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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Much attention in the post-pandemic era has been on what students have lost – days of school, psychological health, knowledge and skills. But now we have evidence that they may also have gained something: schools that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/59903/when-students-basic-needs-are-met-by-community-schools-learning-can-flourish\">address more of their needs\u003c/a>. A majority of public schools have begun providing services that are far afield from traditional academics, including health care, housing assistance, childcare and food aid.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In a \u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/spp/\">Department of Education survey\u003c/a> released in October 2023 of more than 1,300 public schools, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">60% \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">said they were partnering with community organizations to provide non-educational services. That’s up from 45% a year earlier in 2022, the first time the department surveyed schools about their involvement in these services. They include access to medical, dental and mental health providers as well as social workers. Adult education is also often part of the package; the extras are not just for kids.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It is a shift,” said Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, where she tracks school spending. “We’ve seen partnering with the YMCA and with health groups for medical services and psychological evaluations.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Deeper involvement in the community started as an emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic. As schools shuttered their classrooms, many became hubs where families obtained food or internet access. Months later, many schools opened their doors to become vaccine centers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">New community alliances were further fueled by more than $200 billion in federal pandemic recovery funds that have flowed to schools. “Schools have a lot of money now and they’re trying to spend it down,” said Roza. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://oese.ed.gov/files/2021/05/ESSER.GEER_.FAQs_5.26.21_745AM_FINALb0cd6833f6f46e03ba2d97d30aff953260028045f9ef3b18ea602db4b32b1d99.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Federal regulations\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> encourage schools to spend recovery funds on nonprofit community services, and unspent funds will eventually be forfeited.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The term “community school” generally refers to a school that provides a cluster of wraparound services under one roof. The hope is that students living in poverty will learn more if their basic needs are met. Schools that provide only one or two services are likely among the 60% of schools that said they were using a community school or wraparound services model, but they aren’t necessarily full-fledged community schools, Department of Education officials said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The wording of the question on the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/school-pulse-panel/SPP-August-2023-Survey.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">federal School Pulse Panel survey\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> administered in August 2023 allowed for a broad interpretation of what it means to be a community school. The question posed to a sample of schools across all 50 states was this: “Does your school use a “community school” or “wraparound services” model? A community school or wraparound services model is when a school partners with other government agencies and/or local nonprofits to support and engage with the local community (e.g., providing mental and physical health care, nutrition, housing assistance, etc.).” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The most common service provided was mental health (66% of schools) followed by food assistance (55%). Less common were medical clinics and adult education, but many more schools said they were providing these services than in the past.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A national survey of more than 1,300 public schools conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that a majority are providing a range of non-educational wraparound services to the community. Source: PowerPoint slide from an online briefing in October 2023 by the National Center for Education Statistics.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The number of full-fledged community schools is also believed to be growing, according to education officials and researchers. Federal funding for community schools tripled during the pandemic to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/school-choice-improvement-programs/full-service-community-schools-program-fscs/funding-and-legislation/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">$75 million in 2021-22\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> from $25 million in 2019-20. According to the education department, the federal community schools program now serves more than 700,000 students in about 250 school districts, but there are additional state and private funding sources too.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whether it’s a good idea for most schools to expand their mission and adopt aspects of the community school model depends on one’s view of the purpose of school. Some argue that schools are taking on too many functions and should not attempt to create outposts for outside services. Others argue that strong community engagement is an important aspect of education and can improve daily attendance and learning. Research studies conducted before the pandemic have found that \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai22-669.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">academic benefits from full-fledged community schools can take several years\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to materialize. It’s a big investment without an instant payoff.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Meanwhile, it’s unclear whether schools will continue to embrace their expanded mission after federal pandemic funds expire in March 2026. That’s when the last payments to contractors and outside organizations for services rendered can be made. Contracts must be signed by September 2024.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Edunomics’s Roza thinks many of these community services will be the first to go as schools face future budget cuts. But she also predicts that some will endure as schools raise money from state governments and philanthropies to continue popular programs.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If that happens, it will be an example of another unexpected consequence of the pandemic. Even as pundits decry how the pandemic has eroded support for public education, it may have profoundly transformed the role of schools and made them even more vital.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This story about \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-with-dental-care-shelter-and-adult-ed-the-pandemic-prompted-a-shift-in-schools-mission/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">wraparound services\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a> \u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">was written by Jill Barshay and produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"http://hechingerreport.us2.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=66c306eebb323868c3ce353c1&id=d3ee4c3e04\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hechinger newsletter.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Much attention in the post-pandemic era has been on what students have lost – days of school, psychological health, knowledge and skills. But now we have evidence that they may also have gained something: schools that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/59903/when-students-basic-needs-are-met-by-community-schools-learning-can-flourish\">address more of their needs\u003c/a>. A majority of public schools have begun providing services that are far afield from traditional academics, including health care, housing assistance, childcare and food aid.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In a \u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/spp/\">Department of Education survey\u003c/a> released in October 2023 of more than 1,300 public schools, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">60% \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">said they were partnering with community organizations to provide non-educational services. That’s up from 45% a year earlier in 2022, the first time the department surveyed schools about their involvement in these services. They include access to medical, dental and mental health providers as well as social workers. Adult education is also often part of the package; the extras are not just for kids.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It is a shift,” said Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, where she tracks school spending. “We’ve seen partnering with the YMCA and with health groups for medical services and psychological evaluations.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Deeper involvement in the community started as an emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic. As schools shuttered their classrooms, many became hubs where families obtained food or internet access. Months later, many schools opened their doors to become vaccine centers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">New community alliances were further fueled by more than $200 billion in federal pandemic recovery funds that have flowed to schools. “Schools have a lot of money now and they’re trying to spend it down,” said Roza. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://oese.ed.gov/files/2021/05/ESSER.GEER_.FAQs_5.26.21_745AM_FINALb0cd6833f6f46e03ba2d97d30aff953260028045f9ef3b18ea602db4b32b1d99.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Federal regulations\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> encourage schools to spend recovery funds on nonprofit community services, and unspent funds will eventually be forfeited.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The term “community school” generally refers to a school that provides a cluster of wraparound services under one roof. The hope is that students living in poverty will learn more if their basic needs are met. Schools that provide only one or two services are likely among the 60% of schools that said they were using a community school or wraparound services model, but they aren’t necessarily full-fledged community schools, Department of Education officials said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The wording of the question on the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/school-pulse-panel/SPP-August-2023-Survey.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">federal School Pulse Panel survey\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> administered in August 2023 allowed for a broad interpretation of what it means to be a community school. The question posed to a sample of schools across all 50 states was this: “Does your school use a “community school” or “wraparound services” model? A community school or wraparound services model is when a school partners with other government agencies and/or local nonprofits to support and engage with the local community (e.g., providing mental and physical health care, nutrition, housing assistance, etc.).” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The most common service provided was mental health (66% of schools) followed by food assistance (55%). Less common were medical clinics and adult education, but many more schools said they were providing these services than in the past.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A national survey of more than 1,300 public schools conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that a majority are providing a range of non-educational wraparound services to the community. Source: PowerPoint slide from an online briefing in October 2023 by the National Center for Education Statistics.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The number of full-fledged community schools is also believed to be growing, according to education officials and researchers. Federal funding for community schools tripled during the pandemic to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/school-choice-improvement-programs/full-service-community-schools-program-fscs/funding-and-legislation/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">$75 million in 2021-22\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> from $25 million in 2019-20. According to the education department, the federal community schools program now serves more than 700,000 students in about 250 school districts, but there are additional state and private funding sources too.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whether it’s a good idea for most schools to expand their mission and adopt aspects of the community school model depends on one’s view of the purpose of school. Some argue that schools are taking on too many functions and should not attempt to create outposts for outside services. Others argue that strong community engagement is an important aspect of education and can improve daily attendance and learning. Research studies conducted before the pandemic have found that \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai22-669.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">academic benefits from full-fledged community schools can take several years\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to materialize. It’s a big investment without an instant payoff.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Meanwhile, it’s unclear whether schools will continue to embrace their expanded mission after federal pandemic funds expire in March 2026. That’s when the last payments to contractors and outside organizations for services rendered can be made. Contracts must be signed by September 2024.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Edunomics’s Roza thinks many of these community services will be the first to go as schools face future budget cuts. But she also predicts that some will endure as schools raise money from state governments and philanthropies to continue popular programs.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If that happens, it will be an example of another unexpected consequence of the pandemic. Even as pundits decry how the pandemic has eroded support for public education, it may have profoundly transformed the role of schools and made them even more vital.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This story about \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-with-dental-care-shelter-and-adult-ed-the-pandemic-prompted-a-shift-in-schools-mission/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">wraparound services\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a> \u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">was written by Jill Barshay and produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"http://hechingerreport.us2.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=66c306eebb323868c3ce353c1&id=d3ee4c3e04\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hechinger newsletter.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Schools keep buying online drop-in tutoring. Research doesn’t support it.",
"headTitle": "Schools keep buying online drop-in tutoring. Research doesn’t support it. | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ever since schools reopened and resumed in-person instruction, districts have been trying to help students catch up from pandemic learning losses. The Biden Administration has urged schools to use tutoring. Many schools have purchased an online version that gives students 24/7 access to tutors. Typically, communication is through text chat, similar to communicating with customer service on a website. Students never see their tutors or hear their voices. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Researchers estimate that \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai22-654.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">billions\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> have been spent on these online tutoring services, but so far, there’s no good evidence that they are helping many students catch up. And many students need extra help. According to the most recent test scores from spring 2023, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/62271/most-students-are-learning-at-typical-pace-again-but-those-who-lost-ground-during-covid-19-arent-catching-up\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">50% more students are below grade level than before the pandemic\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">; even higher achieving students remain months behind where they should be.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Low uptake\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The main problem is that on-demand tutoring relies on students to seek extra help. Very few do. Some school systems have reported \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2022/11/most-fairfax-co-students-didnt-use-free-tutoring-service-la\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">usage rates below 2%.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> A 2022 \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.edworkingpapers.com/ai22-654\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">study\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by researchers at Brown University of an effort to boost usage among 7,000 students at a California charter school network found that students who needed the most help were the least likely to try online tutoring and only a very small percentage of students used it regularly. Opt-in tutoring could “exacerbate inequalities rather than reduce them,” warned a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.edresearchforaction.org/research-briefs/accelerating-student-academic-recovery/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">September 2023 research brief\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by Brown University’s Annenberg Center, Results for America, a nonprofit that promotes evidence-backed policies, the American Institutes for Research and NWEA, an assessment firm.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In January 2023, an independent research firm Mathematica released a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.mathematica.org/publications/impacts-of-upchieve-on-demand-tutoring-on-students-math-knowledge-and-perceptions\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">more positive report on students’ math gains with an online tutoring service called UPchieve\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which uses volunteers as tutors. It seemed to suggest that high school students could make extraordinary math progress from online homework help. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UPchieve is a foundation-funded nonprofit with a slightly different model. Instead of schools buying the tutoring service from a commercial vendor, UPchieve makes its tutors freely available to any student in grades eight to 12 living in a low-income zip code or attending a low-income high school. Behind the scenes, foundations cover the cost to deliver the tutoring, about $5 per student served. (\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Those foundations include the Bill & Melinda Gates and the Overdeck Family foundations, which are also among the many funders of The Hechinger Report.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">)\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UPchieve posted findings from the study in large font on its website: “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://upchieve.org/impact\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Using UPchieve 9 times caused student test scores to meaningfully increase” by “9 percentile rank points\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.” If true, that would be equivalent to doubling the amount of math that a typical high school student learns. That would mean that students learned an extra 14 weeks worth of math from just a few extra hours of instruction. Not even the most highly regarded and expensive tutoring programs using professional tutors who are following clear lesson plans achieve this.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">study\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> garnered a lot of attention on social media and flattering media coverage “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.the74million.org/article/how-a-free-24-7-tutoring-model-is-disrupting-learning-loss-for-low-income-kids/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">for disrupting learning loss in low-income kids\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.” But how real was this progress? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gift card incentives\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After I read the study, which was also commissioned by the Gates foundation, I immediately saw that UPchieve’s excerpts were taken out of context. This was not a straightforward randomized controlled trial, comparing what happens to students who were offered this tutoring with students who were not. Instead, it was a trial of the power of cash incentives and email reminders. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For the experiment, Mathematica researchers had recruited high schoolers who were already logging into the UPchieve tutoring service. These were no ordinary ninth and 10th graders. They were motivated to seek extra help, resourceful enough to find this tutoring website on their own (it was not promoted through their schools) and liked math enough to take extra tests to participate in the study. One group was given extra payments of $5 a week for doing at least 10 minutes of math tutoring on UPchieve, and sent weekly email reminders. The other group wasn’t. Students in both groups received $100 for participating in the study.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The gift cards increased usage by 1.6 hours or five to six more sessions over the course of 14 weeks. These incentivized students “met” with a tutor for a total of nine sessions on average; the other students averaged fewer than four sessions. (As an aside, it’s unusual that cash incentives would double usage. Slicing the results another way, only 22% of the students in the gift-card group used UPchieve more than 10 times compared with 14% in the other group. That’s more typical.) \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At the end of 14 weeks, students took the Renaissance Star math test, an assessment taken by millions of students across the nation. But the researchers did not report those test scores. That’s because they were unlucky in their random assignment of students. By chance, comparatively weaker math students kept getting assigned to receive cash incentives. It wasn’t an apples-to-apples comparison between the two groups, a problem that can happen in a small randomized controlled trial. To compensate, the researchers statistically adjusted the final math scores to account for differences in baseline math achievement. It’s those statistically adjusted scores that showed such huge math gains for the students who had received the cash incentives and used the tutoring service more.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, the huge 9 percentile point improvement in math was \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">not\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> statistically significant. There were so few students in the study – 89 in total – that the results could have been a fluke. You’d need a much larger sample size to be confident.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>A caution from the researcher\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When I interviewed one of the Mathematica researchers, he was cautious about UPchieve and on-demand tutoring in general. “This is an approach to tutoring that has promise for improving students’ math knowledge for a specific subset of students: those who are likely to proactively take up an on-demand tutoring service,” said Greg Chojnacki, a co-author of the UPchieve study. “The study really doesn’t speak to how promising this model is for students who may face additional barriers to taking up tutoring.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chojnacki has been studying different versions of tutoring and he says that this on-demand version might prove to be beneficial for the “kid who may be jumping up for extra help the first chance they get,” while other children might first need to “build a trusting relationship” with a tutor they can see and talk to before they engage in learning. With UPchieve and other on-demand models, students are assigned to a different tutor at each session and don’t get a chance to build a relationship. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chojnacki also walked back the numerical results in our interview. He told me not to “put too much stock” in the exact amount of math that students learned. He said he’s confident that self-motivated students who use the tutoring service more often learned more math, but it could be “anywhere above zero” and not nearly as high as 9 percentile points – an extra three and a half months worth of math instruction.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>UPchieve defends “magical” results\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UPchieve’s founder, Aly Murray, told me that the Mathematica study results initially surprised her, too. “I agree they almost seem magical,” she said by email. While acknowledging that a larger study is needed to confirm the results, she said she believes that online tutoring without audio and video can “lead to greater learning” than in-person tutoring “when done right.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I personally believe that tutoring is most effective when the student is choosing to be there and has an acute need that they want to address (two things that are both uniquely true of on-demand tutoring),” she wrote. “Students have told us how helpful it is to get timely feedback and support in the exact moment that they get confused (which is often late at night in their homes while working on their homework). So in general, I believe that on-demand tutoring is more impactful than traditional high-dosage tutoring models on a \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">per tutoring session\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">per hour of tutoring\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> basis. This could be part of why we were able to achieve such outsized results despite the low number of sessions.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Murray acknowledged that low usage remains a problem. At UPchieve’s partner schools, only 5% of students logged in at least once during the 2022-23 year, she told me. At some schools, usage rates fell below 1%. Her goal is to increase usage rates at partner schools to 36%. (Any low-income student in grades eight to 12 can use the tutoring service at no cost and their schools don’t pay UPchieve for the tutoring either, but some “partner” schools pay UPchieve to promote and monitor usage.) \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The downside to homework help\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Helping students who are stuck on a homework assignment is certainly nice for motivated kids who love school, but relying on homework questions is a poor way to catch up students who are the most behind, according to many tutoring experts. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I have a hard time believing that students know enough about what they don’t know,” said Susanna Loeb, a Stanford University economist who founded the National Student Support Accelerator, which aims to bring evidence-based tutoring to more students. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For students who are behind grade level, homework questions often don’t address their gaps in basic math foundations. “Maybe underneath, they’re struggling with percentages, but they’re bringing an algebra question,” said Loeb. “If you just bring the work of the classroom to the tutor, it doesn’t help students very much.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pre-pandemic research of once-a-week after-school homework help also produced disappointing results for struggling students. Effective tutoring starts with an assessment of students’ gaps, Loeb said, followed by consistent, structured lessons.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Schools struggle to offer tutors for all students\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With so little evidence, why are schools buying on-demand online tutoring? Pittsburgh superintendent Wayne Walters said he was unable to arrange for in-person tutoring in all of his 54 schools and wanted to give each of his 19,000 students access to something. He \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tutor.com/press/press-releases-2023/20230807\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">signed a contract with Tutor.com\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for unlimited online text-chat tutoring in 2023-24. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m going forward with it because it’s available,” Walters said. “If I don’t have something to provide, or even offer, then that limits opportunity and access. If there’s no access, then I can’t even push the needle to address the most marginalized and the most vulnerable.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Walters hopes to make on-demand tutoring “sexy” and appealing to high schoolers accustomed to texting. But online tutoring is not the same as spontaneous texting between friends. One-minute delays in tutors’ replies to questions can test students’ patience. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On-demand tutoring can appear to be an economical option. Pittsburgh is able to offer this kind of tutoring, which includes college admissions test prep for high schoolers, to all 19,000 of its students for $600,000. Providing 400 students with a high-dosage tutoring program – the kind that researchers recommend – could cost $1.5 million. There are thousands of Pittsburgh students who are significantly behind grade level. It doesn’t seem fair to deliver high-quality in-person tutoring to only a lucky few.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, once you factor in actual usage, the economics of on-demand tutoring looks less impressive. In \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/CKQJTV4EC65A/%24file/Tutor.com%20write%20up%20%20mf.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fairfax County, Va., for example, only 1.6% of students used Tutor.com\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. If Pittsburgh doesn’t surpass that rate, then no more than 300 of its students will be served.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are no villains here. School leaders are trying to do the best they can and be fair to everyone. Hopes are raised when research suggests that online on-demand tutoring can work if they can succeed in marketing to students. But they should be skeptical of studies that promise easy solutions before investing precious resources. That money could be better spent on small-group tutoring that \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nber.org/papers/w27476\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">dozens of studies show is more effective\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This story about \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-schools-keep-buying-online-drop-in-tutoring-the-research-doesnt-support-it/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">drop-in tutoring\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> was written by Jill Barshay and produced by \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Hechinger Report\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proofpoints/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Proof Points\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and other \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/newsletters/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hechinger newsletters\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ever since schools reopened and resumed in-person instruction, districts have been trying to help students catch up from pandemic learning losses. The Biden Administration has urged schools to use tutoring. Many schools have purchased an online version that gives students 24/7 access to tutors. Typically, communication is through text chat, similar to communicating with customer service on a website. Students never see their tutors or hear their voices. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Researchers estimate that \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai22-654.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">billions\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> have been spent on these online tutoring services, but so far, there’s no good evidence that they are helping many students catch up. And many students need extra help. According to the most recent test scores from spring 2023, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/62271/most-students-are-learning-at-typical-pace-again-but-those-who-lost-ground-during-covid-19-arent-catching-up\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">50% more students are below grade level than before the pandemic\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">; even higher achieving students remain months behind where they should be.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Low uptake\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The main problem is that on-demand tutoring relies on students to seek extra help. Very few do. Some school systems have reported \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2022/11/most-fairfax-co-students-didnt-use-free-tutoring-service-la\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">usage rates below 2%.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> A 2022 \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.edworkingpapers.com/ai22-654\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">study\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by researchers at Brown University of an effort to boost usage among 7,000 students at a California charter school network found that students who needed the most help were the least likely to try online tutoring and only a very small percentage of students used it regularly. Opt-in tutoring could “exacerbate inequalities rather than reduce them,” warned a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.edresearchforaction.org/research-briefs/accelerating-student-academic-recovery/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">September 2023 research brief\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by Brown University’s Annenberg Center, Results for America, a nonprofit that promotes evidence-backed policies, the American Institutes for Research and NWEA, an assessment firm.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In January 2023, an independent research firm Mathematica released a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.mathematica.org/publications/impacts-of-upchieve-on-demand-tutoring-on-students-math-knowledge-and-perceptions\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">more positive report on students’ math gains with an online tutoring service called UPchieve\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which uses volunteers as tutors. It seemed to suggest that high school students could make extraordinary math progress from online homework help. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UPchieve is a foundation-funded nonprofit with a slightly different model. Instead of schools buying the tutoring service from a commercial vendor, UPchieve makes its tutors freely available to any student in grades eight to 12 living in a low-income zip code or attending a low-income high school. Behind the scenes, foundations cover the cost to deliver the tutoring, about $5 per student served. (\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Those foundations include the Bill & Melinda Gates and the Overdeck Family foundations, which are also among the many funders of The Hechinger Report.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">)\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UPchieve posted findings from the study in large font on its website: “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://upchieve.org/impact\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Using UPchieve 9 times caused student test scores to meaningfully increase” by “9 percentile rank points\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.” If true, that would be equivalent to doubling the amount of math that a typical high school student learns. That would mean that students learned an extra 14 weeks worth of math from just a few extra hours of instruction. Not even the most highly regarded and expensive tutoring programs using professional tutors who are following clear lesson plans achieve this.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">study\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> garnered a lot of attention on social media and flattering media coverage “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.the74million.org/article/how-a-free-24-7-tutoring-model-is-disrupting-learning-loss-for-low-income-kids/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">for disrupting learning loss in low-income kids\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.” But how real was this progress? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gift card incentives\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After I read the study, which was also commissioned by the Gates foundation, I immediately saw that UPchieve’s excerpts were taken out of context. This was not a straightforward randomized controlled trial, comparing what happens to students who were offered this tutoring with students who were not. Instead, it was a trial of the power of cash incentives and email reminders. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For the experiment, Mathematica researchers had recruited high schoolers who were already logging into the UPchieve tutoring service. These were no ordinary ninth and 10th graders. They were motivated to seek extra help, resourceful enough to find this tutoring website on their own (it was not promoted through their schools) and liked math enough to take extra tests to participate in the study. One group was given extra payments of $5 a week for doing at least 10 minutes of math tutoring on UPchieve, and sent weekly email reminders. The other group wasn’t. Students in both groups received $100 for participating in the study.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The gift cards increased usage by 1.6 hours or five to six more sessions over the course of 14 weeks. These incentivized students “met” with a tutor for a total of nine sessions on average; the other students averaged fewer than four sessions. (As an aside, it’s unusual that cash incentives would double usage. Slicing the results another way, only 22% of the students in the gift-card group used UPchieve more than 10 times compared with 14% in the other group. That’s more typical.) \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At the end of 14 weeks, students took the Renaissance Star math test, an assessment taken by millions of students across the nation. But the researchers did not report those test scores. That’s because they were unlucky in their random assignment of students. By chance, comparatively weaker math students kept getting assigned to receive cash incentives. It wasn’t an apples-to-apples comparison between the two groups, a problem that can happen in a small randomized controlled trial. To compensate, the researchers statistically adjusted the final math scores to account for differences in baseline math achievement. It’s those statistically adjusted scores that showed such huge math gains for the students who had received the cash incentives and used the tutoring service more.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, the huge 9 percentile point improvement in math was \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">not\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> statistically significant. There were so few students in the study – 89 in total – that the results could have been a fluke. You’d need a much larger sample size to be confident.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>A caution from the researcher\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When I interviewed one of the Mathematica researchers, he was cautious about UPchieve and on-demand tutoring in general. “This is an approach to tutoring that has promise for improving students’ math knowledge for a specific subset of students: those who are likely to proactively take up an on-demand tutoring service,” said Greg Chojnacki, a co-author of the UPchieve study. “The study really doesn’t speak to how promising this model is for students who may face additional barriers to taking up tutoring.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chojnacki has been studying different versions of tutoring and he says that this on-demand version might prove to be beneficial for the “kid who may be jumping up for extra help the first chance they get,” while other children might first need to “build a trusting relationship” with a tutor they can see and talk to before they engage in learning. With UPchieve and other on-demand models, students are assigned to a different tutor at each session and don’t get a chance to build a relationship. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chojnacki also walked back the numerical results in our interview. He told me not to “put too much stock” in the exact amount of math that students learned. He said he’s confident that self-motivated students who use the tutoring service more often learned more math, but it could be “anywhere above zero” and not nearly as high as 9 percentile points – an extra three and a half months worth of math instruction.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>UPchieve defends “magical” results\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UPchieve’s founder, Aly Murray, told me that the Mathematica study results initially surprised her, too. “I agree they almost seem magical,” she said by email. While acknowledging that a larger study is needed to confirm the results, she said she believes that online tutoring without audio and video can “lead to greater learning” than in-person tutoring “when done right.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I personally believe that tutoring is most effective when the student is choosing to be there and has an acute need that they want to address (two things that are both uniquely true of on-demand tutoring),” she wrote. “Students have told us how helpful it is to get timely feedback and support in the exact moment that they get confused (which is often late at night in their homes while working on their homework). So in general, I believe that on-demand tutoring is more impactful than traditional high-dosage tutoring models on a \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">per tutoring session\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">per hour of tutoring\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> basis. This could be part of why we were able to achieve such outsized results despite the low number of sessions.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Murray acknowledged that low usage remains a problem. At UPchieve’s partner schools, only 5% of students logged in at least once during the 2022-23 year, she told me. At some schools, usage rates fell below 1%. Her goal is to increase usage rates at partner schools to 36%. (Any low-income student in grades eight to 12 can use the tutoring service at no cost and their schools don’t pay UPchieve for the tutoring either, but some “partner” schools pay UPchieve to promote and monitor usage.) \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The downside to homework help\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Helping students who are stuck on a homework assignment is certainly nice for motivated kids who love school, but relying on homework questions is a poor way to catch up students who are the most behind, according to many tutoring experts. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I have a hard time believing that students know enough about what they don’t know,” said Susanna Loeb, a Stanford University economist who founded the National Student Support Accelerator, which aims to bring evidence-based tutoring to more students. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For students who are behind grade level, homework questions often don’t address their gaps in basic math foundations. “Maybe underneath, they’re struggling with percentages, but they’re bringing an algebra question,” said Loeb. “If you just bring the work of the classroom to the tutor, it doesn’t help students very much.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pre-pandemic research of once-a-week after-school homework help also produced disappointing results for struggling students. Effective tutoring starts with an assessment of students’ gaps, Loeb said, followed by consistent, structured lessons.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Schools struggle to offer tutors for all students\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With so little evidence, why are schools buying on-demand online tutoring? Pittsburgh superintendent Wayne Walters said he was unable to arrange for in-person tutoring in all of his 54 schools and wanted to give each of his 19,000 students access to something. He \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tutor.com/press/press-releases-2023/20230807\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">signed a contract with Tutor.com\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for unlimited online text-chat tutoring in 2023-24. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m going forward with it because it’s available,” Walters said. “If I don’t have something to provide, or even offer, then that limits opportunity and access. If there’s no access, then I can’t even push the needle to address the most marginalized and the most vulnerable.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Walters hopes to make on-demand tutoring “sexy” and appealing to high schoolers accustomed to texting. But online tutoring is not the same as spontaneous texting between friends. One-minute delays in tutors’ replies to questions can test students’ patience. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On-demand tutoring can appear to be an economical option. Pittsburgh is able to offer this kind of tutoring, which includes college admissions test prep for high schoolers, to all 19,000 of its students for $600,000. Providing 400 students with a high-dosage tutoring program – the kind that researchers recommend – could cost $1.5 million. There are thousands of Pittsburgh students who are significantly behind grade level. It doesn’t seem fair to deliver high-quality in-person tutoring to only a lucky few.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, once you factor in actual usage, the economics of on-demand tutoring looks less impressive. In \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/CKQJTV4EC65A/%24file/Tutor.com%20write%20up%20%20mf.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fairfax County, Va., for example, only 1.6% of students used Tutor.com\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. If Pittsburgh doesn’t surpass that rate, then no more than 300 of its students will be served.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are no villains here. School leaders are trying to do the best they can and be fair to everyone. Hopes are raised when research suggests that online on-demand tutoring can work if they can succeed in marketing to students. But they should be skeptical of studies that promise easy solutions before investing precious resources. That money could be better spent on small-group tutoring that \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nber.org/papers/w27476\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">dozens of studies show is more effective\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This story about \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-schools-keep-buying-online-drop-in-tutoring-the-research-doesnt-support-it/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">drop-in tutoring\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> was written by Jill Barshay and produced by \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Hechinger Report\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proofpoints/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Proof Points\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and other \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/newsletters/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hechinger newsletters\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Schools face a funding cliff. How bad will the fall be?",
