By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
In August, the USD 428 Great Bend Board of Education approved 5-2 the purchase of an online tutoring program, Paper, for students in grades 5-12. Earlier this week, the program went live. Using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief money, the district paid $101,000 for a 12-month subscription to the service. Assistant Superintendent Tricia Reiser said it is all about providing 24/7 access for students.
"We're really excited about this opportunity for students, especially post-COVID, providing them the opportunity and resources to get the help they need," she said.
According to Paper's website, the service was created to solve equity, cost, and scale for school districts. Paper features multi-lingual chat-based tutoring available 24/7, and also has an essay review component so students can upload written documents and receive immediate feedback. The program went live for students Monday, but was really introduced to parents during last week's parent-teacher conferences.
"The feedback I'm getting from the buildings is that parents are very excited about this opportunity for their kids," said Reiser. "I had one parent actually stand up in one of our meetings and say, 'This is exactly what I've been looking for. I haven't been able to help my student with his homework, but now I know where to guide them so I can get the help they need.'"
Paper is available to all students in the district grades 5-12, but Reiser said it is especially aimed at those who work and play sports or are otherwise unable to get tutoring help when teachers are available. Parents have been informed about the benefits of Paper and how to login via the conferences and emails, and family engagement coordinators at Great Bend High School will host a meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 16, to further explore the program.