classes during high school, says she wants to become a special education teacher herself, the way the teachers at Pilgrim helped her.

“I want to be able to help people move forward,” she said. She plans to attend two years at CCRI before transferring her credits to Rhode Island College, but said she was focusing on finishing her summer work first.

Maggie is one of the program’s success stories. Kane doubted she would have completed her diploma requirements had it not been for the individual attention given her by teachers.

Kane said 90 to 95% of summer school students exit with a passing grade, a number that has stayed consistent since adding the virtual option. He gave great credit to parents and guardians who follow their students’ progress and interact with teachers.

Julie Connors-Costello, who teaches history at Winman Middle School but uses her secondary education certification in the summer school program, agrees—the students who are motivated stay motivated, online or otherwise, and those who are not are not. Still, there’s a general agreement that virtual summer school is beneficial to students who work long hours or who don’t have a way to get to Pilgrim.

Summer school in Warwick uses an online program called Edgenuity, which has been in use since before the pandemic and proved vital when the risk of exposure forced a temporary switch to fully virtual summer school. The program enables students to work on their own schedules while teachers monitor their progress.

 “I think the thing that makes it successful is heavy parent contact,” said Kane. If a student is falling behind on their work—Edgenuity sets a goal of 5% progress or more in coursework daily—teachers will see on their computers, and can call the student’s parents. Connors-Costello calls students who are ahead as well, to congratulate them on their hard work and offer extra encouragement. She likes to give her students brightly-colored certificates when they complete a course.

“Everyone likes a sticker,” said Mike Costello, her husband and a social studies teacher at Pilgrim. Although in-person summer school attendance has declined since the introduction of the online option, Willis agrees that “communication with the students is still strong,” and said during summer school that she was “constantly responding to emails from students,” who can also schedule video calls with a teacher for additional help.

While in-person learning takes place on a regular schedule, from 7:30 to 11:45 a.m. on weekdays, Edgenuity lessons involve watching instructional videos and taking virtual quizzes, allowing students to complete work whenever they want. Connors-Costello said she had students who worked 12 to 14 hours a day and did schoolwork online at midnight. “It’s kind of like back in college when you pull an all-nighter,” joked her husband. It’s not a perfect system, however.

Maggie Baker knows. She said since you can’t ask a video a clarifying question, it can sometimes be a frustrating way to learn. Having teachers available to answer questions and give extra help helps the whole summer school operation to run smoothly.

For those students who don’t complete their lessons in time, there isn’t always an ideal option. Non-seniors might be able to make up lost credits by adding an extra class to their schedule the following year, but for those without that option, the alternative is repeating a grade, which Kane says is shown by research to have a negative social impact on students.

Most seniors don’t want to opt for a GED instead of a high school diploma, either, said Kane. “I think most kids realize that [completing summer school] is probably the easier option.” Thankfully, seniors have extra options to help realize that goal. Summer school for all grades ran from July 5 to August 4 this year, but seniors were given the option to start in June. Additionally, Kane allowed a little wiggle room on the deadline.

“A couple [seniors] are still finishing,” said Kane on August 8.

For seniors receiving diplomas, there’s a special graduation ceremony in store. Shortly after 9 a.m. on August 25, a group of students—about 15 seniors —will walk across the stage in the Toll Gate auditorium, dressed in cap and gown. Superintendent Lynn Dambruch and the principals of each high school will be in attendance, as will the graduates’ families and some of their teachers from summer school. Kane and Dambruch give remarks. The ceremony is not mandatory, but Kane says it’s rare that a student skips.

Despite the popularity of the online option, Warwick has no plans to replace in-person summer school, instead giving students a choice. “We try to give each student every opportunity to get the support they need to be successful,” says Willis, “whether it be helping them in person, virtually, or corresponding through email.”