"headTitle": "Schools face a funding cliff. How bad will the fall be? | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was \u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/9/13/23871838/schools-funding-cliff-federal-covid-relief-esser-money-budget-cuts\" rel=\"canonical\">originally published\u003c/a> by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://ckbe.at/newsletters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>ckbe.at/newsletters\u003c/u>\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s an ominous phrase that is top of mind for many school district officials: the “funding cliff.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This refers to the imminent end of \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/2/3/22916590/schools-federal-covid-relief-stimulus-spending-tracking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">billions of dollars\u003c/a> in federal COVID relief money that schools have been relying on during the pandemic. “The feds pushed a lot of money into the K-12 system,” said Lori Taylor, an education finance researcher at Texas A&M University. “Now the districts are being weaned off of that funding — they’re losing that shock absorber, that cushion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This has educators and experts nervous: the money might be gone before students have fully \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/11/23787212/nwea-learning-loss-academic-recovery-testing-data-covid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recovered academically \u003c/a>and could lead to painful layoffs and other budget cuts. Some schools \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/9/6/23851143/covid-relief-schools-esser-spending-learning-loss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">have already begun cutting back\u003c/a> on recovery programs including tutoring, summer school, and extra staff, like college advisors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what is not yet clear is how steep the fall from the funding cliff will be. That’s because there are many other factors that will shape school budgets, including money from other sources. Plus, schools are making spending choices now that could lead to bigger or smaller cuts later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What we do know is that high-poverty schools face a bigger cliff, that more federal money won’t be forthcoming, and that school budgets will be shaped both by districts’ own financial decisions and those made by state politicians. How precisely this plays out could affect classrooms and students for years to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, Chalkbeat offers a guide to the federal school funding cliff and what factors will make or break school budgets after the federal money runs out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schools have received a large infusion of federal money since the pandemic: \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/2/3/22916590/schools-federal-covid-relief-stimulus-spending-tracking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">roughly $190 billion\u003c/a> or close to $4,000 per student.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The money was meant to address the consequences of the pandemic on schools, including \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/11/23787212/nwea-learning-loss-academic-recovery-testing-data-covid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">learning loss\u003c/a>. In practice, local officials had wide discretion over how to spend it. Money from the final pot has to be earmarked by the end of September 2024 (though schools \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/5/13/23071615/schools-covid-relief-deadline-extended-facilities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">can seek\u003c/a> extension for when that money is actually spent). The latest \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.future-ed.org/progress-in-spending-federal-k-12-covid-aid-state-by-state/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">data\u003c/a> shows that schools still have funding left, but are \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/12/19/23517691/schools-esser-covid-spending-stimulus-money-federal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on track\u003c/a> to use it all by the deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some advocates had hoped that even more federal dollars would be on the way. For instance, the Los Angeles teachers union had \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://utla.net/campaigns/beyond-recovery/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sought\u003c/a> to make federal relief permanent. But this is not going to happen. The recent deal that President Joe Biden struck with Congressional Republicans \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/14/23795314/republicans-education-budget-cut-title-i-low-income-schools-covid-aid-critical-race-theory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">limits\u003c/a> new federal spending on education for the next couple years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In sum, the infusion of temporary federal money really will be temporary. Once it’s spent, it’s gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The COVID relief was not \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/3/25/22350474/unprecedented-federal-funding-high-poverty-schools-how-spend\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spread evenly\u003c/a> across schools. Nationally, districts in more affluent areas \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-esser-fiscal-cliff-will-have-serious-implications-for-student-equity/?utm_campaign=Brown%20Center%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=273973450&utm_source=hs_email\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">received\u003c/a> just over $1,000 per student, with some getting even less. High-poverty districts, on the other hand, got over $6,000 per student. A handful of very high poverty districts, like \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://detroit.chalkbeat.org/2023/9/6/23860246/detroit-public-schools-superintendent-vitti-esser\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Detroit\u003c/a>, received massive sums of money. There was also \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.erstrategies.org/tap/analysis_esser_funds_fiscal_cliff_by_state\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">variation\u003c/a> from state to state, with schools in the South getting more federal money as a percent of their total budgets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This means that some schools will face little or no funding cliff while others will face steep cliffs. “Districts serving our neediest kids havea further to fall,” noted a recent \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-esser-fiscal-cliff-will-have-serious-implications-for-student-equity/?utm_campaign=Brown%20Center%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=273973450&utm_source=hs_email\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">analysis\u003c/a> published by the Brookings Institution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot depends on how prudent they were in their use of the federal funds,” said Taylor. “Federal funds should have been interpreted as one-time money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s clear that a good chunk of the funding was indeed used for one-time expenses: \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/2/15/22933799/federal-covid-relief-schools-hvac-buildings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HVAC and other building upgrades\u003c/a>, personal-protective equipment for COVID, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/5/27/22457345/thank-you-payments-teachers-research-debate-stimulus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bonuses for staff\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Detroit, for instance, earmarked over half of its COVID relief for long-deferred facilities upgrades. “One thing that I’ve tried to do as superintendent is be disciplined with finances,” superintendent Nikolai Vitti recently \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://detroit.chalkbeat.org/2023/9/6/23860246/detroit-public-schools-superintendent-vitti-esser\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told Chalkbeat\u003c/a>. “I always think about recurring revenue with recurring expenditures, and one-time revenue with one-time expenditures.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the other hand, at least some districts have used COVID money for ongoing operating costs like paying teachers’ salaries and maintaining buildings. State \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://edunomicslab.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/30-min-webinar_staff-v-enroll_final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">data show\u003c/a> that schools have been adding staff in recent years. As federal aid runs out, layoffs might follow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s also a third, mushier category: supplementary expenses that schools have added to try to make up for learning loss or address other needs. Those might include expanded summer school programming, after-school tutoring time, vendor contracts, temporary new staff. \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/9/6/23851143/covid-relief-schools-esser-spending-learning-loss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Some have already begun cutting\u003c/a>. Detroit eliminated some positions like college transition advisors. Districts in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Reno, Nevada have cut back on tutoring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the funding cliff approaches, these recovery add-ons may start to vanish even more rapidly. This programming may be easier to cut because it’s not part of core instruction, but could still be painful to lose, especially when students \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/11/23787212/nwea-learning-loss-academic-recovery-testing-data-covid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">remain behind\u003c/a> academically.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The biggest \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cma/public-school-revenue\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">chunk\u003c/a> of education funding comes from states, and they have been increasing spending on schools of late. One \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://edurecoveryhub.org/dont-miss-it-states-are-making-big-new-investments-in-public-schools/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent analysis\u003c/a> found that most states have increased education spending in their budgets this year, often by substantial amounts. Last year, California \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://edsource.org/2022/gov-newsom-strikes-deal-on-state-budget-big-increase-for-k-12-maybe-for-cal-grants-too/674680\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">passed\u003c/a> a record state budget, which included a one-time $7.9 billion learning-recovery grant to schools, on top of the one-time federal aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If state funding continues to increase, districts could be protected from major cuts even as federal money dwindles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>David Lauck, CFO of Alliance College-Ready, a charter network in Los Angeles, says he’s not expecting immediate cutbacks thanks to \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://edsource.org/2022/californias-new-budget-includes-historic-funding-for-education/674998\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">funding increases\u003c/a> from California. “We do not anticipate any major dropoff in programming,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More local funding could also help cushion schools. Officials in Kansas City are planning to use higher property tax revenue to keep some of the staff they added with federal aid. “We’ve done the work so we can retain them,” said Jennifer Collier, the superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools. “The cuts were not as deep as we originally thought.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>States governments also received a separate $195 billion worth of temporary federal money. This has supported the generous education funding for schools, but it also means states face their own \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.volckeralliance.org/sites/default/files/2022-05/The195Challenge_042922.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">funding cliff\u003c/a>. Moreover, many states are projecting that revenue from state taxes will decline next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With more fiscal data coming in, the long-term health of state budgets looks murky,” \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/navigating-fiscal-uncertainty-weak-state-revenue-forecasts-fiscal-year-2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">concluded\u003c/a> Lucy Dadayan, principal research associate with the Urban Institute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That could create a double whammy for schools: federal funds run out and states don’t have the ability to provide an additional buffer. Once again, high poverty schools are \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2020/4/7/21225437/school-budgets-are-in-big-trouble-especially-in-high-poverty-areas-here-s-why-and-what-could-help\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more at risk \u003c/a>because they tend to be most reliant on state funds. Local funding is also not a guaranteed backstop. The higher-poverty schools that face the greatest fiscal cliff typically have less property wealth to draw from.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The budget situation will likely vary by state. A number of Republican-leaning states have \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/three-years-state-tax-cuts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">adopted tax cuts\u003c/a> and \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://in.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/10/23718448/school-choice-voucher-expansion-indiana-education-policy-public-funding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">private school choice programs\u003c/a>, which could strain state budgets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there is some good news for public schools. States have \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/state-rainy-day-fund-balances-reached-all-time-highs-last-year\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">built up\u003c/a> substantial “rainy day” funds that could bolster budgets. Plus the broader economy, contrary to some predictions, is looking \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/08/15/no-recession-summer-economy/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">relatively strong\u003c/a>. That’s a more promising indicator for state revenue, since a strong economy tends to mean higher funding from sales and income taxes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bruce Baker, a University of Miami professor and school finance researcher, says he suspects the upcoming funding cliff won’t be as bad as \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2020/4/22/21230992/great-recession-schools-research-lessons-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">what happened after the Great Recession,\u003c/a> when schools made deep cuts after federal aid runs out. But he said this will vary from place to place and that schools are to some extent at the mercy of state politicians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of these cliffs are going to be a function of state choices,” said Baker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Matt Barnum is interim national editor, overseeing and contributing to Chalkbeat’s coverage of national education issues. Contact him at mbarnum@chalkbeat.org.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/9/13/23871838/schools-funding-cliff-federal-covid-relief-esser-money-budget-cuts\" rel=\"canonical\">Chalkbeat\u003c/a> is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "As COVID-19 relief funds end, high-poverty schools face a bigger cliff, more federal money won’t be forthcoming, and school budgets will be shaped both by districts’ own financial decisions and those made by state politicians.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was \u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/9/13/23871838/schools-funding-cliff-federal-covid-relief-esser-money-budget-cuts\" rel=\"canonical\">originally published\u003c/a> by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://ckbe.at/newsletters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>ckbe.at/newsletters\u003c/u>\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s an ominous phrase that is top of mind for many school district officials: the “funding cliff.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This refers to the imminent end of \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/2/3/22916590/schools-federal-covid-relief-stimulus-spending-tracking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">billions of dollars\u003c/a> in federal COVID relief money that schools have been relying on during the pandemic. “The feds pushed a lot of money into the K-12 system,” said Lori Taylor, an education finance researcher at Texas A&M University. “Now the districts are being weaned off of that funding — they’re losing that shock absorber, that cushion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This has educators and experts nervous: the money might be gone before students have fully \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/11/23787212/nwea-learning-loss-academic-recovery-testing-data-covid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recovered academically \u003c/a>and could lead to painful layoffs and other budget cuts. Some schools \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/9/6/23851143/covid-relief-schools-esser-spending-learning-loss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">have already begun cutting back\u003c/a> on recovery programs including tutoring, summer school, and extra staff, like college advisors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what is not yet clear is how steep the fall from the funding cliff will be. That’s because there are many other factors that will shape school budgets, including money from other sources. Plus, schools are making spending choices now that could lead to bigger or smaller cuts later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What we do know is that high-poverty schools face a bigger cliff, that more federal money won’t be forthcoming, and that school budgets will be shaped both by districts’ own financial decisions and those made by state politicians. How precisely this plays out could affect classrooms and students for years to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, Chalkbeat offers a guide to the federal school funding cliff and what factors will make or break school budgets after the federal money runs out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schools have received a large infusion of federal money since the pandemic: \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/2/3/22916590/schools-federal-covid-relief-stimulus-spending-tracking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">roughly $190 billion\u003c/a> or close to $4,000 per student.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The money was meant to address the consequences of the pandemic on schools, including \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/11/23787212/nwea-learning-loss-academic-recovery-testing-data-covid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">learning loss\u003c/a>. In practice, local officials had wide discretion over how to spend it. Money from the final pot has to be earmarked by the end of September 2024 (though schools \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/5/13/23071615/schools-covid-relief-deadline-extended-facilities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">can seek\u003c/a> extension for when that money is actually spent). The latest \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.future-ed.org/progress-in-spending-federal-k-12-covid-aid-state-by-state/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">data\u003c/a> shows that schools still have funding left, but are \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/12/19/23517691/schools-esser-covid-spending-stimulus-money-federal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on track\u003c/a> to use it all by the deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some advocates had hoped that even more federal dollars would be on the way. For instance, the Los Angeles teachers union had \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://utla.net/campaigns/beyond-recovery/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sought\u003c/a> to make federal relief permanent. But this is not going to happen. The recent deal that President Joe Biden struck with Congressional Republicans \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/14/23795314/republicans-education-budget-cut-title-i-low-income-schools-covid-aid-critical-race-theory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">limits\u003c/a> new federal spending on education for the next couple years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In sum, the infusion of temporary federal money really will be temporary. Once it’s spent, it’s gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The COVID relief was not \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/3/25/22350474/unprecedented-federal-funding-high-poverty-schools-how-spend\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spread evenly\u003c/a> across schools. Nationally, districts in more affluent areas \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-esser-fiscal-cliff-will-have-serious-implications-for-student-equity/?utm_campaign=Brown%20Center%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=273973450&utm_source=hs_email\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">received\u003c/a> just over $1,000 per student, with some getting even less. High-poverty districts, on the other hand, got over $6,000 per student. A handful of very high poverty districts, like \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://detroit.chalkbeat.org/2023/9/6/23860246/detroit-public-schools-superintendent-vitti-esser\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Detroit\u003c/a>, received massive sums of money. There was also \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.erstrategies.org/tap/analysis_esser_funds_fiscal_cliff_by_state\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">variation\u003c/a> from state to state, with schools in the South getting more federal money as a percent of their total budgets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This means that some schools will face little or no funding cliff while others will face steep cliffs. “Districts serving our neediest kids havea further to fall,” noted a recent \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-esser-fiscal-cliff-will-have-serious-implications-for-student-equity/?utm_campaign=Brown%20Center%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=273973450&utm_source=hs_email\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">analysis\u003c/a> published by the Brookings Institution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot depends on how prudent they were in their use of the federal funds,” said Taylor. “Federal funds should have been interpreted as one-time money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s clear that a good chunk of the funding was indeed used for one-time expenses: \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/2/15/22933799/federal-covid-relief-schools-hvac-buildings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HVAC and other building upgrades\u003c/a>, personal-protective equipment for COVID, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/5/27/22457345/thank-you-payments-teachers-research-debate-stimulus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bonuses for staff\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Detroit, for instance, earmarked over half of its COVID relief for long-deferred facilities upgrades. “One thing that I’ve tried to do as superintendent is be disciplined with finances,” superintendent Nikolai Vitti recently \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://detroit.chalkbeat.org/2023/9/6/23860246/detroit-public-schools-superintendent-vitti-esser\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told Chalkbeat\u003c/a>. “I always think about recurring revenue with recurring expenditures, and one-time revenue with one-time expenditures.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the other hand, at least some districts have used COVID money for ongoing operating costs like paying teachers’ salaries and maintaining buildings. State \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://edunomicslab.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/30-min-webinar_staff-v-enroll_final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">data show\u003c/a> that schools have been adding staff in recent years. As federal aid runs out, layoffs might follow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s also a third, mushier category: supplementary expenses that schools have added to try to make up for learning loss or address other needs. Those might include expanded summer school programming, after-school tutoring time, vendor contracts, temporary new staff. \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/9/6/23851143/covid-relief-schools-esser-spending-learning-loss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Some have already begun cutting\u003c/a>. Detroit eliminated some positions like college transition advisors. Districts in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Reno, Nevada have cut back on tutoring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the funding cliff approaches, these recovery add-ons may start to vanish even more rapidly. This programming may be easier to cut because it’s not part of core instruction, but could still be painful to lose, especially when students \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/11/23787212/nwea-learning-loss-academic-recovery-testing-data-covid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">remain behind\u003c/a> academically.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The biggest \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cma/public-school-revenue\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">chunk\u003c/a> of education funding comes from states, and they have been increasing spending on schools of late. One \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://edurecoveryhub.org/dont-miss-it-states-are-making-big-new-investments-in-public-schools/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent analysis\u003c/a> found that most states have increased education spending in their budgets this year, often by substantial amounts. Last year, California \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://edsource.org/2022/gov-newsom-strikes-deal-on-state-budget-big-increase-for-k-12-maybe-for-cal-grants-too/674680\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">passed\u003c/a> a record state budget, which included a one-time $7.9 billion learning-recovery grant to schools, on top of the one-time federal aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If state funding continues to increase, districts could be protected from major cuts even as federal money dwindles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>David Lauck, CFO of Alliance College-Ready, a charter network in Los Angeles, says he’s not expecting immediate cutbacks thanks to \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://edsource.org/2022/californias-new-budget-includes-historic-funding-for-education/674998\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">funding increases\u003c/a> from California. “We do not anticipate any major dropoff in programming,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More local funding could also help cushion schools. Officials in Kansas City are planning to use higher property tax revenue to keep some of the staff they added with federal aid. “We’ve done the work so we can retain them,” said Jennifer Collier, the superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools. “The cuts were not as deep as we originally thought.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>States governments also received a separate $195 billion worth of temporary federal money. This has supported the generous education funding for schools, but it also means states face their own \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.volckeralliance.org/sites/default/files/2022-05/The195Challenge_042922.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">funding cliff\u003c/a>. Moreover, many states are projecting that revenue from state taxes will decline next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With more fiscal data coming in, the long-term health of state budgets looks murky,” \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/navigating-fiscal-uncertainty-weak-state-revenue-forecasts-fiscal-year-2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">concluded\u003c/a> Lucy Dadayan, principal research associate with the Urban Institute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That could create a double whammy for schools: federal funds run out and states don’t have the ability to provide an additional buffer. Once again, high poverty schools are \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2020/4/7/21225437/school-budgets-are-in-big-trouble-especially-in-high-poverty-areas-here-s-why-and-what-could-help\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more at risk \u003c/a>because they tend to be most reliant on state funds. Local funding is also not a guaranteed backstop. The higher-poverty schools that face the greatest fiscal cliff typically have less property wealth to draw from.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The budget situation will likely vary by state. A number of Republican-leaning states have \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/three-years-state-tax-cuts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">adopted tax cuts\u003c/a> and \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://in.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/10/23718448/school-choice-voucher-expansion-indiana-education-policy-public-funding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">private school choice programs\u003c/a>, which could strain state budgets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there is some good news for public schools. States have \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/state-rainy-day-fund-balances-reached-all-time-highs-last-year\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">built up\u003c/a> substantial “rainy day” funds that could bolster budgets. Plus the broader economy, contrary to some predictions, is looking \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/08/15/no-recession-summer-economy/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">relatively strong\u003c/a>. That’s a more promising indicator for state revenue, since a strong economy tends to mean higher funding from sales and income taxes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bruce Baker, a University of Miami professor and school finance researcher, says he suspects the upcoming funding cliff won’t be as bad as \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2020/4/22/21230992/great-recession-schools-research-lessons-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">what happened after the Great Recession,\u003c/a> when schools made deep cuts after federal aid runs out. But he said this will vary from place to place and that schools are to some extent at the mercy of state politicians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of these cliffs are going to be a function of state choices,” said Baker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Matt Barnum is interim national editor, overseeing and contributing to Chalkbeat’s coverage of national education issues. Contact him at mbarnum@chalkbeat.org.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/9/13/23871838/schools-funding-cliff-federal-covid-relief-esser-money-budget-cuts\" rel=\"canonical\">Chalkbeat\u003c/a> is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Most students are learning at typical pace again, but those who lost ground during COVID-19 aren't catching up",
"headTitle": "Most students are learning at typical pace again, but those who lost ground during COVID-19 aren’t catching up | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp class=\"p7\">Kids around the country are still suffering academically from the pandemic. But more than three years after schools shut down, it’s hard to understand exactly how much ground students have lost and which children now need the most attention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Three new reports offer some insights. All three were produced by for-profit companies that sell assessments to schools. Unlike annual state tests, these interim assessments are administered at least twice a year and help track student progress, or learning, during the year. These companies may have a business motive in sounding an alarm to sell more of their product, but the reports are produced by well-regarded education statisticians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The big picture is that kids at every grade are still behind where they would have been without the pandemic. All three reports look at student achievement in the spring of 2019, before the pandemic, and compare it to the spring of 2023. A typical sixth grader, for example, in the spring of 2023 was generally scoring much lower than a typical sixth grader in 2019.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The differences are in the details. One report says that students are still behind the equivalent of four to five months of school, but another says it’s one to three months. A third doesn’t measure months of lost learning, but notices the alarming 50% increase in the number of students who are still performing significantly below grade level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">Depending on how you slice and dice the data, older students in middle school and beyond seem to be in the most precarious position and younger children seem to be more resilient and recovering better. Yet, under a different spotlight, you can see troubling signs even among younger children. This includes the very youngest children who weren’t school age when the pandemic hit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The most recent data, released on Aug. 28, 2023, is from Curriculum Associates, which sells i-Ready assessments taken by more than 11 million students across the country and focuses on “grade-level” skills.* It counts the number of students in third grade, for example, who are able to read at a third-grade level or solve math problems that a third grader ought to be able to solve. The standards for what is grade-level achievement are similar to what most \u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/studies/pdf/2021036.pdf\">\u003cspan class=\"s4\">states consider to be “proficient” on their annual assessments\u003c/span>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The report concludes that the percentage of students who met grade-level expectations was “flat” over the past school year. This is one way of noting that there wasn’t much of an academic recovery between spring of 2022 and spring of 2023. Students of every age, on average, lagged behind where students had been in 2019.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-62284\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"780\" height=\"414\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image1.png 780w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image1-160x85.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image1-768x408.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">For example, 69% of fourth graders were demonstrating grade-level skills in math in 2019. That dropped to 55% in 2022 and barely improved to 56% in 2023. (The drop in grade-level performance isn’t as dramatic for seventh and eighth graders, in part, because so few students were meeting grade-level expectations even before the pandemic.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">“It’s dang hard to catch up,” said Kristen Huff, vice president of assessment and research at Curriculum Associates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">To make up for lost ground, students would have to learn more in a year than they typically do. That generally didn’t happen. Huff said this kind of extra learning is especially hard for students who missed foundational math and reading skills during the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">While most students learned at a typical pace during the 2022-23 school year, Curriculum Associates noted a starkly different and troubling pattern for children who are significantly below grade level by two or more years. Their numbers spiked during the pandemic and have not gone down. Even worse, these children learned less during the 2022-23 school year than during a typical pre-pandemic year. That means they are continuing to lose ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">Huff highlighted three groups of children who need extra attention: poor readers in second, third and fourth grades; children in kindergarten and first grade, and middle school math students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">There’s been a stubborn 50% increase in the number of third and fourth graders who are two or more grade levels behind in reading, Huff said. For example, 19% of third graders were that far behind grade level in 2023, up from 12% in 2019. “I find this alarming news,” said Huff, noting that these children were in kindergarten and first grade when the pandemic first hit. “They’re missing out on phonics and phonemic awareness and now they’re thrust into grades three and four,” she said. “If you’re two or more grade levels below in grade three, you’re in big trouble. You’re in big, big, big trouble. We’re going to be seeing evidence of this for years to come.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The youngest students, who were just two to four years old at the start of the pandemic, are also behind. Huff said that kindergarteners and first graders started the 2022-23 school year at lower achievement levels than in the past. They may have missed out on social interactions and pre-school. “You can’t say my current kindergartener wasn’t in school during the pandemic so they weren’t affected,” said Huff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">Math achievement slipped the most after schools shuttered and switched to remote learning. And now very high percentages of middle schoolers are below grade level in the subject. Huff speculates that they missed out on foundational math skills, especially fractions and proportional reasoning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p10\">Renaissance administered its Star tests to more than six million students around the country. Its \u003ca href=\"https://www.renaissance.com/resources/how-kids-are-performing/\">\u003cspan class=\"s4\">spring 2023 report was released on Aug. 9\u003c/span>\u003c/a>. Like Curriculum Associates, Renaissance finds that “growth is back, but performance is not,” according to Gene Kerns, Renaissance’s chief academic officer.* That means students are generally learning at a typical pace at school, but not making up for lost ground. Depending on the subject and the grade, students still need to recover between one and three months of instruction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-62282\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"371\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image3.png 600w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image3-160x99.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_62283\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-62283 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"371\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image2.png 600w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image2-160x99.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u003cem>Bars represent the achievement gaps between student scores in spring 2023 and 2019, before the pandemic. Each point is roughly equal to a week of instruction. First grade students in 2023 scored as high in math as first grade students did in 2019; learning losses had been recovered.\u003c/em> (Data source: Renaissance)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">Math is rebounding better than reading. “Math went down an alarming amount, but has started to go back up,” Kerns said. “We’ve not seen much rebound to reading.” Reading achievement, however, wasn’t as harmed by school disruptions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">Kerns generally sees a sunnier story for younger children and a more troubling picture for older students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The youngest children in kindergarten and first grade are on par with pre-pandemic history, he said. Middle elementary school grades are a little behind but catching up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">“The older the student, the more lingering the impact,” said Kerns. “The high school data is very alarming. If you’re a junior in high school, you only have one more year. There’s a time clock on this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">Seventh and eighth graders showed tiny decreases in annual learning in math and reading. Kerns says he’s “hesitant” to call it a “downward spiral.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The third report come from NWEA, which administers the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Assessment to more than 6 million students. Its \u003ca href=\"https://www.nwea.org/uploads/Educations-long-covid-2022-23-achievement-data-reveal-stalled-progress-toward-pandemic-recovery_NWEA_Research-brief.pdf\">\u003cspan class=\"s4\">spring 2023 data, released on July 11\u003c/span>\u003c/a>, showed that students on average need four to five months of extra schooling, on top of the regular school year, to catch up. This graph below, is a good summary of how much students are behind as expressed in months of learning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p6\">\u003cb>Spring 2023 achievement gaps and months of schooling required to catch up to pre-COVID achievement levels\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-62281\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"780\" height=\"519\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image4.png 780w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image4-160x106.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image4-768x511.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">Like the Renaissance report, the NWEA report shows a bigger learning loss in math than in reading, and indicates that older students have been more academically harmed by the pandemic. They’ll need more months of extra schooling to catch up to where they would have been had the pandemic never happened. It could take years and years to squeeze these extra months of instruction in and many students may never receive them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">From my perspective, Renaissance and NWEA came to similar conclusions for most students. The main difference is that Renaissance has additional assessment data for younger children in kindergarten through second grade, showing a recovery, and high school data, showing a worse deterioration. The discrepancies in their measurement of months of learning loss, whether it’s four to five months or one to three months, is inconsequential. Both companies admit these assumption-filled estimates are imprecise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">One of the most substantial differences among the reports is that Curriculum Associates is sounding an alarm bell for kindergarteners and first graders while Renaissance is not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The three reports all conclude that kids are behind where they would have been without the pandemic. But some sub-groups are doing much worse than others. The students who are the most behind and continuing to spiral downward really need our attention. Without extra support, their pandemic slump could be lifelong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">\u003ci>This story about \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-three-views-of-pandemic-learning-loss-and-recovery/\">\u003cspan class=\"s4\">\u003ci>pandemic recovery\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci> was written by Jill Barshay and produced by \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/special-reports/higher-education/\">\u003cspan class=\"s4\">The Hechinger Report\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci>, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proofpoints/\">\u003cspan class=\"s4\">\u003ci>Proof Points\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci> and other \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/newsletters/\">\u003cspan class=\"s4\">\u003ci>Hechinger newsletters\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>\u003ci>* Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that more than 3 million students took i-Ready assessments.\u003c/i>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>\u003ci>** Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly spelled Gene Kerns’s last name.\u003c/i>\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Kids around the country are still suffering from pandemic learning loss. Three new reports offer some insights about who needs the most support.",
