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Many educators developed creative and effective strategies to teach their students by using technology in a variety of ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. As schools return to in-person learning, effective uses of technology should not disappear. Instead, they should become a foundation for students to engage in learning with other students in the classroom and beyond.
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Many students, families, and teachers looked forward to in-person learning this fall, but now find themselves on a pandemic roller coaster as the school year opens with a surge of COVID-19 cases. It is critical that we follow the available science so that we can protect students and ensure their education.
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Felicitas & Gonzalo Mendez High School, a community school located in East Los Angeles, provides its students with rigorous and engaging academics in a nurturing and inclusive environment. Driven by a shared commitment to educational justice and building strong, community-grounded partnerships, the school prioritizes student engagement and leadership, both on and off the campus.
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Although schools are reopening on the shifting sands of COVID-19 variants and low vaccination rates in some regions, they can resume in-person classes in a safe and supportive manner using science-based mitigation approaches, such as masking and social distancing, and by attending to student and teacher social and emotional needs.
Jennifer A. BlandAdam K. Edgerton Desiree O'NealNaomi Ondrasek
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Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, districts nationwide have faced the difficult task of reopening schools safely and keeping them open, while also accelerating student learning and attending to the trauma and loss experienced by students and families. By adopting a nimble and forward-looking recovery strategy encompassing social and emotional, as well as physical, safety, Tulsa Public Schools had a safe and successful spring and summer 2021, and plans to continue these efforts into the fall.
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Early childhood assessments can provide important information to guide instruction and inform policy. Given the widespread and growing use of statewide kindergarten entry assessments, it is important to understand how to choose and use assessments wisely. This brief summarizes research and provides recommendations for state policymakers about how to select, develop, and implement high-quality assessments that can both improve policy systems and support equitable learning.
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Kindergarten entry assessments, when well designed and well used, have the potential to support high-quality equitable learning by guiding instruction and supporting whole child development. However, when poorly designed or misused they can foster poor teaching practices and exacerbate inequity. Some states and districts have developed thoughtful, holistic systems that can be used from preschool through early elementary school to support developmentally appropriate instruction.
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Thanks to unprecedented funding from the American Rescue Plan and other federal, state, and local resources, school districts across the country are leveraging several evidence-informed strategies to accelerate learning and support student wellbeing. Local initiatives include conducting formative assessments to measure and support students’ growth and health, providing high-quality tutoring that is connected to classroom instruction, and expanding learning time.
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The convergence of disruption, innovation, empowerment, and new funding offers an unprecedented opportunity to reimagine how we "do school." This includes expanding access and broadening the scope of summer learning and before- and after-school opportunities to be more responsive to students and families and offer creative, project-based learning and enrichment activities that build skills, expand horizons, and lead to a wide range of positive student outcomes.
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Federal COVID relief packages have allocated more than $176 billion for pandemic-related education needs—the federal government’s largest single investment in schools. In a series of fact sheets, policy experts discuss how states and districts can develop, implement, and refine plans for these funds. Investing in workforce development, recruitment and retention is a high-impact way to support quality student learning.
