Learning in the Time of COVID-19

This blog series explores evidence-based and equity-focused strategies and investments to address the current crisis and build long-term systems capacity.

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Blog

Eroding Opportunity: COVID-19’s Toll on Student Access to Well-Prepared and Diverse Teachers

Michael A. DiNapoli Jr.

Feb 10 2021
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Well before the pandemic, districts across the country grappled with ongoing teacher shortages, driven by both teacher turnover and significant declines in those choosing to enter the profession. COVID-19 has only worsened these pre-pandemic conditions, undermining access to well-prepared and experienced teachers, especially for students from historically underserved groups. A number of federal opportunities are key levers to strengthening the pipeline into the profession.

Topics COVID-19, Educator Quality, Educator Quality: Recruitment & Retention
Blog

The Importance of Getting Tutoring Right

Adam K. Edgerton

Jan 21 2021
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Can large-scale tutoring support students and teachers in addressing lost instructional time? The short answer is yes, but only if we pay close attention to the details of implementation to avoid the mistakes of the past. New policy proposals can draw upon the most up-to-date education research to design tutoring programs that are effective in meeting student needs.

Topics COVID-19, Deeper Learning: Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment, Deeper Learning, Equitable Resources and Access
Blog

Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities: The Role of Expanded Learning Time in Advancing Educational Equity

Sarah Klevan

Jan 14 2021
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In Baltimore City and around the country, community-based organizations, often in partnership with schools and districts, are providing students with structured expanded learning opportunities during the pandemic. These connections and supports are providing students critical opportunities to build skills and stay connected to their peers, mentors, and community while schools are shuttered.

Topics COVID-19, Equitable Resources and Access
Blog

A Second Round of Federal Relief: An Important Next Step

Michael Griffith,

Jessica Cardichon,

Michael A. DiNapoli Jr.

Dec 28 2020
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A new bipartisan federal COVID-19 rescue package will supply public schools with additional financial support to help address a wide range of needs. The question is, what will this long-awaited federal aid provide and what more will be needed to allow schools to open safely and offer quality instruction?

Topics COVID-19, Equitable Resources and Access
Blog

The Air We Breathe: Why Good HVAC Systems Are an Essential Resource for Our Students and School Staff

Michael Griffith,

Allie Pearce

Dec 08 2020
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As many as 10 million students and more than one million public school employees who are engaged in some form of in-person learning may be at risk of heightened exposure to COVID-19, due to outdated and poorly functioning heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The risk is greatest in schools serving predominantly students of color and students from low-income families. Federal funding is critical to addressing the pressing need to repair and update existing systems.

Topics COVID-19, Equitable Resources and Access
Blog

Closing the Digital Divide: The Critical Role of the Federal Government

Adam K. Edgerton ,

Peter W. Cookson, Jr.

Nov 10 2020
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In 2020, internet connectivity and adequate devices are a necessity, not a luxury. And the cost of providing our young people with these necessities is well within our reach. Federal investments are critical to ensuring all students have the high-speed broadband and technological devices they need to access instruction and support. This includes making sure that any technology provided is accessible for English learners and for students with disabilities.

Topics COVID-19, Equitable Resources and Access
Blog

District Support Is Key to Principal Success

Stephanie Levin

Oct 27 2020
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Districts play an essential role in the success of school principals, including by fostering a collaborative culture and ensuring that site leaders have needed resources and supports. These structures and practices are important all the time, and have become even more critical during the pandemic. This blog explores how the systems and practices set up by the San Diego Unified School District are supporting principals during the COVID-19 crisis.

Topics COVID-19, Educator Quality
Blog

A World of Hardship: Deep Poverty and the Struggle for Educational Equity

Peter W. Cookson, Jr.

Oct 06 2020
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More than 5 million children in the United States live in deep poverty, including nearly 1 in 5 Black children under the age of 5. These numbers will no doubt grow, given the explosion of the health and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, more than ever, school systems need a more robust, reliable, and valid measure of students experiencing deep poverty in order to align services and supports with student need.

Topics COVID-19, Equitable Resources and Access
Blog

Home-School Partnerships Key to Supporting Students With Disabilities

Naomi Ondrasek

Sep 28 2020
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Pandemic-related school closures have underscored the essential role that home-school partnerships play in supporting the needs and ongoing development of students. This is particularly true for students with disabilities, whose educational plans can include the provision and coordination of multiple services. Teachers and school district staff share how they are strengthening communication with families and tapping new tools and resources to support students with disabilities.

Topics COVID-19, Equitable Resources and Access, Deeper Learning
Blog

COVID-19 and State Education Budgets: The Story Behind the Numbers

Michael Griffith,

William Berry

Sep 24 2020
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Cuts to school budgets as a result of the added costs and reduced revenue since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic have not yet been as severe as originally predicted, but the evidence indicates that much more severe challenges lie ahead. This blog explains how COVID-19 has affected state education budgets—and explores the implications for public education funding this year and into the future.

Topics COVID-19, Equitable Resources and Access

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Santa Fe cityscape with the Bataan Memorial Building in foreground and mountains in the background

Report

Improving Education the New Mexico Way: An Evidence-Based Approach

Dec 01 2020

In New Mexico, children and young people who face barriers to school success from poverty and marginalization are the norm, not the exception. A year-long study from LPI is designed to provide New Mexico policymakers, stakeholders, leaders, and other interested parties a research perspective on the challenges facing education in the state and to identify evidence-based policies that could build a high-quality, equitable system.

Report

Sustainable Strategies for Funding Teacher Residencies: Lessons From California

Nov 12 2020

High-quality teacher residencies have the potential to address workforce challenges, including teacher shortages, underprepared educators, and, when adequately funded, workforce diversity. In 2018-19, California provided seed funding to jump-start or scale such programs. Recognizing that state funding may not always be reliable, programs are also working toward greater financial sustainability. This report examines the current state of teacher residencies in California and strategies these programs use to sustain funding, particularly in the wake of COVID-19.

Report

Elementary School Principals' Professional Learning: Current Status and Future Needs

Oct 27 2020

Research has found that high-quality professional learning opportunities for principals can build leadership capacity. This study reports on findings from a survey of elementary school principals on access to high-quality professional learning. The survey showed that, while most had access to professional development, far fewer were able to participate in authentic learning opportunities addressing deeper learning, student well-being, and equity.

Learning in the Time of COVID-19

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