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"title": "Most students are learning at typical pace again, but those who lost ground during COVID-19 aren't catching up | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp class=\"p7\">Kids around the country are still suffering academically from the pandemic. But more than three years after schools shut down, it’s hard to understand exactly how much ground students have lost and which children now need the most attention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Three new reports offer some insights. All three were produced by for-profit companies that sell assessments to schools. Unlike annual state tests, these interim assessments are administered at least twice a year and help track student progress, or learning, during the year. These companies may have a business motive in sounding an alarm to sell more of their product, but the reports are produced by well-regarded education statisticians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The big picture is that kids at every grade are still behind where they would have been without the pandemic. All three reports look at student achievement in the spring of 2019, before the pandemic, and compare it to the spring of 2023. A typical sixth grader, for example, in the spring of 2023 was generally scoring much lower than a typical sixth grader in 2019.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The differences are in the details. One report says that students are still behind the equivalent of four to five months of school, but another says it’s one to three months. A third doesn’t measure months of lost learning, but notices the alarming 50% increase in the number of students who are still performing significantly below grade level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">Depending on how you slice and dice the data, older students in middle school and beyond seem to be in the most precarious position and younger children seem to be more resilient and recovering better. Yet, under a different spotlight, you can see troubling signs even among younger children. This includes the very youngest children who weren’t school age when the pandemic hit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The most recent data, released on Aug. 28, 2023, is from Curriculum Associates, which sells i-Ready assessments taken by more than 11 million students across the country and focuses on “grade-level” skills.* It counts the number of students in third grade, for example, who are able to read at a third-grade level or solve math problems that a third grader ought to be able to solve. The standards for what is grade-level achievement are similar to what most \u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/studies/pdf/2021036.pdf\">\u003cspan class=\"s4\">states consider to be “proficient” on their annual assessments\u003c/span>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The report concludes that the percentage of students who met grade-level expectations was “flat” over the past school year. This is one way of noting that there wasn’t much of an academic recovery between spring of 2022 and spring of 2023. Students of every age, on average, lagged behind where students had been in 2019.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-62284\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"780\" height=\"414\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image1.png 780w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image1-160x85.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image1-768x408.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">For example, 69% of fourth graders were demonstrating grade-level skills in math in 2019. That dropped to 55% in 2022 and barely improved to 56% in 2023. (The drop in grade-level performance isn’t as dramatic for seventh and eighth graders, in part, because so few students were meeting grade-level expectations even before the pandemic.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">“It’s dang hard to catch up,” said Kristen Huff, vice president of assessment and research at Curriculum Associates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">To make up for lost ground, students would have to learn more in a year than they typically do. That generally didn’t happen. Huff said this kind of extra learning is especially hard for students who missed foundational math and reading skills during the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">While most students learned at a typical pace during the 2022-23 school year, Curriculum Associates noted a starkly different and troubling pattern for children who are significantly below grade level by two or more years. Their numbers spiked during the pandemic and have not gone down. Even worse, these children learned less during the 2022-23 school year than during a typical pre-pandemic year. That means they are continuing to lose ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">Huff highlighted three groups of children who need extra attention: poor readers in second, third and fourth grades; children in kindergarten and first grade, and middle school math students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">There’s been a stubborn 50% increase in the number of third and fourth graders who are two or more grade levels behind in reading, Huff said. For example, 19% of third graders were that far behind grade level in 2023, up from 12% in 2019. “I find this alarming news,” said Huff, noting that these children were in kindergarten and first grade when the pandemic first hit. “They’re missing out on phonics and phonemic awareness and now they’re thrust into grades three and four,” she said. “If you’re two or more grade levels below in grade three, you’re in big trouble. You’re in big, big, big trouble. We’re going to be seeing evidence of this for years to come.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The youngest students, who were just two to four years old at the start of the pandemic, are also behind. Huff said that kindergarteners and first graders started the 2022-23 school year at lower achievement levels than in the past. They may have missed out on social interactions and pre-school. “You can’t say my current kindergartener wasn’t in school during the pandemic so they weren’t affected,” said Huff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">Math achievement slipped the most after schools shuttered and switched to remote learning. And now very high percentages of middle schoolers are below grade level in the subject. Huff speculates that they missed out on foundational math skills, especially fractions and proportional reasoning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p10\">Renaissance administered its Star tests to more than six million students around the country. Its \u003ca href=\"https://www.renaissance.com/resources/how-kids-are-performing/\">\u003cspan class=\"s4\">spring 2023 report was released on Aug. 9\u003c/span>\u003c/a>. Like Curriculum Associates, Renaissance finds that “growth is back, but performance is not,” according to Gene Kerns, Renaissance’s chief academic officer.* That means students are generally learning at a typical pace at school, but not making up for lost ground. Depending on the subject and the grade, students still need to recover between one and three months of instruction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-62282\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"371\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image3.png 600w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image3-160x99.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_62283\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-62283 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"371\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image2.png 600w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image2-160x99.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u003cem>Bars represent the achievement gaps between student scores in spring 2023 and 2019, before the pandemic. Each point is roughly equal to a week of instruction. First grade students in 2023 scored as high in math as first grade students did in 2019; learning losses had been recovered.\u003c/em> (Data source: Renaissance)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">Math is rebounding better than reading. “Math went down an alarming amount, but has started to go back up,” Kerns said. “We’ve not seen much rebound to reading.” Reading achievement, however, wasn’t as harmed by school disruptions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">Kerns generally sees a sunnier story for younger children and a more troubling picture for older students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The youngest children in kindergarten and first grade are on par with pre-pandemic history, he said. Middle elementary school grades are a little behind but catching up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">“The older the student, the more lingering the impact,” said Kerns. “The high school data is very alarming. If you’re a junior in high school, you only have one more year. There’s a time clock on this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">Seventh and eighth graders showed tiny decreases in annual learning in math and reading. Kerns says he’s “hesitant” to call it a “downward spiral.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The third report come from NWEA, which administers the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Assessment to more than 6 million students. Its \u003ca href=\"https://www.nwea.org/uploads/Educations-long-covid-2022-23-achievement-data-reveal-stalled-progress-toward-pandemic-recovery_NWEA_Research-brief.pdf\">\u003cspan class=\"s4\">spring 2023 data, released on July 11\u003c/span>\u003c/a>, showed that students on average need four to five months of extra schooling, on top of the regular school year, to catch up. This graph below, is a good summary of how much students are behind as expressed in months of learning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p6\">\u003cb>Spring 2023 achievement gaps and months of schooling required to catch up to pre-COVID achievement levels\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-62281\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"780\" height=\"519\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image4.png 780w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image4-160x106.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/08/image4-768x511.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">Like the Renaissance report, the NWEA report shows a bigger learning loss in math than in reading, and indicates that older students have been more academically harmed by the pandemic. They’ll need more months of extra schooling to catch up to where they would have been had the pandemic never happened. It could take years and years to squeeze these extra months of instruction in and many students may never receive them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">From my perspective, Renaissance and NWEA came to similar conclusions for most students. The main difference is that Renaissance has additional assessment data for younger children in kindergarten through second grade, showing a recovery, and high school data, showing a worse deterioration. The discrepancies in their measurement of months of learning loss, whether it’s four to five months or one to three months, is inconsequential. Both companies admit these assumption-filled estimates are imprecise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">One of the most substantial differences among the reports is that Curriculum Associates is sounding an alarm bell for kindergarteners and first graders while Renaissance is not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">The three reports all conclude that kids are behind where they would have been without the pandemic. But some sub-groups are doing much worse than others. The students who are the most behind and continuing to spiral downward really need our attention. Without extra support, their pandemic slump could be lifelong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p8\">\u003ci>This story about \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-three-views-of-pandemic-learning-loss-and-recovery/\">\u003cspan class=\"s4\">\u003ci>pandemic recovery\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci> was written by Jill Barshay and produced by \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/special-reports/higher-education/\">\u003cspan class=\"s4\">The Hechinger Report\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci>, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proofpoints/\">\u003cspan class=\"s4\">\u003ci>Proof Points\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci> and other \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/newsletters/\">\u003cspan class=\"s4\">\u003ci>Hechinger newsletters\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>\u003ci>* Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that more than 3 million students took i-Ready assessments.\u003c/i>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>\u003ci>** Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly spelled Gene Kerns’s last name.\u003c/i>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Summer school programs aren't enough to reverse pandemic learning loss, researchers say",
"headTitle": "Summer school programs aren’t enough to reverse pandemic learning loss, researchers say | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp class=\"p7\">Many education researchers have warned that \u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-slim-research-evidence-for-summer-school/\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">summer school doesn’t have a strong track record\u003c/span>\u003c/a> of helping students catch up academically. That’s because it’s hard to convince families to show up. In the wake of the pandemic, school leaders spent billions more on it anyway. In a 2022 \u003ca href=\"https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA956-13.html\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">national survey\u003c/span>\u003c/a>, 70% of school districts said they had launched new summer programs or expanded existing ones. Los Angeles Unified District superintendent Alberto Carvalho called summer school “\u003ca href=\"https://www.dailynews.com/2023/06/26/this-summer-lausd-tackles-learning-loss-in-a-fun-filled-environment/\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">critical\u003c/span>\u003c/a>” to addressing learning loss.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">But now, in a scientific version of “We told you so,” a group of 14 researchers from Harvard University, the American Institutes for Research and the assessment company NWEA found \u003ca href=\"https://caldercenter.org/publications/summer-school-learning-loss-recovery-strategy-after-covid-19-evidence-summer-2022\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">miniscule gains in math and no improvement in reading\u003c/span>\u003c/a> at all after scrutinizing how much 2022 summer school helped children in eight large school districts around the nation. A separate \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-sub/wp-content/uploads/sites/280/2023/07/08044613/SummerLearning2022_final.pdf.pdf\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">study in Tennessee,\u003c/span>\u003c/a> also looking back at the summer of 2022, found the same tiny learning gains in math but none in reading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">There are two big reasons for the disheartening results, according to Emily Morton, a researcher at the American Institutes for Research, and one of the lead researchers on the multi-state \u003ca href=\"https://caldercenter.org/sites/default/files/Road%2520to%2520COVID%2520Recovery%2520Research%2520Brief_0.pdf\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">summer school study\u003c/span>\u003c/a> released in August 2023: the summer school programs were very short and there was too little participation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">“It would have been misguided to expect that summer school would have enormous effects,” said Emily Morton, “And that’s what we see. It doesn’t have enormous effects.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Sadly, the academic gains for children were a fraction of what even pre-pandemic studies of summer school had indicated. What kids learned in math during the summer of 2022 was less than a third of the \u003ca href=\"https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED616669.pdf\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">small gains seen in previous research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>. Earlier research had sometimes found gains for summertime reading programs, particularly for \u003ca href=\"https://scholar.harvard.edu/jameskim/publications/effects-summer-reading-low-income-children%25E2%2580%2599s-literacy-achievement-kindergarten\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">younger elementary school students using a well-regarded reading curriculum\u003c/span>\u003c/a>. But reading achievement generally didn’t improve after attending summer school in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Based on the tiny amounts of academic recovery and participation rates in the eight districts studied, summer programs were estimated to have offset only 2 to 3% of the learning losses in math and none in reading. “It’s really making quite a small dent,” said Morton. “It’s just such a small amount compared to the amount of recovery that’s needed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Most of the summer programs lasted only 15 to 20 days, shorter than programs in the pre-pandemic research. Students also missed many sessions. On average, enrolled students received only between 10 and 14 days of instruction. Participation in these optional summer school programs was generally low. Depending on the district, between 5 and 23% of students in kindergarten through eighth grade signed up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Reading has always been less responsive to summer school than math. This is partly because many children who don’t attend summer school still read during June, July and August and they are also improving their vocabulary and comprehension skills. By contrast, kids are less likely to solve math problems on their own and there’s a bigger advantage for children who receive summertime instruction. But it could also be that reading instruction isn’t high quality in many summer schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">The eight districts in the study were Dallas; Portland, Oregon; Alexandria, Virginia; Guilford County, North Carolina; Richardson, Texas; Suffern Central, New York, and Tulsa. One additional district was unnamed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Morton and her colleagues tracked the academic performance of more than 16,0000 children who attended school during the summer of 2022, and compared them with similar children who didn’t attend summer school. For children who had the same baseline spring 2022 test scores, summer school didn’t help them to score much higher on a fall 2022 assessment, known as Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests, which is sold by NWEA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">If every child had participated in summer school in the eight districts that the researchers studied, the catch-up gains in math would have been enough to recover 10% of how much students fell behind, on average, during the pandemic. But because enrollment was so low, summer programming closed only about 2 to 3% of each district’s estimated learning loss in math.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Most students still need the equivalent of an extra four to five months of instruction – above and beyond regular school year instruction – to catch up to a pre-pandemic student; some students, especially low-income students, need much more, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nwea.org/uploads/Educations-long-covid-2022-23-achievement-data-reveal-stalled-progress-toward-pandemic-recovery_NWEA_Research-brief.pdf\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">NWEA’s July 2023 learning loss update\u003c/span>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">The district with the highest summer school enrollment rate, 23%, offered families of elementary school children an extended day, beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m. Those hours appealed to working parents, and summer school in 2022 doubled as free child care. However, this district, which was not identified in the study, curtailed hours for the summer of 2023 because it ran out of money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">More common across the districts were half-day programs. Academic instruction ranged from 45 minutes to two hours in reading and math each. The remainder of the time was filled with “enrichment” activities, from robotics to dance, often led by community groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Despite the dismal results, educators said they learned a few lessons. Online sign ups were a barrier and paper enrollment forms remain necessary for many families. Location matters too. Families were far more inclined to sign up for summer school at their children’s school. Sending a child to an unfamiliar building in a different neighborhood wasn’t as popular.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">School administrators told Morton they had intentionally marketed summer school as a “summer camp,” full of fun activities, to make it more appealing to families and children. Administrators said they were very careful with their language, not wanting to single out students, stigmatize them or make them feel that they were behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">“Maybe that is not always in the best interest of the student,” Morton said, concerned that a soft sell approach didn’t attract children who need extra instruction the most. She thinks that clearer messaging – telling parents directly that their kids were behind and needed extra summer support\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> \u003c/span>– would have been more convincing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">That might be good advice – but it carries a risk for educators. Parents could end up blaming schools for allowing their children to fall so far behind. \u003ca href=\"https://www.axios.com/2022/07/14/gallup-poll-public-schools-confidence\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">Confidence in public education is near a record low\u003c/span>\u003c/a>, according to a recent Gallup Poll. The global emergency stage of the pandemic may be over, but now the nation’s students and public schools are in need of intensive care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">\u003ci>This story about \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-summer-school-programs-too-short-and-not-popular-enough-to-reverse-pandemic-learning-loss-researchers-say/\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">\u003ci>summer school programs\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci> was written by Jill Barshay and produced by \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">The Hechinger Report\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci>, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proofpoints/\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">\u003ci>Proof Points\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci> and other \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/newsletters/\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">\u003ci>Hechinger newsletters\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "School leaders spent billions on summer school programs in 2022. But with short length and low attendance, studies have found minuscule gains.",
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"title": "Summer school programs aren't enough to reverse pandemic learning loss, researchers say | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp class=\"p7\">Many education researchers have warned that \u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-slim-research-evidence-for-summer-school/\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">summer school doesn’t have a strong track record\u003c/span>\u003c/a> of helping students catch up academically. That’s because it’s hard to convince families to show up. In the wake of the pandemic, school leaders spent billions more on it anyway. In a 2022 \u003ca href=\"https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA956-13.html\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">national survey\u003c/span>\u003c/a>, 70% of school districts said they had launched new summer programs or expanded existing ones. Los Angeles Unified District superintendent Alberto Carvalho called summer school “\u003ca href=\"https://www.dailynews.com/2023/06/26/this-summer-lausd-tackles-learning-loss-in-a-fun-filled-environment/\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">critical\u003c/span>\u003c/a>” to addressing learning loss.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">But now, in a scientific version of “We told you so,” a group of 14 researchers from Harvard University, the American Institutes for Research and the assessment company NWEA found \u003ca href=\"https://caldercenter.org/publications/summer-school-learning-loss-recovery-strategy-after-covid-19-evidence-summer-2022\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">miniscule gains in math and no improvement in reading\u003c/span>\u003c/a> at all after scrutinizing how much 2022 summer school helped children in eight large school districts around the nation. A separate \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-sub/wp-content/uploads/sites/280/2023/07/08044613/SummerLearning2022_final.pdf.pdf\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">study in Tennessee,\u003c/span>\u003c/a> also looking back at the summer of 2022, found the same tiny learning gains in math but none in reading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">There are two big reasons for the disheartening results, according to Emily Morton, a researcher at the American Institutes for Research, and one of the lead researchers on the multi-state \u003ca href=\"https://caldercenter.org/sites/default/files/Road%2520to%2520COVID%2520Recovery%2520Research%2520Brief_0.pdf\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">summer school study\u003c/span>\u003c/a> released in August 2023: the summer school programs were very short and there was too little participation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">“It would have been misguided to expect that summer school would have enormous effects,” said Emily Morton, “And that’s what we see. It doesn’t have enormous effects.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Sadly, the academic gains for children were a fraction of what even pre-pandemic studies of summer school had indicated. What kids learned in math during the summer of 2022 was less than a third of the \u003ca href=\"https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED616669.pdf\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">small gains seen in previous research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>. Earlier research had sometimes found gains for summertime reading programs, particularly for \u003ca href=\"https://scholar.harvard.edu/jameskim/publications/effects-summer-reading-low-income-children%25E2%2580%2599s-literacy-achievement-kindergarten\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">younger elementary school students using a well-regarded reading curriculum\u003c/span>\u003c/a>. But reading achievement generally didn’t improve after attending summer school in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Based on the tiny amounts of academic recovery and participation rates in the eight districts studied, summer programs were estimated to have offset only 2 to 3% of the learning losses in math and none in reading. “It’s really making quite a small dent,” said Morton. “It’s just such a small amount compared to the amount of recovery that’s needed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Most of the summer programs lasted only 15 to 20 days, shorter than programs in the pre-pandemic research. Students also missed many sessions. On average, enrolled students received only between 10 and 14 days of instruction. Participation in these optional summer school programs was generally low. Depending on the district, between 5 and 23% of students in kindergarten through eighth grade signed up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Reading has always been less responsive to summer school than math. This is partly because many children who don’t attend summer school still read during June, July and August and they are also improving their vocabulary and comprehension skills. By contrast, kids are less likely to solve math problems on their own and there’s a bigger advantage for children who receive summertime instruction. But it could also be that reading instruction isn’t high quality in many summer schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">The eight districts in the study were Dallas; Portland, Oregon; Alexandria, Virginia; Guilford County, North Carolina; Richardson, Texas; Suffern Central, New York, and Tulsa. One additional district was unnamed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Morton and her colleagues tracked the academic performance of more than 16,0000 children who attended school during the summer of 2022, and compared them with similar children who didn’t attend summer school. For children who had the same baseline spring 2022 test scores, summer school didn’t help them to score much higher on a fall 2022 assessment, known as Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests, which is sold by NWEA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">If every child had participated in summer school in the eight districts that the researchers studied, the catch-up gains in math would have been enough to recover 10% of how much students fell behind, on average, during the pandemic. But because enrollment was so low, summer programming closed only about 2 to 3% of each district’s estimated learning loss in math.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Most students still need the equivalent of an extra four to five months of instruction – above and beyond regular school year instruction – to catch up to a pre-pandemic student; some students, especially low-income students, need much more, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nwea.org/uploads/Educations-long-covid-2022-23-achievement-data-reveal-stalled-progress-toward-pandemic-recovery_NWEA_Research-brief.pdf\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">NWEA’s July 2023 learning loss update\u003c/span>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">The district with the highest summer school enrollment rate, 23%, offered families of elementary school children an extended day, beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m. Those hours appealed to working parents, and summer school in 2022 doubled as free child care. However, this district, which was not identified in the study, curtailed hours for the summer of 2023 because it ran out of money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">More common across the districts were half-day programs. Academic instruction ranged from 45 minutes to two hours in reading and math each. The remainder of the time was filled with “enrichment” activities, from robotics to dance, often led by community groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">Despite the dismal results, educators said they learned a few lessons. Online sign ups were a barrier and paper enrollment forms remain necessary for many families. Location matters too. Families were far more inclined to sign up for summer school at their children’s school. Sending a child to an unfamiliar building in a different neighborhood wasn’t as popular.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">School administrators told Morton they had intentionally marketed summer school as a “summer camp,” full of fun activities, to make it more appealing to families and children. Administrators said they were very careful with their language, not wanting to single out students, stigmatize them or make them feel that they were behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">“Maybe that is not always in the best interest of the student,” Morton said, concerned that a soft sell approach didn’t attract children who need extra instruction the most. She thinks that clearer messaging – telling parents directly that their kids were behind and needed extra summer support\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> \u003c/span>– would have been more convincing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">That might be good advice – but it carries a risk for educators. Parents could end up blaming schools for allowing their children to fall so far behind. \u003ca href=\"https://www.axios.com/2022/07/14/gallup-poll-public-schools-confidence\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">Confidence in public education is near a record low\u003c/span>\u003c/a>, according to a recent Gallup Poll. The global emergency stage of the pandemic may be over, but now the nation’s students and public schools are in need of intensive care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p7\">\u003ci>This story about \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-summer-school-programs-too-short-and-not-popular-enough-to-reverse-pandemic-learning-loss-researchers-say/\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">\u003ci>summer school programs\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci> was written by Jill Barshay and produced by \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">The Hechinger Report\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci>, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proofpoints/\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">\u003ci>Proof Points\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci> and other \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/newsletters/\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">\u003ci>Hechinger newsletters\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Thinking about tutoring for your child? Here’s what you should consider.",
