Briefs

August 26, 2021 | 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.

August 18, 2021 | 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.

August 5, 2021 | 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.

July 1, 2021 | San Diego County provided a wide range of supports to districts throughout the pandemic—from a website consolidating COVID-19 and distance learning information to a reopening framework with resources on facility sanitizing, campus capacity, meal programs, busing, arrival and symptom screening procedures, and scheduling. Working with public health partners, these efforts resulted in 98% of districts in the county reopening for in-person learning as of May 2021.

June 18, 2021 | The conditions in and around high-poverty schools and communities result in far too many students not being educated adequately to participate in the global economy or become active, informed citizens. An analysis in North Carolina offers four sets of evidence-based recommendations to provide students with the resources and opportunities they need and put high-poverty schools on a path of equitable improvement.

April 13, 2021 | Reopening efforts should consider child care and preschool programs alongside k–12. To clarify what is known about COVID-19 transmission in early education programs, LPI researchers synthesized studies from around the world that explore transmission rates and mitigation strategies in these programs. They found that, when appropriate health and safety precautions are in place, there is no increased risk of contracting COVID-19.

March 23, 2021 | In March 2020, New York City was a pandemic hotspot. Yet NYC was also the first large U.S. city to reopen its schools. Researchers explore the various mitigation strategies the NYC Department of Education implemented to bring students back and offer useful resources that can support policymakers and educators navigating their own school reopening plans.

March 16, 2021 | Multiple, ongoing crises—from the pandemic to systemic racism—are contributing to a collective and individual trauma that impacts the mental health, wellness, and education of students across the nation. These challenges also present an opportunity to redesign schools into restorative spaces where young people are known and nurtured. Research shows several practices school leaders can adopt to increase equity and help students thrive.

March 4, 2021 | Despite the long-term benefits of early childhood education (ECE) and widespread public support for ECE programs, many children lack access to integrated, inclusive early learning experiences before kindergarten. To build a high-quality, equitable ECE system, federal policymakers can use the tools and resources at their disposal to support state and local efforts to meet the needs of children and families.

February 11, 2021 | How can districts reopen schools safely and reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools? Marin County, CA, offers one example of a thoughtful approach to school reopening that draws on public health research and partnerships. Using multilayered mitigation strategies and collaborating with the county offices of education and health, Marin safely reopened more than 85% of its schools for in-person learning.