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How Schools Can Prepare for a Very Different Kind of School Year

How Schools Can Prepare for a Very Different Kind of School Year

Source: edSurge

While we are facing a lot of uncertainty about what school will look like this fall, it is virtually certain that, when the 2020-21 school year begins, teachers who have always had diverse levels of student performance in their classroom will be looking at even greater diversity. Depending on each student’s circumstance, some students will have grown academically, while others will have fallen further behind their peers.

Here’s what we’ve heard in conversations with schools and districts around the country, and some thoughts on how to use the sense of urgency the COVID-19 pandemic has inspired to help students get back on track.

The disruption will widen equity gaps.

Equity and access have been huge concerns with remote learning, to the extent that some districts have not permitted online learning to be their primary approach. Many students simply don't have access to a stable internet connection or the proper devices. On the flip side, some students have a stable internet connection, proper devices and dedicated “school time” set by their parents or guardians.

This is all magnified by variance in schools’ responses to the disruption, resulting in dynamics that will unquestionably precipitate wider achievement gaps in the fall. We must acknowledge that students are having widely different experiences which will make the return to the classroom challenging.

This summer will be more academic than usual.

EdWeek recently conducted a survey asking teachers how they plan to make up for lost time during the pandemic. In response, only a small number of educators said summer school was the way they were going to make up for the loss of learning. While we can't mandate summer learning, making the summer a bit more academic than usual is something we can do. Studies have shown that when we support students in the summer by providing literacy activities, books, and ongoing practice, they can keep up with rising levels of expectation.

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