"headTitle": "Thinking about tutoring for your child? Here’s what you should consider. | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chalkbeat.admin.usechorus.com/e/23565152\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cb>Leer en español.\u003c/b>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was \u003ca href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/20/23798228/tutoring-help-for-child\" rel='\"canonical'>originally published\u003c/a> by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://ckbe.at/newsletters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>ckbe.at/newsletters\u003c/u>\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As educators look for ways to help students as they recover academically from pandemic interruptions, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/61101/what-we-know-about-tutoring-research-and-how-schools-are-using-tutoring-in-pandemic-recovery\">tutoring can play a key role\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But across the country, many leaders are seeing that some of the students who need the help the most \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/17/23726983/high-dosage-tutoring-stanford-research-students-pandemic?utm_source=Chalkbeat&utm_campaign=928f3be94a-National+Why+highdosage+tutoring+is+still+so+hard&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9091015053-928f3be94a-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">aren’t taking advantage\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, as parents, what questions should you be asking about tutoring and whether your student can benefit? Here are answers to some common questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"8TYA4l\">When should I consider tutoring for my child?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Rhonda Haniford, associate commissioner of the school quality and support division at the Colorado Department of Education, said the first thing to keep in mind is that different tutoring programs are designed to achieve different goals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While parents might think tutoring is only to help students who are struggling academically, sometimes programs are designed instead to keep students engaged, accelerate their learning, or hone in on specific skills or needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If a parent believes their child is struggling academically, Haniford said they should look at what their school offers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“First, I would say meet with the school and talk about what they’re seeing,” Haniford said. “Talk about what’s working, what are the child’s strengths as well as where are their needs. And can tutoring help? It depends on what the tutoring program is designed to accomplish.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parent Keri Rodrigues said her five sons’ report cards showed good grades and that her boys were doing well. But when she asked them to read to her at home, she noticed two were struggling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These were things I could see,” Rodrigues said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodrigues is co-founder of the advocacy group \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://nationalparentsunion.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Parents Union\u003c/a>. She advises parents to trust their instincts and ask questions when they believe their children might be struggling. That means starting with more conversations with teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When talking with teachers, Rodrigues said, one of the most important questions to ask is whether your child is reading at grade level, and if not, what is being done to get them there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Report cards often are not telling us this information,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ashara Baker, a mother to a rising second grader and also a leader with National Parents Union, advises parents that if their child attends a school that has low state test scores, they should consider tutoring even if it seems like their child is doing well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Haniford said the first step is to make sure that the goals of the tutoring program match your child’s needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After that, she said, parents should ask if their school has a diagnostic assessment of their child. Most schools do, she said. That information can guide tutors to a student’s needs and to build on their strengths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodrigues likes to remind parents that they don’t need to be well-versed in education curriculum to start asking questions. She suggests asking if a program is using evidence-based practices, which are strategies that are based on research and have been proven to work, and if their reading programs are based on the science of reading, the research about how children’s brains learn to read.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you hear things like balanced literacy, that might be a problem,” she said. Balanced Literacy is \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2020/3/27/21231320/why-do-so-many-colorado-students-struggle-to-read-flawed-curriculum-is-part-of-the-problem\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an approach to teaching reading\u003c/a> based on a debunked philosophy that reading is natural and requires encouragement. “Even if you just remember they should say ‘science of reading,’ you shouldn’t be intimidated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some research shows that \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/17/23726983/high-dosage-tutoring-stanford-research-students-pandemic?utm_source=Chalkbeat&utm_campaign=928f3be94a-National+Why+highdosage+tutoring+is+still+so+hard&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9091015053-928f3be94a-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">“high-dosage” tutoring programs may be most effective\u003c/a> for students who need academic help. Usually that involves in-person instruction a few times a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baker is leading an effort to get New York schools to make high-dosage tutoring available in public schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said good communication is important. Her local district advertised a summer enrichment program, and her daughter attended. Baker knew her daughter was taken to get a library card and to the farmers market, and she heard about how much fun the kids had with water balloons. But Baker said she didn’t know the program was meant to be a form of tutoring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It can be fun, but you have to be checking in: How are we doing? Are we making progress?” Baker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She also suggests asking if tutors are trained and certified and finding out how many students are working with each tutor. Small groups are best, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Haniford agrees about small groups. She said the most successful programs have no more than six students per tutor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have a clear purpose and vision for what they want to accomplish, and it’s not a catch-all with too many students, because then students are not getting individualized attention,” Haniford said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"YiawKO\">How do I know if my child is getting the most from their tutoring?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Baker suggests that parents make sure the tutoring program their school uses, or that they select from outside groups, does some testing that will measure improvement or where more help is needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tutoring program she pays to help her daughter outside of school now gives parents regular reports about how things are progressing and how parents can help maintain the progress at home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jennifer Castillo, new principal of Boston P-8 in Aurora, said that the school has tutoring run by an outside group, but uses the school’s own teachers that are already familiar with their students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Having those relationships is very important,” Castillo said. “They know where those student’s gaps are, they know the reasons students are there. I think it’s important for the tutors and the student to be able to go to their parents and show that progress. After a month, I’m seeing an increase in scores or ability or confidence, whatever the issue. As a parent, hopefully you don’t have to ask in a strong partnership.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Castillo said that if the program you’re considering has tutors who aren’t teachers in the school, parents might ask if there’s a way for the tutors and teachers to communicate with each other so that the tutoring help is aligned with what is happening in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"ZhIILB\">Should I wait to get my child into a tutoring program?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“There’s always that tug of should I wait a little longer? Maybe it was a rough year. Maybe it was a rough teacher,” Rodrigues said. “Things don’t get easier the more you wait. They get harder.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is especially true for younger children who need extra help to learn to read. Being able to read will help students learn more complex subjects later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Haniford and Castillo believe parents should clarify why their child needs a break — is there a social or emotional issue, for example — and to look at various options to address the issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kids don’t need a break from learning,” Castillo said. Learning can happen all day, she added. “But we need to ensure they’re engaged and it’s not just sitting and listening. Taking the tutoring outside, making it more hands-on, or making it more applicable might help.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Castillo also recommends that students understand the importance of tutoring and the benefits they should see themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The students have to want to be involved,” Castillo said. “Letting them have some ownership will help as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Yesenia Robles is a reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado covering K-12 school districts and multilingual education. Contact Yesenia at yrobles@chalkbeat.org.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/20/23798228/tutoring-help-for-child\" rel='\"canonical'>Chalkbeat\u003c/a> is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chalkbeat.admin.usechorus.com/e/23565152\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cb>Leer en español.\u003c/b>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was \u003ca href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/20/23798228/tutoring-help-for-child\" rel='\"canonical'>originally published\u003c/a> by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://ckbe.at/newsletters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>ckbe.at/newsletters\u003c/u>\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As educators look for ways to help students as they recover academically from pandemic interruptions, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/61101/what-we-know-about-tutoring-research-and-how-schools-are-using-tutoring-in-pandemic-recovery\">tutoring can play a key role\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But across the country, many leaders are seeing that some of the students who need the help the most \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/17/23726983/high-dosage-tutoring-stanford-research-students-pandemic?utm_source=Chalkbeat&utm_campaign=928f3be94a-National+Why+highdosage+tutoring+is+still+so+hard&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9091015053-928f3be94a-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">aren’t taking advantage\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, as parents, what questions should you be asking about tutoring and whether your student can benefit? Here are answers to some common questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"8TYA4l\">When should I consider tutoring for my child?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Rhonda Haniford, associate commissioner of the school quality and support division at the Colorado Department of Education, said the first thing to keep in mind is that different tutoring programs are designed to achieve different goals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While parents might think tutoring is only to help students who are struggling academically, sometimes programs are designed instead to keep students engaged, accelerate their learning, or hone in on specific skills or needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If a parent believes their child is struggling academically, Haniford said they should look at what their school offers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“First, I would say meet with the school and talk about what they’re seeing,” Haniford said. “Talk about what’s working, what are the child’s strengths as well as where are their needs. And can tutoring help? It depends on what the tutoring program is designed to accomplish.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parent Keri Rodrigues said her five sons’ report cards showed good grades and that her boys were doing well. But when she asked them to read to her at home, she noticed two were struggling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These were things I could see,” Rodrigues said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodrigues is co-founder of the advocacy group \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://nationalparentsunion.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Parents Union\u003c/a>. She advises parents to trust their instincts and ask questions when they believe their children might be struggling. That means starting with more conversations with teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When talking with teachers, Rodrigues said, one of the most important questions to ask is whether your child is reading at grade level, and if not, what is being done to get them there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Report cards often are not telling us this information,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ashara Baker, a mother to a rising second grader and also a leader with National Parents Union, advises parents that if their child attends a school that has low state test scores, they should consider tutoring even if it seems like their child is doing well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Haniford said the first step is to make sure that the goals of the tutoring program match your child’s needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After that, she said, parents should ask if their school has a diagnostic assessment of their child. Most schools do, she said. That information can guide tutors to a student’s needs and to build on their strengths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodrigues likes to remind parents that they don’t need to be well-versed in education curriculum to start asking questions. She suggests asking if a program is using evidence-based practices, which are strategies that are based on research and have been proven to work, and if their reading programs are based on the science of reading, the research about how children’s brains learn to read.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you hear things like balanced literacy, that might be a problem,” she said. Balanced Literacy is \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2020/3/27/21231320/why-do-so-many-colorado-students-struggle-to-read-flawed-curriculum-is-part-of-the-problem\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an approach to teaching reading\u003c/a> based on a debunked philosophy that reading is natural and requires encouragement. “Even if you just remember they should say ‘science of reading,’ you shouldn’t be intimidated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some research shows that \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/17/23726983/high-dosage-tutoring-stanford-research-students-pandemic?utm_source=Chalkbeat&utm_campaign=928f3be94a-National+Why+highdosage+tutoring+is+still+so+hard&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9091015053-928f3be94a-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">“high-dosage” tutoring programs may be most effective\u003c/a> for students who need academic help. Usually that involves in-person instruction a few times a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baker is leading an effort to get New York schools to make high-dosage tutoring available in public schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said good communication is important. Her local district advertised a summer enrichment program, and her daughter attended. Baker knew her daughter was taken to get a library card and to the farmers market, and she heard about how much fun the kids had with water balloons. But Baker said she didn’t know the program was meant to be a form of tutoring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It can be fun, but you have to be checking in: How are we doing? Are we making progress?” Baker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She also suggests asking if tutors are trained and certified and finding out how many students are working with each tutor. Small groups are best, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Haniford agrees about small groups. She said the most successful programs have no more than six students per tutor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have a clear purpose and vision for what they want to accomplish, and it’s not a catch-all with too many students, because then students are not getting individualized attention,” Haniford said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"YiawKO\">How do I know if my child is getting the most from their tutoring?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Baker suggests that parents make sure the tutoring program their school uses, or that they select from outside groups, does some testing that will measure improvement or where more help is needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tutoring program she pays to help her daughter outside of school now gives parents regular reports about how things are progressing and how parents can help maintain the progress at home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jennifer Castillo, new principal of Boston P-8 in Aurora, said that the school has tutoring run by an outside group, but uses the school’s own teachers that are already familiar with their students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Having those relationships is very important,” Castillo said. “They know where those student’s gaps are, they know the reasons students are there. I think it’s important for the tutors and the student to be able to go to their parents and show that progress. After a month, I’m seeing an increase in scores or ability or confidence, whatever the issue. As a parent, hopefully you don’t have to ask in a strong partnership.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Castillo said that if the program you’re considering has tutors who aren’t teachers in the school, parents might ask if there’s a way for the tutors and teachers to communicate with each other so that the tutoring help is aligned with what is happening in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"ZhIILB\">Should I wait to get my child into a tutoring program?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“There’s always that tug of should I wait a little longer? Maybe it was a rough year. Maybe it was a rough teacher,” Rodrigues said. “Things don’t get easier the more you wait. They get harder.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is especially true for younger children who need extra help to learn to read. Being able to read will help students learn more complex subjects later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Haniford and Castillo believe parents should clarify why their child needs a break — is there a social or emotional issue, for example — and to look at various options to address the issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kids don’t need a break from learning,” Castillo said. Learning can happen all day, she added. “But we need to ensure they’re engaged and it’s not just sitting and listening. Taking the tutoring outside, making it more hands-on, or making it more applicable might help.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Castillo also recommends that students understand the importance of tutoring and the benefits they should see themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The students have to want to be involved,” Castillo said. “Letting them have some ownership will help as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Yesenia Robles is a reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado covering K-12 school districts and multilingual education. Contact Yesenia at yrobles@chalkbeat.org.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/20/23798228/tutoring-help-for-child\" rel='\"canonical'>Chalkbeat\u003c/a> is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "This online tutoring company says it offers expert one-on-one help. Students often get neither.",
"headTitle": "This online tutoring company says it offers expert one-on-one help. Students often get neither. | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was \u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/17/23795007/paper-online-tutoring-often-fails-students\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"canonical noopener\">originally published\u003c/a> by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://ckbe.at/newsletters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>ckbe.at/newsletters\u003c/u>\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lauren Williams took a job with Paper, one of the biggest virtual tutoring companies used by U.S. schools, because she wanted to help kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Williams, a self-described English and history buff who lives just south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, liked the work at first. As she helped students with their writing, it felt like students were getting personal attention they badly needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as Paper ratcheted up the pace and volume of her tutoring assignments last year, Williams grew alarmed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By this spring, she was routinely working with five students at once on the company’s online platform, which resembles a text-based instant messenger. She found herself toggling between kindergarteners learning to read and high-schoolers writing college essays, frantically trying to respond to each student’s message within Paper’s 50-second time limit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her breaking point came as Paper put new pressure on tutors to review essays faster — in part by recycling comments they’d written before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was like: ‘No, I can’t do this,’” said Williams, who quit in March. That kind of help, she concluded, is “not doing what’s right by the kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tapping into the federal government’s \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/3/25/22350474/unprecedented-federal-funding-high-poverty-schools-how-spend\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">historic investment\u003c/a> in helping students recover from the pandemic, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/11/17/23464110/paper-on-demand-online-tutoring-platforms-services-schools-students-challenges\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Paper has won contracts\u003c/a> worth tens of millions of dollars telling schools it offers one-on-one tutoring with subject experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the company often fails to deliver that basic service to students, a Chalkbeat investigation has found. In fact, tutors often juggle multiple students at once — a setup other virtual tutoring companies avoid — sometimes in subjects they don’t know well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paper argues that a student’s experience is always one-on-one, since students typically aren’t aware their tutor is working with others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the company’s practices and internal messaging suggest top officials know multi-tasking can be a challenge for tutors. It has even paid tutors “surge” bonuses of two to three times their normal pay rate for every minute they work with four or more students at once.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At least when you’re in that stressful experience of having four kids in your classroom you know that you’re making double pay,” said Julia Drury, Paper’s senior director of operations, at a virtual company meeting last summer. “If you’re doing the work of two tutors, then you should be paid for the work of two tutors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>School districts and state education agencies, meanwhile, are investing millions of COVID relief dollars in Paper’s services, sometimes none the wiser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To report this story, Chalkbeat interviewed more than a dozen current and former Paper employees and reviewed hundreds of pages of company documents, including screenshots of internal conversations among employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview, Paper’s CEO, Philip Cutler, did not dispute Chalkbeat’s findings that tutors are often working with more than one student at a time and that tutors sometimes work with students on unfamiliar subjects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he maintains that Paper is delivering one-on-one tutoring because tutors who work with multiple students do so in separate, individual sessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The student’s experience is one-on-one,” Cutler told Chalkbeat in June. “The tutor can be supporting multiple people. The idea is that the attention I’m getting is dedicated to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several school officials said they were not aware that Paper tutors were often working with multiple students at once until Chalkbeat told them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The department will follow up with Paper about this and continue to monitor, throughout the upcoming school year, if this practice has any impact on student engagement and/or satisfaction of services,” wrote Jean Cook, a spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Education, one of Paper’s largest clients, in an email to Chalkbeat.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"nYpdxK\">\u003cstrong>Paper tutors juggle multiple students at once\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As students fell behind during the pandemic, many researchers and education officials \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2020/12/9/22165700/learning-loss-tutoring-blueprint-schools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">encouraged schools to tutor their students\u003c/a>. That recommendation was backed by \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.nber.org/papers/w27476\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">years of research\u003c/a> that has found tutoring can deliver positive academic results, especially when kids get one-on-one help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/8/4/23291304/school-staff-shortages-bus-drivers-custodians-tutors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amid staffing shortages\u003c/a>, many school districts struggled to find and hire in-person tutors. That’s why many schools were drawn to Paper, which relies on 2,000 mostly part-time tutors who typically log on virtually from their homes across the U.S. and Canada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today the nine-year-old, Montreal-based company holds contracts worth tens of millions of dollars to tutor more than three million students in 600 districts across the U.S. and Canada. Much of that is backed by federal COVID relief money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chalkbeat previously found that \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/11/17/23464110/paper-on-demand-online-tutoring-platforms-services-schools-students-challenges\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Paper’s tutoring often goes unused\u003c/a>, particularly by students who most need help. The company lost a contract earlier this year with the state of New Mexico, after officials there said \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/3/17/23643908/paper-online-tutoring-new-mexico-contract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Paper had failed to meet students’ needs.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paper has told potential clients, like New Mexico, that it provides “a 1:1 student-tutor ratio.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We tailor instruction for each student,” Paper wrote to New Mexico education officials last fall in a proposal to work with the state. “With our 1:1 support, your students will receive the personalized attention they need.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_62044\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-62044\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/tutorinfo.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"625\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/tutorinfo.jpeg 840w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/tutorinfo-800x2000.jpeg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/tutorinfo-160x400.jpeg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/tutorinfo-768x1920.jpeg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/tutorinfo-614x1536.jpeg 614w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/tutorinfo-819x2048.jpeg 819w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paper issued this guidance to tutors to help them manage multiple students at once. \u003ccite>(Paper)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Paper tutors often can’t do that, according to interviews with more than a dozen current and former Paper tutors. The company’s employee handbook tells tutors they should be able to work comfortably with three students at once.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve found this to usually be manageable without sacrificing quality,” the handbook states. It adds: “there is no maximum number of students a tutor can be matched with simultaneously.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paper offers tipsheets for tutors meant to help them work with multiple students at once. One guide obtained by Chalkbeat tells tutors to ask students questions about what they want to work on to “buy you some buffer time to navigate between students.” Tutors can also “LET STUDENTS TAKE THE LEAD!” to make it “easier” to toggle between sessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cutler said it’s rare for tutors to work with more than three students at once and that it only happens for short bursts of times, or “surges.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paper’s own data, provided to Chalkbeat by the company, shows that tutors spent 33% of their working hours over the last school year helping two students at once, 10% of their time helping three students at once, and just under 2% of their time helping four or more students. The rest of the time, tutors worked with one or no students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But several tutors said those rates don’t accurately reflect their workload, which spikes in the mornings and afternoons. Internally, Paper has acknowledged that tutors who work in high-demand subjects like math experience surges of four or more students “on kind of an ongoing basis,” as Drury said at the virtual company meeting last summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One math and science tutor told Chalkbeat he’d helped a dozen students at once. Another math and science tutor said she’d gotten 10 students during a surge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You just keep switching tabs,” the tutor said. “I feel bad for some of these kids who are using the platform.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paper has resisted making changes that could cut down on tutor multitasking, such as adding a waiting room or scheduling option, because they could result in fewer students using Paper, according to a former manager who left Paper last year after several years with the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The response to it was just like: ‘We don’t want to turn students away,’” said the former manager, who asked not to be named because they signed a confidentiality agreement with Paper that prohibits sharing details about the company’s internal operations. “The quality of the service was always secondary.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cutler said “that’s certainly not the case” and that Paper has been “very focused on delivering a high level of quality over cost.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This kind of juggling is not the industry standard. Many other virtual tutoring companies offer intentional group sessions where students work together on similar assignments. Others conduct tutoring sessions over live audio or live video, which makes toggling between students nearly impossible. Paper does neither.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And other companies that offer text-based tutoring limit the number of students a tutor has at once.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TutorMe, for example, said its platform allows tutors to conduct only one session at a time. Varsity Tutors said when a student requests an on-demand tutor, a tutor can’t get another student “until the session is resolved.” Tutor.com said the maximum number of students a tutor can have at once is two, and that happens in only 2% of sessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We NEVER work with multiple students in DIFFERENT individual sessions at the same time,” Mike Cohen, the CEO of Cignition, a California-based company that contracts with the Denver, Los Angeles, and Baltimore school districts, wrote in an email to Chalkbeat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Figuring out how to run a tutoring program that delivers quality help to a significant number of students without breaking the bank \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/17/23726983/high-dosage-tutoring-stanford-research-students-pandemic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">remains a huge challenge for schools\u003c/a>, especially as COVID relief funds dwindle. One of Paper’s biggest selling points is that districts can offer unlimited virtual tutoring to all their students at a fixed price. If lots of students use it, it can be less expensive than pricey in-person tutoring programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts say they understand how those competing needs drove some districts to select on-demand homework help, like the kind Paper offers, even though it does not have many of the \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://annenberg.brown.edu/sites/default/files/EdResearch_for_Recovery_Design_Principles_1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hallmarks of effective tutoring\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s easy to implement,” said Jennifer Krajewski, who helps schools choose evidence-based tutoring programs through a Johns Hopkins University initiative called ProvenTutoring. “And it doesn’t necessarily require shifts in schedules. Those are real challenges that schools are facing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when districts express interest in virtual, on-demand tutoring, Krajewski said she cautions school leaders to ask about how many students tutors will work with at once, and what kind of relationship students will build with tutors. Several companies, including Paper, match students with a new virtual tutor every time they log on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A big part of why tutoring is so powerful is that human connection with somebody who cares about you,” said Amanda Neitzel, a Johns Hopkins assistant research scientist who works with schools through ProvenTutoring. “If you are doing a virtual model with somebody who is juggling two other kids, even in the best-case scenario, how much are you actually doing that?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"bKMBXY\">\u003cstrong>Some schools left in dark about Paper’s tutoring practices\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Tutors have repeatedly told Paper that they worry the company’s advertising is misleading schools, internal records and interviews show. In March, one tutor asked on Slack, the company’s internal messaging platform, if Paper would stop saying it offers one-on-one tutoring on its website because “it has not been that way, according to many tutors.” A top manager defended the description.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You are working with a student in an individual session!” Caroline Schwim, Paper’s senior manager of teaching and learning, wrote in response. “We are open with our districts about tutors working with multiple sessions which helps us remain affordable for them!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cutler says school districts are informed that tutors may be working with multiple students at once “through the sales process” and that “districts are fine with that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the Mississippi Department of Education, which is paying Paper $10.7 million to tutor up to 350,000 students across the state, told Chalkbeat it did not know. A state official there said the department would talk with Paper about this practice and monitor whether it was affecting student engagement or satisfaction with tutoring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clarissa Trejo, a spokesperson for Fontana Unified schools in California, said the district “has never had a conversation regarding how many students a tutor would be helping at a time.” The district, which has paid Paper $1.9 million to tutor some 38,000 students, had no concerns about the quality of Paper’s tutoring, Trejo added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, officials with Arlington Public Schools in Virginia and Los Angeles Unified told Chalkbeat they didn’t learn that tutors may help multiple students at once until after they had agreed to work with Paper and were putting the program in place. Still, a Los Angeles schools spokesperson said Paper is “an essential component” of the district’s plan for giving students “individualized instruction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other school officials said they were aware before they hired Paper. Clark County schools in Nevada, which is paying Paper nearly $13 million to tutor 302,000 students, said the district found out in its initial conversations with Paper that tutors “may conduct simultaneous one-on-one learning sessions with multiple students.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Tennessee Department of Education, which has a contract with Paper worth up to $1.3 million, said its contract permits Paper tutors to work with up to three students at a time — a limit that doesn’t typically appear in other Paper contracts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have received no complaints or evidence that Paper is violating their contract,” wrote Brian Blackley, a spokesperson for the state, in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"tofzyP\">\u003cstrong>Paper tells tutors to Google their way through sessions\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When students log on to Paper’s platform, they expect to be matched with a tutor who knows something about the subject they need help with. Paper says it employs “experts across K-12 subject areas” on its website, and that it gives tutors aptitude tests to vet their knowledge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in practice, several current Paper tutors said they are routinely matched with students who need help with subjects they don’t know. Tutors who feel stuck can transfer a student to a colleague with more expertise, but they can be fired if they do that too often.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_62047\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 350px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-62047\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/googleit.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/googleit.jpeg 840w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/googleit-800x1200.jpeg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/googleit-160x240.jpeg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/googleit-768x1152.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paper advises tutors to consult Google for help when they are paired with a student in a subject they don’t know well. \u003ccite>(Paper)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Paper has told uncertain tutors to buy time by asking the student a question while they essentially Google their way through the session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even if you’re uncertain, give it a go,” Schwim told tutors last fall during a video training, according to a screenshot viewed by Chalkbeat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The result looks something like what happened to Shannon Dickinson’s daughter, a high school junior in Las Vegas. Dickinson, a kindergarten teacher, had heard Clark County schools was offering tutoring through Paper, and she urged her daughter to give it a try when she was struggling with her pre-calculus class in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But each time the 11th grader logged on and showed a Paper tutor her math problem, she waited for a long time only to find out the tutor couldn’t help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It would be like 45 minutes later: ‘Sorry I can’t help you, I’m going to transfer you to someone else,’” Dickinson recalled. “Then she’d have to do the process again.” After several failed attempts to get help, Dickinson’s daughter told her: “This is not worth my time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Chalkbeat told Dickinson that Paper’s tutors are told to Google their way through sessions when they’re stuck, she was stunned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oh geez,” she replied. “Well, high schoolers can do that too!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wendi Dunlap, who worked for Paper for just over a year before she quit in March, has seen this play out from the tutor’s side. Earlier this year, Dunlap, an English and history tutor, got paired with a middle schooler with a math question. Dunlap tried to help anyway, following the company’s protocols. But when the student checked the work they’d done against an answer key, she reported back: “That’s completely wrong.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dunlap apologized and scrambled to transfer the student to a math tutor, but it was too late. The student had signed off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt so horrible,” Dunlap said. “It wasn’t fair to her.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A math and economics tutor who’s been with Paper for four years said she once spent 45 minutes trying to convince her manager over Slack that she needed to transfer a high school student with a chemistry question that she had “zero clue” how to solve. To stall for time, she asked the student for their notes. Essentially, though, the student spent that time “doing nothing,” the tutor said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just leading to the student getting more frustrated,” the tutor said. “This is not right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cutler said scenarios like those are uncommon. The guidance Paper has given to tutors, he added, is similar to what teachers are expected to do if a student asks a question the teacher doesn’t know how to answer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t dismiss the student, I say: ‘Let’s figure it out,’” Cutler said. “‘Let’s pull up the internet.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paper also puts pressure on tutors to work quickly. Tutors are expected to respond to students within 50 seconds, internal records show, regardless of how many students they have at once or how complicated the student’s question is. Tutors who review essays are told to spend no more than 30 minutes per assignment, no matter how long it is. To do that, several tutors said they copy and paste pre-written feedback.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When tutors miss those targets, managers tell them to speed up. Tutors have been fired for failing to meet their marks, internal records show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Internally, Paper officials have justified the time limits by saying they allow the company to charge less “so that even underfunded districts (those who need us the most!) can afford us,” Schwim wrote to employees in March, according to a screenshot viewed by Chalkbeat. \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/11/17/23464110/paper-on-demand-online-tutoring-platforms-services-schools-students-challenges\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The company has marketed\u003c/a> its tutoring as a way to address inequities among students, “especially those from marginalized groups.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several tutors said the breakneck pace makes it harder to help students. One tutor, who left the company in January, said they got a urinary tract infection from skipping bathroom breaks as they tried to keep up with students. Two other tutors said they carried their laptops into the bathroom so they could keep working on the toilet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You couldn’t take your hands off the keyboard,” said the tutor who got the UTI, who asked not to be identified because they signed a non-disparagement agreement with Paper, a copy of which Chalkbeat viewed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cutler said tutors have told Paper that they take their computers into the bathroom to keep working, but that the company doesn’t “encourage” this practice. Paper recently instituted a “chime” to remind tutors to take their break, he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Dickinson figured out a way to get her daughter the math help she needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She dipped into her own pocket to pay for private tutoring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Kalyn Belsha is a national education reporter based in Chicago. Contact her at \u003c/i>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"mailto:kbelsha@chalkbeat.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>kbelsha@chalkbeat.org\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/17/23795007/paper-online-tutoring-often-fails-students\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"canonical noopener\">Chalkbeat\u003c/a> is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was \u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/17/23795007/paper-online-tutoring-often-fails-students\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"canonical noopener\">originally published\u003c/a> by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://ckbe.at/newsletters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>ckbe.at/newsletters\u003c/u>\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lauren Williams took a job with Paper, one of the biggest virtual tutoring companies used by U.S. schools, because she wanted to help kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Williams, a self-described English and history buff who lives just south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, liked the work at first. As she helped students with their writing, it felt like students were getting personal attention they badly needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as Paper ratcheted up the pace and volume of her tutoring assignments last year, Williams grew alarmed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By this spring, she was routinely working with five students at once on the company’s online platform, which resembles a text-based instant messenger. She found herself toggling between kindergarteners learning to read and high-schoolers writing college essays, frantically trying to respond to each student’s message within Paper’s 50-second time limit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her breaking point came as Paper put new pressure on tutors to review essays faster — in part by recycling comments they’d written before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was like: ‘No, I can’t do this,’” said Williams, who quit in March. That kind of help, she concluded, is “not doing what’s right by the kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tapping into the federal government’s \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/3/25/22350474/unprecedented-federal-funding-high-poverty-schools-how-spend\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">historic investment\u003c/a> in helping students recover from the pandemic, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/11/17/23464110/paper-on-demand-online-tutoring-platforms-services-schools-students-challenges\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Paper has won contracts\u003c/a> worth tens of millions of dollars telling schools it offers one-on-one tutoring with subject experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the company often fails to deliver that basic service to students, a Chalkbeat investigation has found. In fact, tutors often juggle multiple students at once — a setup other virtual tutoring companies avoid — sometimes in subjects they don’t know well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paper argues that a student’s experience is always one-on-one, since students typically aren’t aware their tutor is working with others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the company’s practices and internal messaging suggest top officials know multi-tasking can be a challenge for tutors. It has even paid tutors “surge” bonuses of two to three times their normal pay rate for every minute they work with four or more students at once.