Education Reconstruction (Opinion)

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted not only schools, but the lives of children and families. The academic, social and emotional tolls of losing loved ones, losing jobs, losing homes and food insecurity are skyrocketing.The recently released Education Recovery Scorecard reveals the scale of unfinished learning Other National and State Data Showing Losses in Individual School Districts Nationwide – State and local education leaders reiterate plans to spend more than $190 billion remaining in federal pandemic relief aid allocated to education should be considered.

As always, it’s a question of education spending. Not just the amount, but how well the district spends the dollar. Federal law mandates that 90% of the funds be conditionally distributed to local school districts, so district leaders should scrutinize plans to range When material Their plans match the scale of the crisis we all face.

Investments in proven strategies are prioritized when a school district’s plans are properly implemented. extended study time; social-emotional and mental health support for students; And of course, a strong and diverse workforce of educators who provide rigorous, balanced and empowering instruction.

Previous research has shown that the district can get back on track if the recovery plan is implemented on the scale required. On the other hand, if a school district that has suffered a significant decline in academic performance spends disproportionately on facilities improvements, technology, and supplemental educational support for a minority of students, its leaders You are not ready for that moment.

Evaluating the content of district plans requires a more in-depth examination of the nature of the planned interventions. Let him consider three examples of investments.

• Individualized instruction: The evidence base for intensive and targeted tutoring includes teaching students individually or in very small groups over an extended period of time, ideally during class, using curricular, high-quality materials. , should be taught by a well-trained teacher. However, some districts say they invest in tutoring, when in reality they simply purchase a license to use an online homework help platform and send families a link if they are interested in accessing it. Or they offer fewer than the three weekly tutoring sessions that previous studies have shown to be effective.Neither approach delivers the intended benefitespecially for students with the highest needs.
• Summer learning: When school districts frame extended study hours and summer programs as optional remedial support, they are less likely to attract many students. A recent study from Education Next Many families indicate they are still unaware of the extent of unfinished learning their children have experienced, with 43% of parents saying their children have not experienced any learning loss. There are some shocking results. A purely optional summer academic program without supplementary elements or free transportation to attract participants will not work.evidence Common sense tells us that even the best summer school teachers can make no difference to students who don’t attend regularly. Or (including both core academics and enrichment) or combine “ice cream and broccoli” (through local partnerships) with high-engagement products such as robotics, arts and sports. A community-based organization to maximize student attendance while providing quality summer academic instruction).
• Core instruction: School districts may say that investments in recovery funds are designed to strengthen core instruction, but the urgent need to address unfinished learning is a question of the quality of such investments. We need to raise the bar for evaluatingReplacing weak reading curricula that ignore the science of reading Using systematic phonics instruction and one that reflects the best research on the importance of background knowledge and vocabulary building will be a wise investment. It will also be development.On the other hand, assignments to professional development activities that have unproven impact on student learning should be viewed with deep skepticism.

The Education Trust recently published a guide highlighting promising district plans for the use of recovery funds. It also details the types of questions equity advocates should ask district leaders and school board members about recovery plans. But good or good planning should be the beginning, not the end, of transparency and accountability. Districts should track the type and amount of support each student receives. This will let everyone know which interventions are most important, and potentially adjust recovery plans for next year.

Many schools and school districts have to find solutions for unfinished learning on their own. This is an opportunity loss. There are decades of research into what works. With that knowledge base, district and school leaders can implement best-practice programs this summer and fall to scale and sustain the most effective approaches. The iterative process of testing strategies, assessing impact, adapting based on continuous learning, and replicating the most effective approaches is key to progress. It’s not just a short-term pandemic recovery, it’s about using this unprecedented federal investment to change the way schools work in the long-term, especially for the most underserved students.

Now is not the time to “get back to normal”. Doing so means that the inequitable impact of the pandemic will continue to exacerbate existing inequities. If school and district leaders organize learning over the next two years, we can revolutionize summer learning, engage parents in new ways, empower educators, transform the way literacy is taught, and move forward from this pandemic. You can make sure that something good happens.