COVID-19 and Education Resources

How are educator preparation programs applying what they learned during the school shutdowns in the spring to adapt to emerging conditions in the fall? In this webinar, panelists shared lessons learned on effective teacher and leader preparation strategies during COVID-19 and addressed how programs are continually reimagining their structures and practices while maintaining a focus on key commitments to deeper learning and equity.

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly expanded awareness of the deep and long-standing inequities in the U.S. education system. In this webinar, prominent education and civil rights leaders discussed how policymakers, educators, and advocates can seize this moment to reinvent schools around principles of equity, authentic learning, and stronger relationships in order to transform learning experiences and close opportunity and achievement gaps.

The National Safe School Reopening Summit convened district leaders, educators, and students to share best practices and provide technical assistance to those navigating the return to in-person learning across the country.

With widespread need for virtual learning over the previous year, the importance of centering learning on social and emotional development and student and educator well-being emerged as an essential strategy to develop engaging, relevant learning and to address student trauma. In this briefing, students, members of Congress, and experts in child development discussed the importance of social emotional learning concepts and how they can be advanced through federal policy.

As districts work to reopen schools in the pandemic and post-pandemic era, how can they support schools in creating high-quality summer learning experiences focused on acceleration rather than remediation? The Accelerating Learning Series kicked off with the panel, “Strategies for Whole Child Summer Learning and Beyond.”

How can districts develop high-quality tutoring and provide individualized supports to accelerate learning? In the second of a five-part webinar series, panelists discussed effective tutoring practices and programs and how to leverage new federal recovery funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to create broad access.

How can districts design new schedules to expand learning time for students and accelerate learning? In the third of a five-part series, panelists discussed reimagining the traditional school day through such strategies as partnerships with community-based organizations and community school approaches. They also discussed how high-quality expanded learning initiatives support students’ development of critical skills, as well as their social and emotional well-being.

How can districts assess students’ experiences and needs and provide targeted supports for accelerating learning? In the fourth of a five-part series, panelists discussed strategies to assess students’ social and emotional well-being, as well as to illuminate student growth and learning through authentic diagnostic and formative assessments. Panelists also explored best practices to avoid separating students into tracks and to foster heterogeneous groups.

How can school districts advance equity and opportunity in partnership with students, teachers, and families? In the final webinar of a five-part series, panelists discussed strategies for how to evaluate existing district work on diversity, equity, and inclusion through intentional conversations and strategies. Strategies discussed include allocating resources equitably, providing students access to deeper learning, and supporting social and emotional learning.

Experts share examples of effective student-centered approaches being used in schools, focusing on the social, emotional, and mental health of students. They also discuss mentoring to develop social and emotional learning skills and ways that districts can utilize federal COVID-19 relief funds to meet short-term needs, accelerate learning, and develop relationship-centered schools.