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At least when you’re in that stressful experience of having four kids in your classroom you know that you’re making double pay,” said Julia Drury, Paper’s senior director of operations, at a virtual company meeting last summer. “If you’re doing the work of two tutors, then you should be paid for the work of two tutors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>School districts and state education agencies, meanwhile, are investing millions of COVID relief dollars in Paper’s services, sometimes none the wiser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To report this story, Chalkbeat interviewed more than a dozen current and former Paper employees and reviewed hundreds of pages of company documents, including screenshots of internal conversations among employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview, Paper’s CEO, Philip Cutler, did not dispute Chalkbeat’s findings that tutors are often working with more than one student at a time and that tutors sometimes work with students on unfamiliar subjects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he maintains that Paper is delivering one-on-one tutoring because tutors who work with multiple students do so in separate, individual sessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The student’s experience is one-on-one,” Cutler told Chalkbeat in June. “The tutor can be supporting multiple people. The idea is that the attention I’m getting is dedicated to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several school officials said they were not aware that Paper tutors were often working with multiple students at once until Chalkbeat told them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The department will follow up with Paper about this and continue to monitor, throughout the upcoming school year, if this practice has any impact on student engagement and/or satisfaction of services,” wrote Jean Cook, a spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Education, one of Paper’s largest clients, in an email to Chalkbeat.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"nYpdxK\">\u003cstrong>Paper tutors juggle multiple students at once\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As students fell behind during the pandemic, many researchers and education officials \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2020/12/9/22165700/learning-loss-tutoring-blueprint-schools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">encouraged schools to tutor their students\u003c/a>. That recommendation was backed by \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.nber.org/papers/w27476\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">years of research\u003c/a> that has found tutoring can deliver positive academic results, especially when kids get one-on-one help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/8/4/23291304/school-staff-shortages-bus-drivers-custodians-tutors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amid staffing shortages\u003c/a>, many school districts struggled to find and hire in-person tutors. That’s why many schools were drawn to Paper, which relies on 2,000 mostly part-time tutors who typically log on virtually from their homes across the U.S. and Canada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today the nine-year-old, Montreal-based company holds contracts worth tens of millions of dollars to tutor more than three million students in 600 districts across the U.S. and Canada. Much of that is backed by federal COVID relief money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chalkbeat previously found that \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/11/17/23464110/paper-on-demand-online-tutoring-platforms-services-schools-students-challenges\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Paper’s tutoring often goes unused\u003c/a>, particularly by students who most need help. The company lost a contract earlier this year with the state of New Mexico, after officials there said \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/3/17/23643908/paper-online-tutoring-new-mexico-contract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Paper had failed to meet students’ needs.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paper has told potential clients, like New Mexico, that it provides “a 1:1 student-tutor ratio.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We tailor instruction for each student,” Paper wrote to New Mexico education officials last fall in a proposal to work with the state. “With our 1:1 support, your students will receive the personalized attention they need.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_62044\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-62044\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/tutorinfo.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"625\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/tutorinfo.jpeg 840w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/tutorinfo-800x2000.jpeg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/tutorinfo-160x400.jpeg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/tutorinfo-768x1920.jpeg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/tutorinfo-614x1536.jpeg 614w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/tutorinfo-819x2048.jpeg 819w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paper issued this guidance to tutors to help them manage multiple students at once. \u003ccite>(Paper)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Paper tutors often can’t do that, according to interviews with more than a dozen current and former Paper tutors. The company’s employee handbook tells tutors they should be able to work comfortably with three students at once.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve found this to usually be manageable without sacrificing quality,” the handbook states. It adds: “there is no maximum number of students a tutor can be matched with simultaneously.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paper offers tipsheets for tutors meant to help them work with multiple students at once. One guide obtained by Chalkbeat tells tutors to ask students questions about what they want to work on to “buy you some buffer time to navigate between students.” Tutors can also “LET STUDENTS TAKE THE LEAD!” to make it “easier” to toggle between sessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cutler said it’s rare for tutors to work with more than three students at once and that it only happens for short bursts of times, or “surges.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paper’s own data, provided to Chalkbeat by the company, shows that tutors spent 33% of their working hours over the last school year helping two students at once, 10% of their time helping three students at once, and just under 2% of their time helping four or more students. The rest of the time, tutors worked with one or no students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But several tutors said those rates don’t accurately reflect their workload, which spikes in the mornings and afternoons. Internally, Paper has acknowledged that tutors who work in high-demand subjects like math experience surges of four or more students “on kind of an ongoing basis,” as Drury said at the virtual company meeting last summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One math and science tutor told Chalkbeat he’d helped a dozen students at once. Another math and science tutor said she’d gotten 10 students during a surge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You just keep switching tabs,” the tutor said. “I feel bad for some of these kids who are using the platform.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paper has resisted making changes that could cut down on tutor multitasking, such as adding a waiting room or scheduling option, because they could result in fewer students using Paper, according to a former manager who left Paper last year after several years with the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The response to it was just like: ‘We don’t want to turn students away,’” said the former manager, who asked not to be named because they signed a confidentiality agreement with Paper that prohibits sharing details about the company’s internal operations. “The quality of the service was always secondary.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cutler said “that’s certainly not the case” and that Paper has been “very focused on delivering a high level of quality over cost.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This kind of juggling is not the industry standard. Many other virtual tutoring companies offer intentional group sessions where students work together on similar assignments. Others conduct tutoring sessions over live audio or live video, which makes toggling between students nearly impossible. Paper does neither.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And other companies that offer text-based tutoring limit the number of students a tutor has at once.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TutorMe, for example, said its platform allows tutors to conduct only one session at a time. Varsity Tutors said when a student requests an on-demand tutor, a tutor can’t get another student “until the session is resolved.” Tutor.com said the maximum number of students a tutor can have at once is two, and that happens in only 2% of sessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We NEVER work with multiple students in DIFFERENT individual sessions at the same time,” Mike Cohen, the CEO of Cignition, a California-based company that contracts with the Denver, Los Angeles, and Baltimore school districts, wrote in an email to Chalkbeat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Figuring out how to run a tutoring program that delivers quality help to a significant number of students without breaking the bank \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/17/23726983/high-dosage-tutoring-stanford-research-students-pandemic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">remains a huge challenge for schools\u003c/a>, especially as COVID relief funds dwindle. One of Paper’s biggest selling points is that districts can offer unlimited virtual tutoring to all their students at a fixed price. If lots of students use it, it can be less expensive than pricey in-person tutoring programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts say they understand how those competing needs drove some districts to select on-demand homework help, like the kind Paper offers, even though it does not have many of the \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://annenberg.brown.edu/sites/default/files/EdResearch_for_Recovery_Design_Principles_1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hallmarks of effective tutoring\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s easy to implement,” said Jennifer Krajewski, who helps schools choose evidence-based tutoring programs through a Johns Hopkins University initiative called ProvenTutoring. “And it doesn’t necessarily require shifts in schedules. Those are real challenges that schools are facing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when districts express interest in virtual, on-demand tutoring, Krajewski said she cautions school leaders to ask about how many students tutors will work with at once, and what kind of relationship students will build with tutors. Several companies, including Paper, match students with a new virtual tutor every time they log on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A big part of why tutoring is so powerful is that human connection with somebody who cares about you,” said Amanda Neitzel, a Johns Hopkins assistant research scientist who works with schools through ProvenTutoring. “If you are doing a virtual model with somebody who is juggling two other kids, even in the best-case scenario, how much are you actually doing that?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"bKMBXY\">\u003cstrong>Some schools left in dark about Paper’s tutoring practices\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Tutors have repeatedly told Paper that they worry the company’s advertising is misleading schools, internal records and interviews show. In March, one tutor asked on Slack, the company’s internal messaging platform, if Paper would stop saying it offers one-on-one tutoring on its website because “it has not been that way, according to many tutors.” A top manager defended the description.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You are working with a student in an individual session!” Caroline Schwim, Paper’s senior manager of teaching and learning, wrote in response. “We are open with our districts about tutors working with multiple sessions which helps us remain affordable for them!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cutler says school districts are informed that tutors may be working with multiple students at once “through the sales process” and that “districts are fine with that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the Mississippi Department of Education, which is paying Paper $10.7 million to tutor up to 350,000 students across the state, told Chalkbeat it did not know. A state official there said the department would talk with Paper about this practice and monitor whether it was affecting student engagement or satisfaction with tutoring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clarissa Trejo, a spokesperson for Fontana Unified schools in California, said the district “has never had a conversation regarding how many students a tutor would be helping at a time.” The district, which has paid Paper $1.9 million to tutor some 38,000 students, had no concerns about the quality of Paper’s tutoring, Trejo added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, officials with Arlington Public Schools in Virginia and Los Angeles Unified told Chalkbeat they didn’t learn that tutors may help multiple students at once until after they had agreed to work with Paper and were putting the program in place. Still, a Los Angeles schools spokesperson said Paper is “an essential component” of the district’s plan for giving students “individualized instruction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other school officials said they were aware before they hired Paper. Clark County schools in Nevada, which is paying Paper nearly $13 million to tutor 302,000 students, said the district found out in its initial conversations with Paper that tutors “may conduct simultaneous one-on-one learning sessions with multiple students.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Tennessee Department of Education, which has a contract with Paper worth up to $1.3 million, said its contract permits Paper tutors to work with up to three students at a time — a limit that doesn’t typically appear in other Paper contracts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have received no complaints or evidence that Paper is violating their contract,” wrote Brian Blackley, a spokesperson for the state, in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"tofzyP\">\u003cstrong>Paper tells tutors to Google their way through sessions\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When students log on to Paper’s platform, they expect to be matched with a tutor who knows something about the subject they need help with. Paper says it employs “experts across K-12 subject areas” on its website, and that it gives tutors aptitude tests to vet their knowledge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in practice, several current Paper tutors said they are routinely matched with students who need help with subjects they don’t know. Tutors who feel stuck can transfer a student to a colleague with more expertise, but they can be fired if they do that too often.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_62047\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 350px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-62047\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/googleit.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/googleit.jpeg 840w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/googleit-800x1200.jpeg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/googleit-160x240.jpeg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/07/googleit-768x1152.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paper advises tutors to consult Google for help when they are paired with a student in a subject they don’t know well. \u003ccite>(Paper)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Paper has told uncertain tutors to buy time by asking the student a question while they essentially Google their way through the session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even if you’re uncertain, give it a go,” Schwim told tutors last fall during a video training, according to a screenshot viewed by Chalkbeat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The result looks something like what happened to Shannon Dickinson’s daughter, a high school junior in Las Vegas. Dickinson, a kindergarten teacher, had heard Clark County schools was offering tutoring through Paper, and she urged her daughter to give it a try when she was struggling with her pre-calculus class in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But each time the 11th grader logged on and showed a Paper tutor her math problem, she waited for a long time only to find out the tutor couldn’t help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It would be like 45 minutes later: ‘Sorry I can’t help you, I’m going to transfer you to someone else,’” Dickinson recalled. “Then she’d have to do the process again.” After several failed attempts to get help, Dickinson’s daughter told her: “This is not worth my time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Chalkbeat told Dickinson that Paper’s tutors are told to Google their way through sessions when they’re stuck, she was stunned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oh geez,” she replied. “Well, high schoolers can do that too!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wendi Dunlap, who worked for Paper for just over a year before she quit in March, has seen this play out from the tutor’s side. Earlier this year, Dunlap, an English and history tutor, got paired with a middle schooler with a math question. Dunlap tried to help anyway, following the company’s protocols. But when the student checked the work they’d done against an answer key, she reported back: “That’s completely wrong.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dunlap apologized and scrambled to transfer the student to a math tutor, but it was too late. The student had signed off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt so horrible,” Dunlap said. “It wasn’t fair to her.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A math and economics tutor who’s been with Paper for four years said she once spent 45 minutes trying to convince her manager over Slack that she needed to transfer a high school student with a chemistry question that she had “zero clue” how to solve. To stall for time, she asked the student for their notes. Essentially, though, the student spent that time “doing nothing,” the tutor said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just leading to the student getting more frustrated,” the tutor said. “This is not right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cutler said scenarios like those are uncommon. The guidance Paper has given to tutors, he added, is similar to what teachers are expected to do if a student asks a question the teacher doesn’t know how to answer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t dismiss the student, I say: ‘Let’s figure it out,’” Cutler said. “‘Let’s pull up the internet.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paper also puts pressure on tutors to work quickly. Tutors are expected to respond to students within 50 seconds, internal records show, regardless of how many students they have at once or how complicated the student’s question is. Tutors who review essays are told to spend no more than 30 minutes per assignment, no matter how long it is. To do that, several tutors said they copy and paste pre-written feedback.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When tutors miss those targets, managers tell them to speed up. Tutors have been fired for failing to meet their marks, internal records show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Internally, Paper officials have justified the time limits by saying they allow the company to charge less “so that even underfunded districts (those who need us the most!) can afford us,” Schwim wrote to employees in March, according to a screenshot viewed by Chalkbeat. \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/11/17/23464110/paper-on-demand-online-tutoring-platforms-services-schools-students-challenges\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The company has marketed\u003c/a> its tutoring as a way to address inequities among students, “especially those from marginalized groups.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several tutors said the breakneck pace makes it harder to help students. One tutor, who left the company in January, said they got a urinary tract infection from skipping bathroom breaks as they tried to keep up with students. Two other tutors said they carried their laptops into the bathroom so they could keep working on the toilet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You couldn’t take your hands off the keyboard,” said the tutor who got the UTI, who asked not to be identified because they signed a non-disparagement agreement with Paper, a copy of which Chalkbeat viewed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cutler said tutors have told Paper that they take their computers into the bathroom to keep working, but that the company doesn’t “encourage” this practice. Paper recently instituted a “chime” to remind tutors to take their break, he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Dickinson figured out a way to get her daughter the math help she needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She dipped into her own pocket to pay for private tutoring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Kalyn Belsha is a national education reporter based in Chicago. Contact her at \u003c/i>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"mailto:kbelsha@chalkbeat.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>kbelsha@chalkbeat.org\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Chicago schools tapped hundreds of academic interventionists to catch students up after COVID. Is it working?",
"headTitle": "Chicago schools tapped hundreds of academic interventionists to catch students up after COVID. Is it working? | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was \u003ca href=\"https://chicago.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/25/23729023/chicago-public-schools-academic-interventionist-covid-learning-recovery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">originally published\u003c/a> by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at \u003ca href=\"ckbe.at/newsletters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ckbe.at/newsletters.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a classroom on Chicago’s West Side one morning last November, Teresa Przybyslawski sat side by side with a soft-spoken sixth grader. She read a script off her computer screen while he peered at his own tablet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“On your screen, you will see some addition problems,” read Przybyslawski. “I want you to do as many of them as you can in one minute.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She glanced at the sixth grader, John. His back was taut, his face tense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Down the hall, the boy’s classmates at Brunson Math and Science Specialty School, a high-poverty elementary school, geared up to tackle dividing fractions. But here, alongside Przybyslawski, one of the district’s new interventionists tasked with helping students who fell behind during the pandemic, John was about to work on math normally taught in first grade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Are you ready? Three. Two. One.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Numbers flashed on John’s screen: “2 + 7. 5 + 10. 10 + 4.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the start of this school year, John, whose real name Chalkbeat is not using to protect his privacy, read at a first grade level and did second grade level math. It would be Przybyslawski’s job to get him caught up – fast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>School districts around the country are pushing to help students bounce back from the pandemic’s profound academic damage: \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://detroit.chalkbeat.org/2022/6/3/23152039/detroit-public-schools-literacy-reading-beyond-basic-highdosage-tutoring-esser-covid-relief\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">expanding literacy tutoring in Detroit\u003c/a>, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2021/6/30/22558104/nyc-budget-deal-2022-smaller-class-size-covid-learning-loss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cutting class sizes in New York City\u003c/a>, and \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2022/9/21/23366032/covid-relief-money-helps-colorado-schools-pay-for-math-and-reading-curriculum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">buying science-backed reading curriculums\u003c/a> in districts across Colorado.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_61725\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1680px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61725\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1680\" height=\"1120\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi2.jpg 1680w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1680px) 100vw, 1680px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Instructional materials are seen inside Brunson Elementary School in Chicago. School districts around the country — including Chicago Public Schools — are pushing to help students bounce back from the pandemic’s profound academic damage. \u003ccite>(Christian K. Lee for Chalkbeat)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chicago Public Schools has turned to academic interventionists — a cadre of hundreds mostly classroom teachers already on the district’s payroll, tapped this year to turbocharge the learning of struggling students one-on-one or in small groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These newly-minted catchup specialists are tackling three years of COVID fallout layered upon pre-pandemic learning gaps and traumas, at schools that experts and educators agree should have been staffing interventionists all along.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Research has backed Chicago’s intervention approach, and emerging data here and in other cities shows school districts are making headway. But experts say the effort is in its infancy: A \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.nwea.org/uploads/2022/12/CSSP-Brief_Progress-toward-pandemic-recovery_DEC22_Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent study by nonprofit test maker NWEA\u003c/a> found students are rebounding, but schools are likely a few years away from returning to pre-pandemic achievement, especially for younger learners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, educators face their own version of Przybyslawski’s countdown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three, two, one. Before children like John arrive in high school unprepared, lowering their odds of graduating, starting college or careers, and escaping poverty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three, two, one. Before districts like Chicago run out of federal COVID relief dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three, two, one. Before society at large moves on, and the energy required to remain in full-on recovery mode fades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Robin Lake, director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education, put it at an academic recovery event this past fall: “If we fail to act differently to catch students up, to ensure every student graduates with everything they need, we will have failed this generation and future generations of students.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>One school on Chicago’s West Side tackles academic recovery\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Brunson Elementary is in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, one of the hardest hit by COVID and by a surge in the city’s other epidemic: gun violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of Brunson’s 400 students, almost 90% are Black, and almost all are poor. Almost 60% were chronically absent last year, meaning they missed roughly 20 or more days. This year, Brunson has deployed “attendance heroes” — teachers, paraprofessionals, and cafeteria workers — who check in daily with truant students. But across the district, attendance and disruptive behaviors continue to interfere with learning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s heartbreaking what kids here carry on their backpacks that we can’t see,” principal Carol Wilson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_61722\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1680px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61722\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/principal.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1680\" height=\"1120\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/principal.jpeg 1680w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/principal-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/principal-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/principal-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/principal-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/principal-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1680px) 100vw, 1680px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Principal Carol Wilson at Brunson Elementary School on Friday, February 24, 2023 in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago. The school was one of the hardest hit by COVID and by a surge in the city’s other epidemic: gun violence. \u003ccite>(Christian K. Lee for Chalkbeat)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Since the pandemic hit in 2020, Chicago Public Schools — like districts across the country — has seen drops in the portion of \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.chalkbeat.org/2022/10/27/23425426/illinois-school-report-card-2022-reading-math-covid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">students meeting reading and math standards on a required state assessment\u003c/a>. The \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.chalkbeat.org/2022/10/23/23417098/naep-nations-report-card-chicago-public-schools-math-reading-scores\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">district’s latest scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress\u003c/a>, known as “the nation’s report card,” showed nearly a decade of growth in math had been wiped out while reading results held fairly steady.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Chicago schools tested students this past fall to gauge where they stood, two-thirds of John’s sixth grade peers districtwide did not hit grade-level benchmarks in reading. A third were flagged as needing urgent interventions. The picture was similar in math.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Przybyslawski used to teach a classroom of 25 students math and science. Now, her focus is on 15 or so struggling middle schoolers at Brunson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She set out to create an orderly, efficient operation, using new digital platforms that constantly size up how students are progressing in mastering skills they should have learned in earlier grades — and dictate what they work on next.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_61723\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1680px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61723\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/cards.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1680\" height=\"1120\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/cards.jpeg 1680w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/cards-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/cards-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/cards-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/cards-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/cards-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1680px) 100vw, 1680px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In her role as an interventionist at Brunson Elementary, Teresa Przybyslawski works with struggling students one on one or in small groups. She also “pushes into” classrooms to help fellow educators build academic interventions into their routines. \u003ccite>(Christian K. Lee for Chalkbeat)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In reading, the school piloted an artificial intelligence program that gave students passages to read back to it based on their level and flagged mistakes they made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She wanted John to divide fractions along with his peers eventually. But in the meantime, Przybyslawski, who also supervises the school’s new team of three tutors, all Brunson grads, measured progress in small increments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During that session in November, John hesitated briefly before answering 6 + 5.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was stumped on 3 + 8.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But on the rest, he rattled off the correct answers before Przybyslawski had even finished reading them out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We got to the third row,” she told the boy when the minute-long assessment was up. “Very nice work!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After students left, she logged in their results into Branching Minds, a new platform used for tracking interventions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson, the principal, and district officials lean on the technology to monitor the progress students are making.\u003cb> \u003c/b>Soon, Wilson would also get a second round of standardized tests — administered around the middle of the school year — she hoped would tell her if the school’s efforts were paying off.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"vBvePO\">‘How can we reach more kids?’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the bid to speed up students’ academic recovery, Chicago leaders have bet on an arsenal of strategies. They’ve expanded after-school programs, started an in-house tutor corps, and poured millions in teacher training and a \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.chalkbeat.org/2023/3/31/23663499/chicago-public-schools-skyline-curriculum-covid-recovery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">new in-house lesson bank called Skyline\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also tapped some 250 educators to serve as new academic coaches. There are \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.chalkbeat.org/2022/12/9/23500744/chicago-public-schools-social-worker-student-mental-health-covid-trauma-support-services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more counselors, social workers, and other support staff\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All in all, the district earmarked $730 million in COVID recovery dollars this school year for its recovery efforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Academic interventions — by tutors, classroom teachers, or the new interventionists — are at the heart of the strategy. The district budgeted for at least one interventionist on each of its roughly 500 campuses, though not all schools used the money for such positions, and some schools combined the duties with existing positions. And it required all schools to use the same digital platform to track interventions that Przybyslawski is using.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the district this past fall, new interventionists chipped away at catching up tens of thousands of students. One math problem and one sounded-out word at time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Moos Elementary on Chicago’s West Side, where most of the 430 primarily Latino students enrolled needed intervention in the fall, Elizabeth Battaglia and the tutors she oversees could reach about 60 students across all grades — not nearly enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How do we get students a lot of extra support with so few people?” she kept asking herself, even as she was encouraged by her students’ growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In reading, Battaglia tried a blitz tactic: 20 minutes each day over two weeks when stronger readers are paired with struggling peers to read passages to each other and help correct each other’s mistakes. It helped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Sadlowski Elementary on the Southeast Side, where most of the school’s 620 students were flagged as needing intensive help at the start of the year, Emily Gasca has 38 students on her caseload — some of them third and fourth graders reading at kindergarten level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She enlisted fellow teachers to build interventions into daily classroom instruction, but some colleagues felt she was laying more work on already full plates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_61724\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1680px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61724\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1680\" height=\"1124\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi3.jpg 1680w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi3-800x535.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi3-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi3-768x514.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi3-1536x1028.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1680px) 100vw, 1680px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Interventionist Teresa Przybyslawski at Chicago’s Brunson Elementary School combines technology and old-school methods such as flashcards in working with students who are behind grade level in math or reading. \u003ccite>(Christian K. Lee for Chalkbeat)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gasca tried to remind herself she was helping build from scratch a sort of academic safety net that the district has needed all along.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even before COVID, many Chicago students made it to high school unable to read well. The pandemic just made it harder to look away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To experts and educators such as Gasca, it’s clear that trauma and social-emotional challenges — that invisible load in students’ backpacks — complicate academic catchup. But struggling to keep up in the classroom is also a daily source of stress, eroding students’ confidence — baggage they carry back home.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"ORylpB\">Educators search for signs interventions are working\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>By February, John’s sessions with Przybyslawski were a well-worn routine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“On your screen you will see a story to read,” Przybyslawski read off her screen to him one morning that month. “I would like you to read this story for me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ll begin in three, two, one.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>John looked relaxed in a black face mask, hoodie, and Nikes as he read a passage about a family visit on a farm. At the one-minute mark, a bell dinged, and Przybyslawski smiled broadly. John’s reading had been largely free of mistakes — a huge leap from the start of the school year when he struggled to make it through a sentence or two during those fleeting 60 seconds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Good job overall,” she said. “I’ll get your score in a few minutes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Przybyslawski’s students were making headway. But now, her caseload looked different.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few students “graduated.” They still need added help, but should be able to get it in the classroom. A few left the school, part of the customary churn at a high-needs neighborhood campus. And some were no longer on Przybyslawski’s caseload after being identified as needing services for students with disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around this same time, Wilson, the principal, had gotten the school’s midyear test results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students in all grades were showing solid growth except eighth graders, on that all-important cusp of high school, who were flagged across the district for making little midyear progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson was encouraged. Still, these tests predicted that fewer than 10% of Brunson students would meet state standards this spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen kids make leaps and bounds but still remain below the benchmarks,” Wilson said. “We’re catching kids up constantly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Districtwide in the early grades, there were double-digit increases in students scoring at grade level. Overall, Chicago Public Schools’ scores were in line or better than other urban districts. But much work remained: In the second grade, for example, more than half of students remained one grade level below in math, and a quarter were still two grade levels below in both math and reading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paul Zavitkovsky, an expert on testing at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said standardized tests are a helpful snapshot of how students are doing, but he cautioned against relying on them to drive recovery efforts. Remediating one skill at a time based on test results must happen alongside engaging, grade-level instruction — a tough balance to strike, Zavitkovsky said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Based on an analysis of results on a standardized test named STAR 360 many Chicago elementary schools are giving three times a year, Zavitkovsky found almost all schools made four months of gains in the first four months of the year in math — an encouraging return to a pre-pandemic pace of growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, he said, “Average gains are not going to be enough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan Goldhaber, who leads the University of Washington’s Center for Education Data & Research, said it’s not clear how long schools can remain in full recovery mode, which requires resources and sustained effort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the COVID money runs dry, Chicago’s army of interventionists hired in recent years could land on the budgetary chopping block, leaving classroom teachers to pick up the difficult work of recovery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bogdana Chkoumbova, the district’s education chief, says the district is encouraged by testing, grading, and other data; it will cover interventionists at each school and grow the tutor corps next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s because there’s more work to be done, Chkoumbova recently told the school board. Data show 20% of students have gotten some intervention, and of those, only about a third are on track to meet their goals — an improvement over earlier in the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, as district leaders have noted, a lot of intervention work is not captured by the data. At Brunson, a girl recently asked Przybyslawski for help with multiplication and division off the screens. The interventionist set up stacks of flashcards, quizzing her the old-fashioned way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Confidence!” she told the girl. “Just be confident.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Behind them, in the back of Przybyslawski’s classroom, a bulletin board was covered with certificates of achievement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One was John’s. It showed a figure looking over a wheat field, a mountain peak rising in the background.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Congratulations!” the certificate read. “Your reading POWERS are getting stronger, and it’s time to celebrate your hard work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Mila Koumpilova is Chalkbeat Chicago’s senior reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Mila at \u003c/i>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"mailto:mkoumpilova@chalkbeat.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>mkoumpilova@chalkbeat.org\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. \u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering \u003ca href=\"https://chicago.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/25/23729023/chicago-public-schools-academic-interventionist-covid-learning-recovery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"canonical noopener\">educational change\u003c/a> in public schools.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Emerging data suggests school districts such as Chicago are making headway in COVID-19 academic recovery. But experts say the catch-up will likely take years.",
