TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo Public Schools is hoping a new initiative will help keep learning alive when school lets out.
"Today is a creative opportunity to take technology, the world that they were born into, and using it to its advantage. To have focus on achievement during the summer months," said TPS Superintendent Dr. Romules Durant.
The district has 600 Chromebooks the state says are no longer suitable for testing, but they still have plenty of life left for students in grades kindergarten through three to use this summer.
The Chromebooks will have the iReady program on them, which is adaptive to a student's individual skill level.
"We're asking for between 15 and 20 minutes a day. Get on your Chromebook. Get on your iReady program and continue your reading instruction," said Executive Transformational Leader of Instruction, Jim Gault.
District leaders say "summer slide" is a real thing and students will be tested in September so they want the kids to stay sharp and prepare them for the Third Grade Guarantee test.
"I feel like it's a very proactive approach to tackling the issues that TPS has with testing scores," said Ottawa River Elementary School parent, Nadja Brocus.
There's incentive. Students who put in at least 10 hours over the summer on their Chromebooks get to keep them.
Parents can get their kids signed up for the program at informational meetings later this month.
There are three meetings on May 22 at 5:30 p.m. - one at Bowsher High School, one at the Board of Education and one at the DeVilbiss Building
A second meeting is May 28 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at The Board of Education.
Find complete details here: https://www.tps.org/discover-tps/news/1857-free-chromebooks-to-help-with-summer-slide-of-youngest-tps-students.html
Students without WiFi at home are encouraged to get connected at their local library branch.
"Every student in the district should have opportunities for enrichment over the summer," says TPS Board of Education President Stephanie Eichenberg.
At the library, students can also sign up for the summer reading program. http://www.toledolibrary.org/summerread