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"headline": "Chicago schools tapped hundreds of academic interventionists to catch students up after COVID. Is it working?",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was \u003ca href=\"https://chicago.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/25/23729023/chicago-public-schools-academic-interventionist-covid-learning-recovery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">originally published\u003c/a> by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at \u003ca href=\"ckbe.at/newsletters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ckbe.at/newsletters.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a classroom on Chicago’s West Side one morning last November, Teresa Przybyslawski sat side by side with a soft-spoken sixth grader. She read a script off her computer screen while he peered at his own tablet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“On your screen, you will see some addition problems,” read Przybyslawski. “I want you to do as many of them as you can in one minute.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She glanced at the sixth grader, John. His back was taut, his face tense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Down the hall, the boy’s classmates at Brunson Math and Science Specialty School, a high-poverty elementary school, geared up to tackle dividing fractions. But here, alongside Przybyslawski, one of the district’s new interventionists tasked with helping students who fell behind during the pandemic, John was about to work on math normally taught in first grade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Are you ready? Three. Two. One.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Numbers flashed on John’s screen: “2 + 7. 5 + 10. 10 + 4.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the start of this school year, John, whose real name Chalkbeat is not using to protect his privacy, read at a first grade level and did second grade level math. It would be Przybyslawski’s job to get him caught up – fast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>School districts around the country are pushing to help students bounce back from the pandemic’s profound academic damage: \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://detroit.chalkbeat.org/2022/6/3/23152039/detroit-public-schools-literacy-reading-beyond-basic-highdosage-tutoring-esser-covid-relief\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">expanding literacy tutoring in Detroit\u003c/a>, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2021/6/30/22558104/nyc-budget-deal-2022-smaller-class-size-covid-learning-loss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cutting class sizes in New York City\u003c/a>, and \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2022/9/21/23366032/covid-relief-money-helps-colorado-schools-pay-for-math-and-reading-curriculum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">buying science-backed reading curriculums\u003c/a> in districts across Colorado.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_61725\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1680px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61725\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1680\" height=\"1120\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi2.jpg 1680w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1680px) 100vw, 1680px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Instructional materials are seen inside Brunson Elementary School in Chicago. School districts around the country — including Chicago Public Schools — are pushing to help students bounce back from the pandemic’s profound academic damage. \u003ccite>(Christian K. Lee for Chalkbeat)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chicago Public Schools has turned to academic interventionists — a cadre of hundreds mostly classroom teachers already on the district’s payroll, tapped this year to turbocharge the learning of struggling students one-on-one or in small groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These newly-minted catchup specialists are tackling three years of COVID fallout layered upon pre-pandemic learning gaps and traumas, at schools that experts and educators agree should have been staffing interventionists all along.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Research has backed Chicago’s intervention approach, and emerging data here and in other cities shows school districts are making headway. But experts say the effort is in its infancy: A \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.nwea.org/uploads/2022/12/CSSP-Brief_Progress-toward-pandemic-recovery_DEC22_Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent study by nonprofit test maker NWEA\u003c/a> found students are rebounding, but schools are likely a few years away from returning to pre-pandemic achievement, especially for younger learners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, educators face their own version of Przybyslawski’s countdown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three, two, one. Before children like John arrive in high school unprepared, lowering their odds of graduating, starting college or careers, and escaping poverty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three, two, one. Before districts like Chicago run out of federal COVID relief dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three, two, one. Before society at large moves on, and the energy required to remain in full-on recovery mode fades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Robin Lake, director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education, put it at an academic recovery event this past fall: “If we fail to act differently to catch students up, to ensure every student graduates with everything they need, we will have failed this generation and future generations of students.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>One school on Chicago’s West Side tackles academic recovery\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Brunson Elementary is in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, one of the hardest hit by COVID and by a surge in the city’s other epidemic: gun violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of Brunson’s 400 students, almost 90% are Black, and almost all are poor. Almost 60% were chronically absent last year, meaning they missed roughly 20 or more days. This year, Brunson has deployed “attendance heroes” — teachers, paraprofessionals, and cafeteria workers — who check in daily with truant students. But across the district, attendance and disruptive behaviors continue to interfere with learning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s heartbreaking what kids here carry on their backpacks that we can’t see,” principal Carol Wilson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_61722\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1680px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61722\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/principal.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1680\" height=\"1120\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/principal.jpeg 1680w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/principal-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/principal-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/principal-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/principal-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/principal-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1680px) 100vw, 1680px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Principal Carol Wilson at Brunson Elementary School on Friday, February 24, 2023 in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago. The school was one of the hardest hit by COVID and by a surge in the city’s other epidemic: gun violence. \u003ccite>(Christian K. Lee for Chalkbeat)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Since the pandemic hit in 2020, Chicago Public Schools — like districts across the country — has seen drops in the portion of \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.chalkbeat.org/2022/10/27/23425426/illinois-school-report-card-2022-reading-math-covid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">students meeting reading and math standards on a required state assessment\u003c/a>. The \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.chalkbeat.org/2022/10/23/23417098/naep-nations-report-card-chicago-public-schools-math-reading-scores\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">district’s latest scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress\u003c/a>, known as “the nation’s report card,” showed nearly a decade of growth in math had been wiped out while reading results held fairly steady.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Chicago schools tested students this past fall to gauge where they stood, two-thirds of John’s sixth grade peers districtwide did not hit grade-level benchmarks in reading. A third were flagged as needing urgent interventions. The picture was similar in math.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Przybyslawski used to teach a classroom of 25 students math and science. Now, her focus is on 15 or so struggling middle schoolers at Brunson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She set out to create an orderly, efficient operation, using new digital platforms that constantly size up how students are progressing in mastering skills they should have learned in earlier grades — and dictate what they work on next.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_61723\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1680px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61723\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/cards.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1680\" height=\"1120\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/cards.jpeg 1680w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/cards-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/cards-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/cards-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/cards-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/cards-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1680px) 100vw, 1680px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In her role as an interventionist at Brunson Elementary, Teresa Przybyslawski works with struggling students one on one or in small groups. She also “pushes into” classrooms to help fellow educators build academic interventions into their routines. \u003ccite>(Christian K. Lee for Chalkbeat)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In reading, the school piloted an artificial intelligence program that gave students passages to read back to it based on their level and flagged mistakes they made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She wanted John to divide fractions along with his peers eventually. But in the meantime, Przybyslawski, who also supervises the school’s new team of three tutors, all Brunson grads, measured progress in small increments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During that session in November, John hesitated briefly before answering 6 + 5.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was stumped on 3 + 8.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But on the rest, he rattled off the correct answers before Przybyslawski had even finished reading them out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We got to the third row,” she told the boy when the minute-long assessment was up. “Very nice work!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After students left, she logged in their results into Branching Minds, a new platform used for tracking interventions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson, the principal, and district officials lean on the technology to monitor the progress students are making.\u003cb> \u003c/b>Soon, Wilson would also get a second round of standardized tests — administered around the middle of the school year — she hoped would tell her if the school’s efforts were paying off.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"vBvePO\">‘How can we reach more kids?’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the bid to speed up students’ academic recovery, Chicago leaders have bet on an arsenal of strategies. They’ve expanded after-school programs, started an in-house tutor corps, and poured millions in teacher training and a \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.chalkbeat.org/2023/3/31/23663499/chicago-public-schools-skyline-curriculum-covid-recovery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">new in-house lesson bank called Skyline\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also tapped some 250 educators to serve as new academic coaches. There are \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.chalkbeat.org/2022/12/9/23500744/chicago-public-schools-social-worker-student-mental-health-covid-trauma-support-services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more counselors, social workers, and other support staff\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All in all, the district earmarked $730 million in COVID recovery dollars this school year for its recovery efforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Academic interventions — by tutors, classroom teachers, or the new interventionists — are at the heart of the strategy. The district budgeted for at least one interventionist on each of its roughly 500 campuses, though not all schools used the money for such positions, and some schools combined the duties with existing positions. And it required all schools to use the same digital platform to track interventions that Przybyslawski is using.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the district this past fall, new interventionists chipped away at catching up tens of thousands of students. One math problem and one sounded-out word at time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Moos Elementary on Chicago’s West Side, where most of the 430 primarily Latino students enrolled needed intervention in the fall, Elizabeth Battaglia and the tutors she oversees could reach about 60 students across all grades — not nearly enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How do we get students a lot of extra support with so few people?” she kept asking herself, even as she was encouraged by her students’ growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In reading, Battaglia tried a blitz tactic: 20 minutes each day over two weeks when stronger readers are paired with struggling peers to read passages to each other and help correct each other’s mistakes. It helped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Sadlowski Elementary on the Southeast Side, where most of the school’s 620 students were flagged as needing intensive help at the start of the year, Emily Gasca has 38 students on her caseload — some of them third and fourth graders reading at kindergarten level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She enlisted fellow teachers to build interventions into daily classroom instruction, but some colleagues felt she was laying more work on already full plates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_61724\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1680px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61724\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1680\" height=\"1124\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi3.jpg 1680w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi3-800x535.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi3-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi3-768x514.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2023/05/chi3-1536x1028.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1680px) 100vw, 1680px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Interventionist Teresa Przybyslawski at Chicago’s Brunson Elementary School combines technology and old-school methods such as flashcards in working with students who are behind grade level in math or reading. \u003ccite>(Christian K. Lee for Chalkbeat)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gasca tried to remind herself she was helping build from scratch a sort of academic safety net that the district has needed all along.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even before COVID, many Chicago students made it to high school unable to read well. The pandemic just made it harder to look away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To experts and educators such as Gasca, it’s clear that trauma and social-emotional challenges — that invisible load in students’ backpacks — complicate academic catchup. But struggling to keep up in the classroom is also a daily source of stress, eroding students’ confidence — baggage they carry back home.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"ORylpB\">Educators search for signs interventions are working\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>By February, John’s sessions with Przybyslawski were a well-worn routine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“On your screen you will see a story to read,” Przybyslawski read off her screen to him one morning that month. “I would like you to read this story for me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ll begin in three, two, one.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>John looked relaxed in a black face mask, hoodie, and Nikes as he read a passage about a family visit on a farm. At the one-minute mark, a bell dinged, and Przybyslawski smiled broadly. John’s reading had been largely free of mistakes — a huge leap from the start of the school year when he struggled to make it through a sentence or two during those fleeting 60 seconds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Good job overall,” she said. “I’ll get your score in a few minutes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Przybyslawski’s students were making headway. But now, her caseload looked different.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few students “graduated.” They still need added help, but should be able to get it in the classroom. A few left the school, part of the customary churn at a high-needs neighborhood campus. And some were no longer on Przybyslawski’s caseload after being identified as needing services for students with disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around this same time, Wilson, the principal, had gotten the school’s midyear test results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students in all grades were showing solid growth except eighth graders, on that all-important cusp of high school, who were flagged across the district for making little midyear progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson was encouraged. Still, these tests predicted that fewer than 10% of Brunson students would meet state standards this spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen kids make leaps and bounds but still remain below the benchmarks,” Wilson said. “We’re catching kids up constantly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Districtwide in the early grades, there were double-digit increases in students scoring at grade level. Overall, Chicago Public Schools’ scores were in line or better than other urban districts. But much work remained: In the second grade, for example, more than half of students remained one grade level below in math, and a quarter were still two grade levels below in both math and reading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paul Zavitkovsky, an expert on testing at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said standardized tests are a helpful snapshot of how students are doing, but he cautioned against relying on them to drive recovery efforts. Remediating one skill at a time based on test results must happen alongside engaging, grade-level instruction — a tough balance to strike, Zavitkovsky said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Based on an analysis of results on a standardized test named STAR 360 many Chicago elementary schools are giving three times a year, Zavitkovsky found almost all schools made four months of gains in the first four months of the year in math — an encouraging return to a pre-pandemic pace of growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, he said, “Average gains are not going to be enough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan Goldhaber, who leads the University of Washington’s Center for Education Data & Research, said it’s not clear how long schools can remain in full recovery mode, which requires resources and sustained effort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the COVID money runs dry, Chicago’s army of interventionists hired in recent years could land on the budgetary chopping block, leaving classroom teachers to pick up the difficult work of recovery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bogdana Chkoumbova, the district’s education chief, says the district is encouraged by testing, grading, and other data; it will cover interventionists at each school and grow the tutor corps next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s because there’s more work to be done, Chkoumbova recently told the school board. Data show 20% of students have gotten some intervention, and of those, only about a third are on track to meet their goals — an improvement over earlier in the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, as district leaders have noted, a lot of intervention work is not captured by the data. At Brunson, a girl recently asked Przybyslawski for help with multiplication and division off the screens. The interventionist set up stacks of flashcards, quizzing her the old-fashioned way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Confidence!” she told the girl. “Just be confident.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Behind them, in the back of Przybyslawski’s classroom, a bulletin board was covered with certificates of achievement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One was John’s. It showed a figure looking over a wheat field, a mountain peak rising in the background.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Congratulations!” the certificate read. “Your reading POWERS are getting stronger, and it’s time to celebrate your hard work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Mila Koumpilova is Chalkbeat Chicago’s senior reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Mila at \u003c/i>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"mailto:mkoumpilova@chalkbeat.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>mkoumpilova@chalkbeat.org\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. \u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "This Colorado elementary school nearly closed. A math makeover helped it stay open.",
"headTitle": "This Colorado elementary school nearly closed. A math makeover helped it stay open. | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was \u003ca href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/5/23712980/minnequa-elementary-math-test-scores-growth-turnaround-pueblo-district\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"canonical noopener\">originally published\u003c/a> by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at \u003c/em>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://ckbe.at/newsletters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>ckbe.at/newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2019, Minnequa Elementary in Pueblo was on the brink of closing because of low test scores and declining enrollment. Today, the school is off the state’s “watch list,” has the state’s top “green” school rating, and recently won a $50,000 award for exceptional growth in math.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, how did a school where only 8% of students scored proficient on state math tests in 2019 change course?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Principal Katie Harshman says it was a combination of factors, including a good math curriculum, regular coaching for teachers, constant data analysis, and a shift to having some upper elementary teachers focus only on math, while others teach reading and writing. Using state grants and federal money the school receives because it serves many students from low-income families, Minnequa also tapped outside experts, including the Relay Graduate School of Education and a math consulting group called 2Partner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harshman and her team say the yearslong math push has given students a better understanding of key concepts, pushed them daily to articulate how they solve problems, and pumped up their math confidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Minnequa students now post some of the highest rates of academic growth in the state, showing more year-over-year progress on standardized tests than the vast majority of their Colorado peers. Those gains are what earned Minnequa and 11 other Colorado schools \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.colorado.gov/governor/news/9696-governor-polis-bipartisan-legislators-announce-historic-investments-data-driven-math\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">state “Bright Spot” awards\u003c/a> this spring — each coming with $50,000 in leftover COVID relief funds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators and policymakers statewide are pushing to improve math instruction after sharp declines in scores on state and \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/9/1/23331852/math-reading-scores-drop-naep-pandemic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">national tests during the pandemic\u003c/a>. This spring, lawmakers passed \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2023/3/7/23629086/math-help-colorado-legislature-tutoring-afterschool-learning-loss-common-core-instruction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">legislation to offer after-school tutoring in math\u003c/a>, expand teacher training, and encourage schools to choose high-quality math curriculum. State leaders also paid to provide a \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2023/4/12/23679713/zearn-math-colorado-pandemic-recovery-tutoring\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">digital learning tool called Zearn Math\u003c/a> to Colorado schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The work that has unfolded at Minnequa over the last five years illustrates how effective instruction can translate into student achievement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harshman and her colleagues say there’s more to do. While the share of students who are proficient on state math tests has more than tripled to 26% in four years, It’s still below the state average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re not done. We’re still going to keep going,” said Leslie Ortega, a fourth grade math teacher at Minnequa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, after the \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chieftain.com/story/news/education/2019/03/29/teachers-union-head-weighs-in/5583811007/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">threat of closure\u003c/a>, the school’s progress is gratifying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been like the light at the end of the tunnel,” Ortega said. “It just shows us what we as a whole school can accomplish.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few weeks before state tests were given this spring, Harshman stood in the back of a fifth grade classroom watching carefully as the teacher reviewed fractions. She noticed that students weren’t answering in full sentences as they should, and as they would be expected to on parts of the upcoming test. Harshman caught the teacher’s eye, brought her hands together and pulled them apart — a reminder that students needed to stretch out their responses into complete thoughts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a very silent signal. It’s nothing dramatic,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This kind of real-time coaching — by Harshman, the school’s math coach Christy Vasquez, and outside consultants — has become the norm at Minnequa over the last several years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The idea is to provide on-the-spot feedback through a whispered suggestion, a quick side conversation, or a few minutes of co-teaching so teachers can practice immediately.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not there to be like, ‘Ah-ha! Gotcha!’ I’m just there for support,” said Vasquez, who started as a teacher at Minnequa six years ago and took the math coach job last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeanette Valdez, a fifth grade teacher who grew up in Pueblo and lives just two blocks from Minnequa, said it’s been nerve-wracking at times to have so many people stop into her classroom to observe and coach — sometimes even top district administrators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I told myself that all they’re there for is to make me better and that’s my whole reason for being a teacher,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All the feedback — a coach was in her classroom practically every day last year — has helped her improve, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These days, when students work on math problems independently, she’s in “aggressive monitoring” mode. That means she’s walking through the classroom to watch how students are solving problems and exactly where they’re getting stuck. Previously, she’d watch students work, but wasn’t checking for anything specific.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had to learn to be all up in their business …. and to really hone in on what it is I’m looking for,” she said. \u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the biggest changes at Minnequa in recent years has been having some teachers in third through fifth grade specialize in math instruction — a practice often called departmentalization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means teachers like Ortega and Valdez teach math to all the students in their respective grades, while colleagues take on literacy instruction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s the best. I really do,” said Ortega. “I’m able to focus on one subject. I’m able to really dig deep into the math data and the math lessons.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said the switch has also given her more time for planning each day — 80 minutes, up from 40 previously. And while five years ago, she might have spent planning time cleaning her classroom, Ortega said Harshman ushered in a different expectation — that teachers use the time to look at data on each student’s strengths and needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alongside the departmental structure, consultants have helped teachers organize their daily math block so students are actively doing math most of the time rather than listening to the teacher. That has meant tweaking the school’s math curriculum, EngageNY, which the school adopted about six years ago when it was rated “red,” the state’s lowest rating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vasquez, Minnequa’s math coach, said the curriculum is high quality, but contains a lot of material. Consultants for 2Partner helped teachers identify the most critical parts and pare down the program’s long teacher-led lesson introductions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brianna Mazzella, a consultant with 2Partner who’s worked with Minnequa staff for four years, also dissects Colorado math standards with teachers to ensure they’re covering key pieces and building a solid foundation for the next big skill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In April, she met with a fifth grade teacher to talk about long division, a skill students will be expected to master in sixth grade. They talked about the need in the last month of school to ensure students have a conceptual understanding of what division is, the language of division, and how estimation and knowledge of place values can give meaning to the rote rules that students also learn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mazzella said she wasn’t surprised by Minnequa’s math growth on state tests or that it earned a green state rating last fall. She knew how much work teachers did and saw the results in student work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With a closure threat like the one Minnequa faced\u003cb>, \u003c/b>she said,\u003cb> \u003c/b>“You either rally or you don’t, and that building rallied.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at \u003c/i>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"mailto:aschimke@chalkbeat.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>aschimke@chalkbeat.org\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/5/23712980/minnequa-elementary-math-test-scores-growth-turnaround-pueblo-district\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"canonical noopener\">Chalkbeat\u003c/a> is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "After nearly closing in 2019, Minnequa Elementary School now posts some of the highest rates of academic growth in Colorado. Its progress comes as many schools are trying to reverse pandemic-era drops in math achievement.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was \u003ca href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/5/23712980/minnequa-elementary-math-test-scores-growth-turnaround-pueblo-district\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"canonical noopener\">originally published\u003c/a> by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at \u003c/em>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://ckbe.at/newsletters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>ckbe.at/newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2019, Minnequa Elementary in Pueblo was on the brink of closing because of low test scores and declining enrollment. Today, the school is off the state’s “watch list,” has the state’s top “green” school rating, and recently won a $50,000 award for exceptional growth in math.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, how did a school where only 8% of students scored proficient on state math tests in 2019 change course?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Principal Katie Harshman says it was a combination of factors, including a good math curriculum, regular coaching for teachers, constant data analysis, and a shift to having some upper elementary teachers focus only on math, while others teach reading and writing. Using state grants and federal money the school receives because it serves many students from low-income families, Minnequa also tapped outside experts, including the Relay Graduate School of Education and a math consulting group called 2Partner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harshman and her team say the yearslong math push has given students a better understanding of key concepts, pushed them daily to articulate how they solve problems, and pumped up their math confidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Minnequa students now post some of the highest rates of academic growth in the state, showing more year-over-year progress on standardized tests than the vast majority of their Colorado peers. Those gains are what earned Minnequa and 11 other Colorado schools \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.colorado.gov/governor/news/9696-governor-polis-bipartisan-legislators-announce-historic-investments-data-driven-math\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">state “Bright Spot” awards\u003c/a> this spring — each coming with $50,000 in leftover COVID relief funds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators and policymakers statewide are pushing to improve math instruction after sharp declines in scores on state and \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/9/1/23331852/math-reading-scores-drop-naep-pandemic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">national tests during the pandemic\u003c/a>. This spring, lawmakers passed \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2023/3/7/23629086/math-help-colorado-legislature-tutoring-afterschool-learning-loss-common-core-instruction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">legislation to offer after-school tutoring in math\u003c/a>, expand teacher training, and encourage schools to choose high-quality math curriculum. State leaders also paid to provide a \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2023/4/12/23679713/zearn-math-colorado-pandemic-recovery-tutoring\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">digital learning tool called Zearn Math\u003c/a> to Colorado schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The work that has unfolded at Minnequa over the last five years illustrates how effective instruction can translate into student achievement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harshman and her colleagues say there’s more to do. While the share of students who are proficient on state math tests has more than tripled to 26% in four years, It’s still below the state average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re not done. We’re still going to keep going,” said Leslie Ortega, a fourth grade math teacher at Minnequa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, after the \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chieftain.com/story/news/education/2019/03/29/teachers-union-head-weighs-in/5583811007/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">threat of closure\u003c/a>, the school’s progress is gratifying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been like the light at the end of the tunnel,” Ortega said. “It just shows us what we as a whole school can accomplish.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few weeks before state tests were given this spring, Harshman stood in the back of a fifth grade classroom watching carefully as the teacher reviewed fractions. She noticed that students weren’t answering in full sentences as they should, and as they would be expected to on parts of the upcoming test. Harshman caught the teacher’s eye, brought her hands together and pulled them apart — a reminder that students needed to stretch out their responses into complete thoughts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a very silent signal. It’s nothing dramatic,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This kind of real-time coaching — by Harshman, the school’s math coach Christy Vasquez, and outside consultants — has become the norm at Minnequa over the last several years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The idea is to provide on-the-spot feedback through a whispered suggestion, a quick side conversation, or a few minutes of co-teaching so teachers can practice immediately.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not there to be like, ‘Ah-ha! Gotcha!’ I’m just there for support,” said Vasquez, who started as a teacher at Minnequa six years ago and took the math coach job last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeanette Valdez, a fifth grade teacher who grew up in Pueblo and lives just two blocks from Minnequa, said it’s been nerve-wracking at times to have so many people stop into her classroom to observe and coach — sometimes even top district administrators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I told myself that all they’re there for is to make me better and that’s my whole reason for being a teacher,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All the feedback — a coach was in her classroom practically every day last year — has helped her improve, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These days, when students work on math problems independently, she’s in “aggressive monitoring” mode. That means she’s walking through the classroom to watch how students are solving problems and exactly where they’re getting stuck. Previously, she’d watch students work, but wasn’t checking for anything specific.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had to learn to be all up in their business …. and to really hone in on what it is I’m looking for,” she said. \u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the biggest changes at Minnequa in recent years has been having some teachers in third through fifth grade specialize in math instruction — a practice often called departmentalization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means teachers like Ortega and Valdez teach math to all the students in their respective grades, while colleagues take on literacy instruction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s the best. I really do,” said Ortega. “I’m able to focus on one subject. I’m able to really dig deep into the math data and the math lessons.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said the switch has also given her more time for planning each day — 80 minutes, up from 40 previously. And while five years ago, she might have spent planning time cleaning her classroom, Ortega said Harshman ushered in a different expectation — that teachers use the time to look at data on each student’s strengths and needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alongside the departmental structure, consultants have helped teachers organize their daily math block so students are actively doing math most of the time rather than listening to the teacher. That has meant tweaking the school’s math curriculum, EngageNY, which the school adopted about six years ago when it was rated “red,” the state’s lowest rating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vasquez, Minnequa’s math coach, said the curriculum is high quality, but contains a lot of material. Consultants for 2Partner helped teachers identify the most critical parts and pare down the program’s long teacher-led lesson introductions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brianna Mazzella, a consultant with 2Partner who’s worked with Minnequa staff for four years, also dissects Colorado math standards with teachers to ensure they’re covering key pieces and building a solid foundation for the next big skill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In April, she met with a fifth grade teacher to talk about long division, a skill students will be expected to master in sixth grade. They talked about the need in the last month of school to ensure students have a conceptual understanding of what division is, the language of division, and how estimation and knowledge of place values can give meaning to the rote rules that students also learn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mazzella said she wasn’t surprised by Minnequa’s math growth on state tests or that it earned a green state rating last fall. She knew how much work teachers did and saw the results in student work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With a closure threat like the one Minnequa faced\u003cb>, \u003c/b>she said,\u003cb> \u003c/b>“You either rally or you don’t, and that building rallied.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at \u003c/i>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"mailto:aschimke@chalkbeat.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>aschimke@chalkbeat.org\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://co.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/5/23712980/minnequa-elementary-math-test-scores-growth-turnaround-pueblo-district\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"canonical noopener\">Chalkbeat\u003c/a> is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A version of this story was \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://parentingtranslator.substack.com/p/are-the-pandemic-babies-and-kids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">originally published\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by Parenting Translator. Sign up for \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://parentingtranslator.substack.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the newsletter\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and follow Parenting Translator \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/parentingtranslator/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">on Instagram\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This post was edited for length.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since the beginning of the pandemic, many parents and experts have raised concerns that the pandemic (and all of its terrible side effects) would also impact the development of children. Slowly, a body of research is coming out that can address these concerns. So what is the research telling us? Did the pandemic cause subtle changes in development that children will eventually compensate for \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">or\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> did it cause serious developmental delays that may ultimately result in more children meeting criteria for developmental disabilities? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cb>Are the pandemic kids OK? Research on the impact of the pandemic on child development\u003c/b>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">First, let’s examine the research on the infants born during the pandemic. The largest study that we have on the impact of the pandemic on child development is a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2797911\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">meta-analysis\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (a study that combines data from all previous relevant studies) that included 11,438 infants born during the pandemic and 9,981 infants born before the pandemic. When the data was combined across studies, there were \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">no overall differences\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in development in the first year of life, meaning there was no increased risk for a developmental disability in the children that lived through the pandemic. However, the infants born during the pandemic did show an increased risk for delayed communication skills. Yet, no differences were found between babies born before versus during the pandemic in terms of motor development, social-emotional development, and problem-solving. It is clear that there is a great deal of variation in the outcomes of children born during the pandemic (meaning some children thrived during the pandemic and some were severely impacted). \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The meta-analysis also found that infants who were potentially exposed to COVID-19 in the womb (meaning their mother contracted COVID-19 during pregnancy) showed no overall differences in development and no increased risk for developmental disability. Yet, they did show increased risk for an impairment in fine motor skills. However, since the placenta seems to protect most babies from COVID-19, it is possible that this finding reflects other differences between mothers who were and were not infected by COVID-19, such as being an essential worker during the pandemic. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://adc.bmj.com/content/108/1/20.abstract\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> has also examined specific developmental milestones in social communication and found that infants born during the pandemic showed impaired social communication skills at 12 months. Specifically, when compared to 12-month-olds born before the pandemic, fewer 12-month-olds born during the pandemic had spoken their first word, pointed or waved goodbye. However, babies born during the pandemic showed some signs of advanced gross motor development with more babies born during the pandemic crawling at 12 months. No differences were found for other developmental milestones including standing alone, stacking blocks, feeding themselves, responding to their name and using a pincer grasp. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/infa.12511\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another study\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> looked at the duration of the infant’s first year lived during the pandemic and found no relationship between how long they experienced the pandemic and child development (including language and socioemotional development) \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">or maternal mental health or stress at 12 or 24 months\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. They even found no relationship between disruptive life events related to the pandemic and child development. However, more disruptive life events during the pandemic \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">was\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> associated with more anxiety and depression in mothers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">School-age children were also impacted by the pandemic. A \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-022-01506-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">meta-analysis\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> of 42 studies across 15 countries\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">found that school-age children lost about 1/3 of a school year’s learning during the pandemic on average and they have not seemed to recover from these losses even two years later. These learning deficits are particularly significant for children from lower income families. Research also finds that the learning losses seem to be greater in math than reading. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bpsgos.org/article/S2667-1743(22)00142-2/fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> finds that adolescents who lived through the pandemic showed not only increased depression and anxiety but also “advanced brain age.” This phenomenon is \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fbul0000270\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">common in children who have experienced violence, neglect or other traumatic experiences\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. In other words, the stress of the pandemic may have unnaturally sped up their brain development \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32709738/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> also found a pattern of worsening mental health and increased behavioral problems during the pandemic across all children 18 years and younger. This was particularly true for \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32764151/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">families that experienced more hardships during the pandemic.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">TRANSLATION: Overall, babies and toddlers did not show significant global developmental delays during the pandemic, yet there is some evidence for delayed social and communication development. The data on babies and toddlers indicates a wide range of variation in outcomes – some children seemed unaffected by the pandemic and some children seemed severely impacted. Older children also showed evidence for learning loss and differences in brain development as a result of the pandemic. Children of all ages showed increased mental health and behavioral problems.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cb>Why did this happen? \u003c/b>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are many possible reasons the COVID-19 pandemic could have negatively impacted children. Some of the most likely explanations include: \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Parent mental health:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The COVID-19 pandemic caused financial strain, social isolation, and decreased family support, which in turn increased parental mental health problems. Specifically, research found that anxiety and depression in new mothers was \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022395621000595?casa_token=iuivWX6lHTUAAAAA:WwFVNX_Pas03C2713yKgc8_J1Kfqz2ge5cbO8wtSpQiwt7zBYhMPVNVkj0XgLNHgy7BZbZ43\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">dramatically higher during the pandemic\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> – 61% of new mothers experienced anxiety and 43% of new mothers experienced depression, compared to 14% and 16% of mothers pre-pandemic. Not surprisingly, mothers who experienced more negative events related to the pandemic were \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215036621000742?casa_token=ZPTPZsL9yYAAAAAA:feX8O-UQ2UuCuCId8l6VNKcbgyec3IMxLIJ5ilrOgQNe9yM5BiymI4a_swHhfYprRiI_G07R\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">more likely to experience mental health issues\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Mental health issues in parents can contribute to less sensitive and responsive parenting which then negatively impacts child development. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Lack of access to health care, child care, and school:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The pandemic closed many child care centers and schools, which undoubtedly reduced learning opportunities for children. The pandemic also made it more difficult for parents to access necessary health care and other services such as speech-language therapy, physical therapy, and parent education groups. The loss of any external support for parents may have also negatively impacted child development. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Job and income loss\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Job loss and income loss during the pandemic were associated with \u003ca href=\"https://bfi.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/BFI_WP_2020143.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">less positive interactions\u003c/a> between parents and children. Women from lower income families also experienced \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915321000500\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">more symptoms of anxiety and depression during the pandemic\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Severe COVID-19 infections and deaths were also \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2775732\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">more common in lower income and ethnic minority families\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Lack of routine and structure and quality parent-child time:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Children thrive on routine and structure and the pandemic disrupted a lot of family routines for children. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33532520/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> found that practicing family routines during the pandemic predicted better mental health, even when controlling for income and mother’s depression and anxiety. This disruption of routine often resulted in parents replacing quality parent-child interactions (such as reading) with less quality interactions (such as screen time). \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://pure.mpg.de/rest/items/item_3292449_4/component/file_3365986/content\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> found that parents who read less to their children and had more passive screen time during lockdown had children who showed impaired language development during this time. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003ch3>\u003cb>Limitations of this research\u003c/b>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is very important to note that the research from the pandemic may be limited for several reasons. First, most of the data on children’s development during the pandemic is based on parent report. Parents’ reporting of their children may be more negative because they may have a belief that something as extreme as a pandemic would \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">have\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to be negative for children. It could also be that parents were spending more time with their children during the pandemic which allowed them to notice more developmental problems or be more concerned about their child’s development more generally. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Second, even studies that did not involve parent report may be biased. In these studies, they were comparing children assessed in normal conditions before the pandemic to children assessed during the pandemic with researchers wearing masks, staying behind plexiglass windows, and/or taking other precautionary measures that may have confused or distracted the children enough to result in lower scores during the pandemic. In addition, the people who were willing to come in during a pandemic may be more worried about their children’s development. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Third, the data clearly reveals that there was a great deal of variation in the outcomes for children. Some children flourished during the pandemic and some children experienced delays. We cannot assume that an entire generation of children is delayed. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finally, the differences found during the pandemic could be a temporary decline and, in a few years, we could see no differences between the two groups. However, it is important that we take action now to correct the developmental course of these children, rather than just assuming children are resilient. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cb>What to do if you are concerned about your child\u003c/b>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Children were less likely to see their primary care physician during the pandemic, which likely resulted in fewer referrals to early intervention. It is very important that the children who were “missed” during the pandemic are now identified and referred to early intervention. In order to reverse the impact of the pandemic, we likely need to go above and beyond to help these children and actively work to make up for lost time.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the United States, early intervention services provide free evaluations for children 0 to 36 months and, if your child meets criteria for a developmental delay or disability, they will provide free services, usually in your home. If your child is over 3 years old, you can request a free evaluation from the public school system. You do not need a referral from your pediatrician but can seek out these services on your own. It can be scary to seek out an evaluation but it is important to remember that, at best, an evaluation will put your mind at rest and, at worst, it will get their child the services that will help them.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cb>Three ways parents can advance development\u003c/b>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you are concerned about your child’s development, you should always seek help from professionals. However, if your child does not meet criteria for services or if you have to wait for an evaluation or services, here are three ways you can help to advance your child’s development: \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Increase the language\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">: \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0956797613488145?casa_token=3VtzqEnQzFcAAAAA:JaWebGPQyhu836lXrwP0WK2Y4hwdi5RmXvzElGcYrEKb1IFOfvGMaTQ4OJMO5xVbIr8MskHDjw4I\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> consistently finds that the more you talk to your child, the more advanced language skills they will develop. In particular, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5731ee0840261d67c7155483/t/576c4eaa893fc0c13dd9d7cf/1466715820040/Zimmerman_Teaching+by+Listening%2C+The+Importance+of+Adult-Child+Conversations+to+Language+Development_2009.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> suggests that you should focus on \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/57373/why-we-need-to-pay-more-attention-to-the-youngest-children-right-now-and-their-parents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">back-and-forth conversations\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> with your child, even if their response is only a babble or some type of movement. You don’t have to practice language in formal lessons or using flashcards – just work more language into your everyday routines. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Read to your child\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">: \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0193397305001073?casa_token=mTRV20PCU4oAAAAA:ayBwpHx80l_O3j4ujHOaxZ5rNZztfDFKVKQWrU4MOw62_ZtaR5TWhMKrAN3Ro_E73-P--pQd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> suggests that reading to your child is associated with improved language and academic skills. Create a routine in which you read to your child at least once per day. Make sure you are not just reading the words but talking to your child about the book and allowing them to make comments or ask questions. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Play, play, play\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Get on the floor and play with your child whenever you have a chance. Follow their lead in play and allow them to choose the activity and how the play goes. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/119/1/182/70699/The-Importance-of-Play-in-Promoting-Healthy-Child?autologincheck=redirected?nfToken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> finds that this type of child-directed play helps to advance cognitive, physical, social and emotional development.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cara Goodwin, PhD, is a licensed psychologist, a mother of three and the founder of \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://parentingtranslator.substack.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Parenting Translator\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a nonprofit newsletter that turns scientific research into information that is accurate, relevant and useful for parents.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All Parenting Translator newsletters are reviewed by experts in the topic to make sure that they are as helpful and as accurate for parents as possible. This post was reviewed by Rebecca Berlin, PhD. Berlin received her PhD from the University of Virginia School of Education and has served as a special education teacher, home visitor, child assessor, autism specialist and school administrator. She has conducted research on the teacher-child interactions, as well as play and story based interventions for improving social skills and classroom quality. She currently serves as the Executive Director for the Parenting Translator Foundation.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A version of this story was \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://parentingtranslator.substack.com/p/are-the-pandemic-babies-and-kids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">originally published\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by Parenting Translator. Sign up for \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://parentingtranslator.substack.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the newsletter\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and follow Parenting Translator \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/parentingtranslator/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">on Instagram\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This post was edited for length.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since the beginning of the pandemic, many parents and experts have raised concerns that the pandemic (and all of its terrible side effects) would also impact the development of children. Slowly, a body of research is coming out that can address these concerns. So what is the research telling us? Did the pandemic cause subtle changes in development that children will eventually compensate for \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">or\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> did it cause serious developmental delays that may ultimately result in more children meeting criteria for developmental disabilities? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cb>Are the pandemic kids OK? Research on the impact of the pandemic on child development\u003c/b>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">First, let’s examine the research on the infants born during the pandemic. The largest study that we have on the impact of the pandemic on child development is a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2797911\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">meta-analysis\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (a study that combines data from all previous relevant studies) that included 11,438 infants born during the pandemic and 9,981 infants born before the pandemic. When the data was combined across studies, there were \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">no overall differences\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in development in the first year of life, meaning there was no increased risk for a developmental disability in the children that lived through the pandemic. However, the infants born during the pandemic did show an increased risk for delayed communication skills. Yet, no differences were found between babies born before versus during the pandemic in terms of motor development, social-emotional development, and problem-solving. It is clear that there is a great deal of variation in the outcomes of children born during the pandemic (meaning some children thrived during the pandemic and some were severely impacted). \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The meta-analysis also found that infants who were potentially exposed to COVID-19 in the womb (meaning their mother contracted COVID-19 during pregnancy) showed no overall differences in development and no increased risk for developmental disability. Yet, they did show increased risk for an impairment in fine motor skills. However, since the placenta seems to protect most babies from COVID-19, it is possible that this finding reflects other differences between mothers who were and were not infected by COVID-19, such as being an essential worker during the pandemic. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://adc.bmj.com/content/108/1/20.abstract\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> has also examined specific developmental milestones in social communication and found that infants born during the pandemic showed impaired social communication skills at 12 months. Specifically, when compared to 12-month-olds born before the pandemic, fewer 12-month-olds born during the pandemic had spoken their first word, pointed or waved goodbye. However, babies born during the pandemic showed some signs of advanced gross motor development with more babies born during the pandemic crawling at 12 months. No differences were found for other developmental milestones including standing alone, stacking blocks, feeding themselves, responding to their name and using a pincer grasp. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/infa.12511\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another study\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> looked at the duration of the infant’s first year lived during the pandemic and found no relationship between how long they experienced the pandemic and child development (including language and socioemotional development) \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">or maternal mental health or stress at 12 or 24 months\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. They even found no relationship between disruptive life events related to the pandemic and child development. However, more disruptive life events during the pandemic \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">was\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> associated with more anxiety and depression in mothers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">School-age children were also impacted by the pandemic. A \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-022-01506-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">meta-analysis\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> of 42 studies across 15 countries\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">found that school-age children lost about 1/3 of a school year’s learning during the pandemic on average and they have not seemed to recover from these losses even two years later. These learning deficits are particularly significant for children from lower income families. Research also finds that the learning losses seem to be greater in math than reading. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bpsgos.org/article/S2667-1743(22)00142-2/fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> finds that adolescents who lived through the pandemic showed not only increased depression and anxiety but also “advanced brain age.” This phenomenon is \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fbul0000270\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">common in children who have experienced violence, neglect or other traumatic experiences\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. In other words, the stress of the pandemic may have unnaturally sped up their brain development \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32709738/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> also found a pattern of worsening mental health and increased behavioral problems during the pandemic across all children 18 years and younger. This was particularly true for \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32764151/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">families that experienced more hardships during the pandemic.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">TRANSLATION: Overall, babies and toddlers did not show significant global developmental delays during the pandemic, yet there is some evidence for delayed social and communication development. The data on babies and toddlers indicates a wide range of variation in outcomes – some children seemed unaffected by the pandemic and some children seemed severely impacted. Older children also showed evidence for learning loss and differences in brain development as a result of the pandemic. Children of all ages showed increased mental health and behavioral problems.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cb>Why did this happen? \u003c/b>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are many possible reasons the COVID-19 pandemic could have negatively impacted children. Some of the most likely explanations include: \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Parent mental health:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The COVID-19 pandemic caused financial strain, social isolation, and decreased family support, which in turn increased parental mental health problems. Specifically, research found that anxiety and depression in new mothers was \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022395621000595?casa_token=iuivWX6lHTUAAAAA:WwFVNX_Pas03C2713yKgc8_J1Kfqz2ge5cbO8wtSpQiwt7zBYhMPVNVkj0XgLNHgy7BZbZ43\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">dramatically higher during the pandemic\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> – 61% of new mothers experienced anxiety and 43% of new mothers experienced depression, compared to 14% and 16% of mothers pre-pandemic. Not surprisingly, mothers who experienced more negative events related to the pandemic were \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215036621000742?casa_token=ZPTPZsL9yYAAAAAA:feX8O-UQ2UuCuCId8l6VNKcbgyec3IMxLIJ5ilrOgQNe9yM5BiymI4a_swHhfYprRiI_G07R\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">more likely to experience mental health issues\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Mental health issues in parents can contribute to less sensitive and responsive parenting which then negatively impacts child development. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Lack of access to health care, child care, and school:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The pandemic closed many child care centers and schools, which undoubtedly reduced learning opportunities for children. The pandemic also made it more difficult for parents to access necessary health care and other services such as speech-language therapy, physical therapy, and parent education groups. The loss of any external support for parents may have also negatively impacted child development. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Job and income loss\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Job loss and income loss during the pandemic were associated with \u003ca href=\"https://bfi.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/BFI_WP_2020143.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">less positive interactions\u003c/a> between parents and children. Women from lower income families also experienced \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915321000500\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">more symptoms of anxiety and depression during the pandemic\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Severe COVID-19 infections and deaths were also \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2775732\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">more common in lower income and ethnic minority families\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Lack of routine and structure and quality parent-child time:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Children thrive on routine and structure and the pandemic disrupted a lot of family routines for children. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33532520/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> found that practicing family routines during the pandemic predicted better mental health, even when controlling for income and mother’s depression and anxiety. This disruption of routine often resulted in parents replacing quality parent-child interactions (such as reading) with less quality interactions (such as screen time). \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://pure.mpg.de/rest/items/item_3292449_4/component/file_3365986/content\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> found that parents who read less to their children and had more passive screen time during lockdown had children who showed impaired language development during this time. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003ch3>\u003cb>Limitations of this research\u003c/b>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is very important to note that the research from the pandemic may be limited for several reasons. First, most of the data on children’s development during the pandemic is based on parent report. Parents’ reporting of their children may be more negative because they may have a belief that something as extreme as a pandemic would \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">have\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to be negative for children. It could also be that parents were spending more time with their children during the pandemic which allowed them to notice more developmental problems or be more concerned about their child’s development more generally. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Second, even studies that did not involve parent report may be biased. In these studies, they were comparing children assessed in normal conditions before the pandemic to children assessed during the pandemic with researchers wearing masks, staying behind plexiglass windows, and/or taking other precautionary measures that may have confused or distracted the children enough to result in lower scores during the pandemic. In addition, the people who were willing to come in during a pandemic may be more worried about their children’s development. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Third, the data clearly reveals that there was a great deal of variation in the outcomes for children. Some children flourished during the pandemic and some children experienced delays. We cannot assume that an entire generation of children is delayed. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finally, the differences found during the pandemic could be a temporary decline and, in a few years, we could see no differences between the two groups. However, it is important that we take action now to correct the developmental course of these children, rather than just assuming children are resilient. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cb>What to do if you are concerned about your child\u003c/b>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Children were less likely to see their primary care physician during the pandemic, which likely resulted in fewer referrals to early intervention. It is very important that the children who were “missed” during the pandemic are now identified and referred to early intervention. In order to reverse the impact of the pandemic, we likely need to go above and beyond to help these children and actively work to make up for lost time.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the United States, early intervention services provide free evaluations for children 0 to 36 months and, if your child meets criteria for a developmental delay or disability, they will provide free services, usually in your home. If your child is over 3 years old, you can request a free evaluation from the public school system. You do not need a referral from your pediatrician but can seek out these services on your own. It can be scary to seek out an evaluation but it is important to remember that, at best, an evaluation will put your mind at rest and, at worst, it will get their child the services that will help them.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cb>Three ways parents can advance development\u003c/b>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you are concerned about your child’s development, you should always seek help from professionals. However, if your child does not meet criteria for services or if you have to wait for an evaluation or services, here are three ways you can help to advance your child’s development: \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Increase the language\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">: \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0956797613488145?casa_token=3VtzqEnQzFcAAAAA:JaWebGPQyhu836lXrwP0WK2Y4hwdi5RmXvzElGcYrEKb1IFOfvGMaTQ4OJMO5xVbIr8MskHDjw4I\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> consistently finds that the more you talk to your child, the more advanced language skills they will develop. In particular, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5731ee0840261d67c7155483/t/576c4eaa893fc0c13dd9d7cf/1466715820040/Zimmerman_Teaching+by+Listening%2C+The+Importance+of+Adult-Child+Conversations+to+Language+Development_2009.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> suggests that you should focus on \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/57373/why-we-need-to-pay-more-attention-to-the-youngest-children-right-now-and-their-parents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">back-and-forth conversations\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> with your child, even if their response is only a babble or some type of movement. You don’t have to practice language in formal lessons or using flashcards – just work more language into your everyday routines. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Read to your child\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">: \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0193397305001073?casa_token=mTRV20PCU4oAAAAA:ayBwpHx80l_O3j4ujHOaxZ5rNZztfDFKVKQWrU4MOw62_ZtaR5TWhMKrAN3Ro_E73-P--pQd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> suggests that reading to your child is associated with improved language and academic skills. Create a routine in which you read to your child at least once per day. Make sure you are not just reading the words but talking to your child about the book and allowing them to make comments or ask questions. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Play, play, play\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Get on the floor and play with your child whenever you have a chance. Follow their lead in play and allow them to choose the activity and how the play goes. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/119/1/182/70699/The-Importance-of-Play-in-Promoting-Healthy-Child?autologincheck=redirected?nfToken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> finds that this type of child-directed play helps to advance cognitive, physical, social and emotional development.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cara Goodwin, PhD, is a licensed psychologist, a mother of three and the founder of \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://parentingtranslator.substack.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Parenting Translator\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a nonprofit newsletter that turns scientific research into information that is accurate, relevant and useful for parents.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All Parenting Translator newsletters are reviewed by experts in the topic to make sure that they are as helpful and as accurate for parents as possible. This post was reviewed by Rebecca Berlin, PhD. Berlin received her PhD from the University of Virginia School of Education and has served as a special education teacher, home visitor, child assessor, autism specialist and school administrator. She has conducted research on the teacher-child interactions, as well as play and story based interventions for improving social skills and classroom quality. She currently serves as the Executive Director for the Parenting Translator Foundation.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Education researchers have been urging schools to invest their $120 billion in federal pandemic recovery funds in tutoring. What researchers have in mind is an extremely intensive type of tutoring, often called “high dosage” tutoring, which takes place daily or almost every day. It has produced remarkable results for students\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nber.org/papers/w27476\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in almost 100 studies\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, but these programs are difficult for schools to launch and operate. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They involve hiring and training tutors and coming up with tailored lesson plans for each child. Outside organizations can help provide tutors and lessons, but schools still need to overhaul schedules to make time for tutoring, find physical space where tutors can meet with students, and safely allow a stream of adults to flow in and out of school buildings all day long. Tutoring programs with research evidence behind them are also expensive, at least $1,000 per student. Some exceed $4,000. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One organization has designed a different tutoring model, which gives very short one-to-one tutoring sessions to young children who are just learning to read. The nonprofit organization, Chapter One (formerly Innovations for Learning), calls it “short-burst” tutoring. It involves far fewer tutors, less disruption to school schedules and no extra space beyond a desk in the back of a classroom. The price tag, paid by school districts, is less than $500 per student. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://studentsupportaccelerator.org/sites/default/files/Scalable%20Approach%20to%20High-Impact%20Tutoring.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">first-year results\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> of a four-year study of 800 Florida children conducted by a Stanford University research organization are promising. Half the children in 49 kindergarten classrooms were randomly selected to receive Chapter One’s tutoring program during the 2021-22 school year. Almost three-quarters of the students were Black and more than half were low-income – two groups who are \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w21509/w21509.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">more likely to be held back\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in third grade because of reading difficulties. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To keep younger children on track, the Broward County school district, where the study took place, wanted all kindergarteners to be able to sound out simple three-letter words by the end of the year and be able to distinguish similar words such as hit, hot and hut. After one year of this short burst tutoring, more than double the number of kindergarteners hit this milestone: 68 percent versus 32 percent of the children who didn’t receive the tutoring in the same classrooms. Tutored students also scored much higher on a test of oral reading fluency. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“These results are big,” said Susanna Loeb, a Stanford professor of education who was a member of the research team and heads the National Student Support Accelerator, a Stanford research organization that studies tutoring and released \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">this study\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in February 2023. “What’s so exciting about this study is it shows that you can get a lot of the benefits of high impact tutoring – relationship-based, individualized instruction with really strong instructional materials – at a cost that is doable for most districts in the long run.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Loeb said the reading gains in this study were at least as large as what has been produced by more expensive tutoring programs. But it remains to be seen whether these short-term benefits will endure, and whether kids without tutoring will eventually catch up. Researchers especially want to learn if these tutored children will become proficient readers at the end of third grade, a crucial marker in academic development. By one measure, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://amplify.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/mCLASS_MOY_Report_2023-FINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a third of U.S. third graders are currently far behind grade level\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in reading and in need of intensive remediation. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The 400 children who received the short-burst tutoring in kindergarten in this study are continuing to receive tutoring in first grade during the current 2022-23 academic year. Researchers are tracking all 800 children, with and without tutoring, for an additional two years through third grade.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Loeb cautioned that this short-burst model would be unlikely to work with middle or high school students. It might be that short bursts of one-to-one help are particularly suited to the littlest learners.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We realized at that young age that their attention span runs out somewhere around six or seven minutes if you’re really doing things intensively with them,” said Seth Weinberger, the founder of Chapter One. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Weinberger stumbled into tutoring after a foray into educational video games. He was originally a lawyer representing video game makers, and collaborated with academics to develop phonics games to teach reading. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“After about 20 years of honing these computer games, we came to the conclusion that computer games by themselves are just not going to be enough,” said Weinberger. “You really need some combination of computer-assisted instruction and actual real live humans in order to make it work for the kids.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Weinberger’s tutoring-and-gaming model works like this: A tutor sits at a desk in the back of the classroom during the normal English Language Arts (ELA) period. One child works with a tutor for a short period of time, typically five to seven minutes, rejoins his classmates and another child rotates in. Children work with the same tutor each time, but a single tutor can cycle through eight or more students an hour this way. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Though it might seem distracting to have an audible tutoring session in the same classroom, kindergarten classes are often a hubbub of noise as children work with classmates at different activity stations. Tutoring can be another noisy station, but I imagine that it can also be a distraction when the teacher is reading a picture book aloud. Weinberger considers it a strength of his program that kids are not pulled out of the classroom for tutoring so that they are not missing much instruction from their main teacher. In disadvantaged schools, children are frequently pulled out of classes for extra services, which is also disruptive.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Technology plays a big role. Behind the scenes, Chapter One’s computers are keeping track of every child’s progress and guiding the tutors on how to personalize instruction. The tutor’s screen indicates which student to work with next and what skills that student needs to work on. It also suggests phonics lessons and activities that the tutor can use during the session. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The computer guidance takes the usual guesswork and judgment calls out of reading instruction, and that has enabled well-trained laypeople to serve as tutors as well as experienced, certified teachers. (The Stanford team is currently studying whether certified teachers are producing much larger reading improvements for children, but those results are not out yet. In the current study I am writing about here, both laypeople and certified teachers served as tutors.)\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chapter One’s technology also determines how much tutoring each child should get each day and how many times a week. Dosage ranges from a two-minute session every two weeks to as much as 15 minutes a day. More typical is five to seven minutes three to five times a week. Children in the middle who are making good progress get the most. Children at the very top and the very bottom get the least. (Children who are not making progress may have a learning disability and need a different intervention.)\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Technology is also used to reinforce the tutoring with independent practice time on tablets. Chapter One recommends that every child spend 15 minutes a day playing phonics games that are synced to the tutoring instruction and change as the student progresses. The researchers did not yet have data on how much time children actually spent playing these educational games and how important this independent practice time is in driving the results.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/spp/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">federal survey of principals\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> estimates that half of U.S. students are behind grade level, far higher than before the pandemic, when a third were behind. But it’s really hard to expand high-dosage tutoring programs rapidly to serve the millions of children who need it. Most of the effective programs are rather small, reaching only a tiny fraction of the students who need help. What’s heartening about this Chapter One study is that the organization is already tutoring 25,000 students in U.S. schools (plus 1,000 students in Canada and the United Kingdom). Now we have a well-designed study – as close as you get in education to the kinds of tests that we do on vaccines and pharmaceuticals – showing that it is effective. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It’s not that it has the potential to scale,” said Stanford’s Loeb. “Already 10,000 kids are receiving it in this one district, so we know that it’s actually possible.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This story about \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-trial-finds-cheaper-quicker-way-to-tutor-young-kids-in-reading/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">alternatives to high-dosage tutoring\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> was written by Jill Barshay and produced by \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Hechinger Report\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"http://hechingerreport.us2.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=66c306eebb323868c3ce353c1&id=d3ee4c3e04\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hechinger newsletter\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Education researchers have been urging schools to invest their $120 billion in federal pandemic recovery funds in tutoring. What researchers have in mind is an extremely intensive type of tutoring, often called “high dosage” tutoring, which takes place daily or almost every day. It has produced remarkable results for students\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nber.org/papers/w27476\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in almost 100 studies\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, but these programs are difficult for schools to launch and operate. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They involve hiring and training tutors and coming up with tailored lesson plans for each child. Outside organizations can help provide tutors and lessons, but schools still need to overhaul schedules to make time for tutoring, find physical space where tutors can meet with students, and safely allow a stream of adults to flow in and out of school buildings all day long. Tutoring programs with research evidence behind them are also expensive, at least $1,000 per student. Some exceed $4,000. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One organization has designed a different tutoring model, which gives very short one-to-one tutoring sessions to young children who are just learning to read. The nonprofit organization, Chapter One (formerly Innovations for Learning), calls it “short-burst” tutoring. It involves far fewer tutors, less disruption to school schedules and no extra space beyond a desk in the back of a classroom. The price tag, paid by school districts, is less than $500 per student. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://studentsupportaccelerator.org/sites/default/files/Scalable%20Approach%20to%20High-Impact%20Tutoring.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">first-year results\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> of a four-year study of 800 Florida children conducted by a Stanford University research organization are promising. Half the children in 49 kindergarten classrooms were randomly selected to receive Chapter One’s tutoring program during the 2021-22 school year. Almost three-quarters of the students were Black and more than half were low-income – two groups who are \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w21509/w21509.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">more likely to be held back\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in third grade because of reading difficulties. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To keep younger children on track, the Broward County school district, where the study took place, wanted all kindergarteners to be able to sound out simple three-letter words by the end of the year and be able to distinguish similar words such as hit, hot and hut. After one year of this short burst tutoring, more than double the number of kindergarteners hit this milestone: 68 percent versus 32 percent of the children who didn’t receive the tutoring in the same classrooms. Tutored students also scored much higher on a test of oral reading fluency. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“These results are big,” said Susanna Loeb, a Stanford professor of education who was a member of the research team and heads the National Student Support Accelerator, a Stanford research organization that studies tutoring and released \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">this study\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in February 2023. “What’s so exciting about this study is it shows that you can get a lot of the benefits of high impact tutoring – relationship-based, individualized instruction with really strong instructional materials – at a cost that is doable for most districts in the long run.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Loeb said the reading gains in this study were at least as large as what has been produced by more expensive tutoring programs. But it remains to be seen whether these short-term benefits will endure, and whether kids without tutoring will eventually catch up. Researchers especially want to learn if these tutored children will become proficient readers at the end of third grade, a crucial marker in academic development. By one measure, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://amplify.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/mCLASS_MOY_Report_2023-FINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a third of U.S. third graders are currently far behind grade level\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in reading and in need of intensive remediation. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The 400 children who received the short-burst tutoring in kindergarten in this study are continuing to receive tutoring in first grade during the current 2022-23 academic year. Researchers are tracking all 800 children, with and without tutoring, for an additional two years through third grade.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Loeb cautioned that this short-burst model would be unlikely to work with middle or high school students. It might be that short bursts of one-to-one help are particularly suited to the littlest learners.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We realized at that young age that their attention span runs out somewhere around six or seven minutes if you’re really doing things intensively with them,” said Seth Weinberger, the founder of Chapter One. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Weinberger stumbled into tutoring after a foray into educational video games. He was originally a lawyer representing video game makers, and collaborated with academics to develop phonics games to teach reading. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“After about 20 years of honing these computer games, we came to the conclusion that computer games by themselves are just not going to be enough,” said Weinberger. “You really need some combination of computer-assisted instruction and actual real live humans in order to make it work for the kids.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Weinberger’s tutoring-and-gaming model works like this: A tutor sits at a desk in the back of the classroom during the normal English Language Arts (ELA) period. One child works with a tutor for a short period of time, typically five to seven minutes, rejoins his classmates and another child rotates in. Children work with the same tutor each time, but a single tutor can cycle through eight or more students an hour this way. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Though it might seem distracting to have an audible tutoring session in the same classroom, kindergarten classes are often a hubbub of noise as children work with classmates at different activity stations. Tutoring can be another noisy station, but I imagine that it can also be a distraction when the teacher is reading a picture book aloud. Weinberger considers it a strength of his program that kids are not pulled out of the classroom for tutoring so that they are not missing much instruction from their main teacher. In disadvantaged schools, children are frequently pulled out of classes for extra services, which is also disruptive.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Technology plays a big role. Behind the scenes, Chapter One’s computers are keeping track of every child’s progress and guiding the tutors on how to personalize instruction. The tutor’s screen indicates which student to work with next and what skills that student needs to work on. It also suggests phonics lessons and activities that the tutor can use during the session. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The computer guidance takes the usual guesswork and judgment calls out of reading instruction, and that has enabled well-trained laypeople to serve as tutors as well as experienced, certified teachers. (The Stanford team is currently studying whether certified teachers are producing much larger reading improvements for children, but those results are not out yet. In the current study I am writing about here, both laypeople and certified teachers served as tutors.)\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chapter One’s technology also determines how much tutoring each child should get each day and how many times a week. Dosage ranges from a two-minute session every two weeks to as much as 15 minutes a day. More typical is five to seven minutes three to five times a week. Children in the middle who are making good progress get the most. Children at the very top and the very bottom get the least. (Children who are not making progress may have a learning disability and need a different intervention.)\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Technology is also used to reinforce the tutoring with independent practice time on tablets. Chapter One recommends that every child spend 15 minutes a day playing phonics games that are synced to the tutoring instruction and change as the student progresses. The researchers did not yet have data on how much time children actually spent playing these educational games and how important this independent practice time is in driving the results.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/spp/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">federal survey of principals\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> estimates that half of U.S. students are behind grade level, far higher than before the pandemic, when a third were behind. But it’s really hard to expand high-dosage tutoring programs rapidly to serve the millions of children who need it. Most of the effective programs are rather small, reaching only a tiny fraction of the students who need help. What’s heartening about this Chapter One study is that the organization is already tutoring 25,000 students in U.S. schools (plus 1,000 students in Canada and the United Kingdom). Now we have a well-designed study – as close as you get in education to the kinds of tests that we do on vaccines and pharmaceuticals – showing that it is effective. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It’s not that it has the potential to scale,” said Stanford’s Loeb. “Already 10,000 kids are receiving it in this one district, so we know that it’s actually possible.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This story about \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-trial-finds-cheaper-quicker-way-to-tutor-young-kids-in-reading/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">alternatives to high-dosage tutoring\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> was written by Jill Barshay and produced by \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Hechinger Report\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"http://hechingerreport.us2.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=66c306eebb323868c3ce353c1&id=d3ee4c3e04\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hechinger newsletter\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cem>This story was \u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/3/6/23624340/teacher-turnover-leaving-the-profession-quitting-higher-rate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"canonical noopener\">originally published\u003c/a> by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at \u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ckbe.at/newsletters\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>This story was co-published with \u003c/i>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/03/06/more-teachers-quitting-than-usual-driven-stress-politics-data-shows/11390639002/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>USA Today\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The data is in: More teachers than usual exited the classroom after last school year, confirming longstanding fears that pandemic-era stresses would prompt an outflow of educators. That’s according to a Chalkbeat analysis of data from eight states — the most comprehensive accounting of recent teacher turnover to date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Washington state, more teachers \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://caldercenter.org/publications/teacher-turnover-three-years-pandemic-era-evidence-washington-state\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">left\u003c/a> the classroom after last school year than at any point in the last three decades. Maryland and Louisiana saw more teachers depart than any time in the last decade. And North Carolina \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://epic.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1268/2023/02/Educator-Attrition-and-Hiring-in-NC.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">saw\u003c/a> a particularly alarming trend of more teachers leaving mid-school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The turnover increases were not massive. But they were meaningful, and the churn could affect schools’ ability to help students make up for \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/10/24/23417139/naep-test-scores-pandemic-school-reopening\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">learning loss in the wake of the pandemic. \u003c/a>This data also suggests that spiking \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/6/15/22534048/teacher-stress-depression-pandemic-survey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stress\u003c/a> levels, student behavior \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/9/27/22691601/student-behavior-stress-trauma-return\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">challenges\u003c/a> and a harsh \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/12/17/22840317/crt-laws-classroom-discussion-racism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">political spotlight\u003c/a> have all taken their toll on many American teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Education had changed so dramatically since COVID. The issues were getting bigger and bigger,” said Rebecca Rojano, who last year left a job teaching high school Spanish in Connecticut. “I just found myself struggling to keep up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the pandemic threw U.S. schools into disarray, many educators and experts warned that more teachers would flee the profession. But in 2020, turnover \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/4/6/22368846/teacher-turnover-quitting-pandemic-data-economy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dipped\u003c/a> in many places as the economy stalled, then in 2021 it \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/3/9/22967759/teacher-turnover-retention-pandemic-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ticked back up\u003c/a> to normal or slightly above-average levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As this school year began, widespread reports of teacher shortages suggested that turnover had jumped more significantly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/8/11/23300684/teacher-shortage-national-schools-covid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Data\u003c/a> was hard to come by, though. The federal government doesn’t regularly track teacher quit rates. Many states don’t either, with education officials in California, New Mexico, Ohio, and Pennsylvania saying that they don’t know how many teachers leave each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Chalkbeat was able to obtain the latest teacher turnover numbers from eight states: \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/Reports/EmploymentReport2021-22.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hawaii\u003c/a>, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/teaching/2021-2022-teacher-exit-survey-report.pdf?sfvrsn=f4576318_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Louisiana\u003c/a>, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.themainemonitor.org/as-teacher-departures-rise-solutions-could-be-a-year-or-more-away/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maine\u003c/a>, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-HJRLvUt6cg66X45gTkXa_fOVrwbJMeg/edit#gid=1633921436\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maryland\u003c/a>, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lythxrnCxB88BuKt3DUWB_GjE5-24mGe/edit#gid=562717763\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mississippi\u003c/a>, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://epic.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1268/2023/02/Educator-Attrition-and-Hiring-in-NC.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">North Carolina\u003c/a>, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.cerra.org/uploads/1/7/6/8/17684955/supply___demand_data_tables_2022-23.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">South Carolina\u003c/a> and \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://caldercenter.org/publications/teacher-turnover-three-years-pandemic-era-evidence-washington-state\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Washington\u003c/a>. These figures encompassed turnover between the 2021-22 year and this school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In all cases, turnover was at its highest point in at least five years — typically around 2 percentage points greater than before the pandemic. That implies that in a school with 50 teachers, one more than usual left after last school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am struck by just how consistent these patterns are looking at all of these different states,” said Melissa Diliberti, a researcher at RAND, which has monitored teacher attrition during the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Louisiana, for instance, nearly 7,000 teachers \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/teaching/2021-2022-teacher-exit-survey-report.pdf?sfvrsn=f4576318_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">exited\u003c/a> the classroom last school year, or about 1,000 more than usual. That’s a turnover rate of 14%, up from between 11% and 12% in a typical pre-pandemic year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was variation among the eight states. Mississippi’s teacher \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lythxrnCxB88BuKt3DUWB_GjE5-24mGe/edit#gid=562717763\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">workforce\u003c/a> was the most stable: Turnover was 13% this year, only slightly higher than the two years before the pandemic. North Carolina \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://epic.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1268/2023/02/Educator-Attrition-and-Hiring-in-NC.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">saw\u003c/a> the largest spike: 16% of teachers left after last year, compared to less than 12% in the three years before the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Kimberly Biondi, who taught high school English for 21 years in a district outside Charlotte, her reasons for leaving were wrapped up in the politics of education. She advocated for remote instruction as well as in-school safety rules, such as masking, but faced personal criticism from a local group opposed to these measures, she said. Biondi was also worried that politics could eventually limit what she taught.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I taught AP language where we were supposed to teach very controversial work. I taught Malcolm X. I taught all sorts of philosophers and speakers,” she said. “I could only imagine how I would be targeted for continuing to teach this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/9/6/23220508/teachers-leaving-the-profession-quitting-teaching-reasons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">former teachers\u003c/a> cited growing workloads and more difficulty managing \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/9/27/22691601/student-behavior-stress-trauma-return\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">student behavior\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rojano said that student engagement plummeted as students returned to class in fall 2021, some for the first time in over a year. “A lot of these students are really hurting and suffering with intense emotional problems and high needs,” she said. “The needs just grew after the pandemic — I noticed a lot more emotional outbursts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It didn’t help, she said, that her class sizes were large, ranging from 25 to 30 students, making it hard to form close relationships with students. Plus, the school was short staffed and had many absences, forcing Rojano to constantly cover other teachers’ classes, losing her planning time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She left in the middle of the last school year, something she never imagined doing because it was so disruptive for the school and her students. “It got so bad,” she said. “I was very overwhelmed and stressed. I was anxious and tired all the time.” Rojano ended up taking a job at an insurance company, where she is able to work remotely when she wants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State reports hint that rising frustration has pushed more teachers out of the classroom. In Louisiana, the number of teachers who resigned due to dissatisfaction increased. In Hawaii, more teachers than usual identified their work environment as the reason for leaving. (In both states, personal reasons or retirement were still far more common explanations.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the eight states where Chalkbeat obtained data may not be representative of the country as a whole, there are signs that higher attrition was widespread. In a recent nationally representative \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA956-14.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">survey\u003c/a> from RAND, school district leaders reported a 4 percentage point increase in teacher turnover. Data from a handful of districts show a similar trend. For instance, turnover among licensed staff, including teachers, spiked from 9% to 12% in Clark County, Nevada, the country’s fifth-largest district. In Austin, Texas, turnover jumped from 17% to 24%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other school staff appear to be leaving at higher rates, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hawaii experienced a \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/Reports/EmploymentReport2021-22.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">jump\u003c/a> in aides and service staff who exited public schools. North Carolina \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://epic.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1268/2023/02/Educator-Attrition-and-Hiring-in-NC.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">saw\u003c/a> over 17% of principals depart last school year, compared to an average of 13% in the three years before the pandemic. The RAND survey also found a sharp increase in principals leaving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A degree of staff turnover in schools is considered healthy. Some new teachers realize the profession just isn’t for them. Others take different jobs in public education, becoming, say, an assistant principal. But in general, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://cepa.stanford.edu/content/how-teacher-turnover-harms-student-achievement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">research\u003c/a> has found that teacher churn harms student learning — students lose relationships with trusted educators, inexperienced teachers are brought on as replacements, and in some cases classrooms are left with only long-term substitutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Teacher attrition can be destabilizing for schools,” said Kevin Bastian, a researcher at the University of North Carolina, where he calculated the state’s turnover rate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He found that effective teachers were particularly likely to leave the state’s public schools last year. Mid-year turnover, which is \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2018/10/23/21105948/new-research-shows-just-how-much-losing-a-teacher-midyear-hurts-students\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">especially disruptive\u003c/a>, increased from under 4% in prior years to over 6% in the 2021-22 school year in North Carolina. The state also ended up hiring fewer teachers for this school year than it lost, suggesting that some positions were eliminated or left vacant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Biondi is now seeing the effects on her own children, who attend school in the district where she taught. “My daughter lost her math teacher in December,” she said. “They don’t have a replacement teacher — she’s struggling very much in math.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, schools may have been in a particularly fraught position. Teachers appear to be leaving at higher rates, and there’s been a longer-standing \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/fewer-people-are-getting-teacher-degrees-prep-programs-sound-the-alarm/2022/03\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">decline\u003c/a> in people training to become teachers. At the same time, schools may have wanted to hire more teachers than usual because they remain flush with \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/2/3/22916590/schools-federal-covid-relief-stimulus-spending-tracking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">COVID relief money\u003c/a> and want to address learning loss. That’s a recipe for a shortage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Typically, shortages hit high-poverty schools the hardest. They also tend to be more severe in certain areas including special education, math, and science.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benjamin Mosley, principal of Glenmount Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore, has been buffeted by these pressures. He’s had multiple teachers leave in the middle of this year, and has not been able to replace them or some others who left at the end of last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent visit to the school, students in a math class listened to a teacher based in Florida teach a lesson virtually; the class was supervised by an intervention teacher who was originally meant to provide small group tutoring. A social studies class, whose teacher had recently resigned, was being overseen by a staff member who had been hired to serve as a student mentor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mosley is still actively trying to find teachers, and is now considering candidates whom he might have passed over in years past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can put a man on the moon, but yet we can’t find teachers,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Matt Barnum is a Spencer fellow in education journalism at Columbia University and a national reporter at Chalkbeat covering education policy, politics and research.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/3/6/23624340/teacher-turnover-leaving-the-profession-quitting-higher-rate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chalkbeat\u003c/a> is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cem>This story was \u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/3/6/23624340/teacher-turnover-leaving-the-profession-quitting-higher-rate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"canonical noopener\">originally published\u003c/a> by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at \u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ckbe.at/newsletters\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>This story was co-published with \u003c/i>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/03/06/more-teachers-quitting-than-usual-driven-stress-politics-data-shows/11390639002/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003ci>USA Today\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The data is in: More teachers than usual exited the classroom after last school year, confirming longstanding fears that pandemic-era stresses would prompt an outflow of educators. That’s according to a Chalkbeat analysis of data from eight states — the most comprehensive accounting of recent teacher turnover to date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Washington state, more teachers \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://caldercenter.org/publications/teacher-turnover-three-years-pandemic-era-evidence-washington-state\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">left\u003c/a> the classroom after last school year than at any point in the last three decades. Maryland and Louisiana saw more teachers depart than any time in the last decade. And North Carolina \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://epic.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1268/2023/02/Educator-Attrition-and-Hiring-in-NC.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">saw\u003c/a> a particularly alarming trend of more teachers leaving mid-school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The turnover increases were not massive. But they were meaningful, and the churn could affect schools’ ability to help students make up for \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/10/24/23417139/naep-test-scores-pandemic-school-reopening\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">learning loss in the wake of the pandemic. \u003c/a>This data also suggests that spiking \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/6/15/22534048/teacher-stress-depression-pandemic-survey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stress\u003c/a> levels, student behavior \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/9/27/22691601/student-behavior-stress-trauma-return\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">challenges\u003c/a> and a harsh \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/12/17/22840317/crt-laws-classroom-discussion-racism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">political spotlight\u003c/a> have all taken their toll on many American teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Education had changed so dramatically since COVID. The issues were getting bigger and bigger,” said Rebecca Rojano, who last year left a job teaching high school Spanish in Connecticut. “I just found myself struggling to keep up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the pandemic threw U.S. schools into disarray, many educators and experts warned that more teachers would flee the profession. But in 2020, turnover \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/4/6/22368846/teacher-turnover-quitting-pandemic-data-economy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dipped\u003c/a> in many places as the economy stalled, then in 2021 it \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/3/9/22967759/teacher-turnover-retention-pandemic-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ticked back up\u003c/a> to normal or slightly above-average levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As this school year began, widespread reports of teacher shortages suggested that turnover had jumped more significantly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/8/11/23300684/teacher-shortage-national-schools-covid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Data\u003c/a> was hard to come by, though. The federal government doesn’t regularly track teacher quit rates. Many states don’t either, with education officials in California, New Mexico, Ohio, and Pennsylvania saying that they don’t know how many teachers leave each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Chalkbeat was able to obtain the latest teacher turnover numbers from eight states: \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/Reports/EmploymentReport2021-22.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hawaii\u003c/a>, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/teaching/2021-2022-teacher-exit-survey-report.pdf?sfvrsn=f4576318_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Louisiana\u003c/a>, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.themainemonitor.org/as-teacher-departures-rise-solutions-could-be-a-year-or-more-away/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maine\u003c/a>, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-HJRLvUt6cg66X45gTkXa_fOVrwbJMeg/edit#gid=1633921436\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maryland\u003c/a>, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lythxrnCxB88BuKt3DUWB_GjE5-24mGe/edit#gid=562717763\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mississippi\u003c/a>, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://epic.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1268/2023/02/Educator-Attrition-and-Hiring-in-NC.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">North Carolina\u003c/a>, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.cerra.org/uploads/1/7/6/8/17684955/supply___demand_data_tables_2022-23.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">South Carolina\u003c/a> and \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://caldercenter.org/publications/teacher-turnover-three-years-pandemic-era-evidence-washington-state\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Washington\u003c/a>. These figures encompassed turnover between the 2021-22 year and this school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In all cases, turnover was at its highest point in at least five years — typically around 2 percentage points greater than before the pandemic. That implies that in a school with 50 teachers, one more than usual left after last school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am struck by just how consistent these patterns are looking at all of these different states,” said Melissa Diliberti, a researcher at RAND, which has monitored teacher attrition during the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Louisiana, for instance, nearly 7,000 teachers \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/teaching/2021-2022-teacher-exit-survey-report.pdf?sfvrsn=f4576318_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">exited\u003c/a> the classroom last school year, or about 1,000 more than usual. That’s a turnover rate of 14%, up from between 11% and 12% in a typical pre-pandemic year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was variation among the eight states. Mississippi’s teacher \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lythxrnCxB88BuKt3DUWB_GjE5-24mGe/edit#gid=562717763\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">workforce\u003c/a> was the most stable: Turnover was 13% this year, only slightly higher than the two years before the pandemic. North Carolina \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://epic.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1268/2023/02/Educator-Attrition-and-Hiring-in-NC.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">saw\u003c/a> the largest spike: 16% of teachers left after last year, compared to less than 12% in the three years before the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Kimberly Biondi, who taught high school English for 21 years in a district outside Charlotte, her reasons for leaving were wrapped up in the politics of education. She advocated for remote instruction as well as in-school safety rules, such as masking, but faced personal criticism from a local group opposed to these measures, she said. Biondi was also worried that politics could eventually limit what she taught.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I taught AP language where we were supposed to teach very controversial work. I taught Malcolm X. I taught all sorts of philosophers and speakers,” she said. “I could only imagine how I would be targeted for continuing to teach this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/9/6/23220508/teachers-leaving-the-profession-quitting-teaching-reasons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">former teachers\u003c/a> cited growing workloads and more difficulty managing \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/9/27/22691601/student-behavior-stress-trauma-return\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">student behavior\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rojano said that student engagement plummeted as students returned to class in fall 2021, some for the first time in over a year. “A lot of these students are really hurting and suffering with intense emotional problems and high needs,” she said. “The needs just grew after the pandemic — I noticed a lot more emotional outbursts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It didn’t help, she said, that her class sizes were large, ranging from 25 to 30 students, making it hard to form close relationships with students. Plus, the school was short staffed and had many absences, forcing Rojano to constantly cover other teachers’ classes, losing her planning time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She left in the middle of the last school year, something she never imagined doing because it was so disruptive for the school and her students. “It got so bad,” she said. “I was very overwhelmed and stressed. I was anxious and tired all the time.” Rojano ended up taking a job at an insurance company, where she is able to work remotely when she wants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State reports hint that rising frustration has pushed more teachers out of the classroom. In Louisiana, the number of teachers who resigned due to dissatisfaction increased. In Hawaii, more teachers than usual identified their work environment as the reason for leaving. (In both states, personal reasons or retirement were still far more common explanations.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the eight states where Chalkbeat obtained data may not be representative of the country as a whole, there are signs that higher attrition was widespread. In a recent nationally representative \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA956-14.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">survey\u003c/a> from RAND, school district leaders reported a 4 percentage point increase in teacher turnover. Data from a handful of districts show a similar trend. For instance, turnover among licensed staff, including teachers, spiked from 9% to 12% in Clark County, Nevada, the country’s fifth-largest district. In Austin, Texas, turnover jumped from 17% to 24%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other school staff appear to be leaving at higher rates, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hawaii experienced a \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/Reports/EmploymentReport2021-22.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">jump\u003c/a> in aides and service staff who exited public schools. North Carolina \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://epic.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1268/2023/02/Educator-Attrition-and-Hiring-in-NC.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">saw\u003c/a> over 17% of principals depart last school year, compared to an average of 13% in the three years before the pandemic. The RAND survey also found a sharp increase in principals leaving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A degree of staff turnover in schools is considered healthy. Some new teachers realize the profession just isn’t for them. Others take different jobs in public education, becoming, say, an assistant principal. But in general, \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://cepa.stanford.edu/content/how-teacher-turnover-harms-student-achievement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">research\u003c/a> has found that teacher churn harms student learning — students lose relationships with trusted educators, inexperienced teachers are brought on as replacements, and in some cases classrooms are left with only long-term substitutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Teacher attrition can be destabilizing for schools,” said Kevin Bastian, a researcher at the University of North Carolina, where he calculated the state’s turnover rate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He found that effective teachers were particularly likely to leave the state’s public schools last year. Mid-year turnover, which is \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2018/10/23/21105948/new-research-shows-just-how-much-losing-a-teacher-midyear-hurts-students\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">especially disruptive\u003c/a>, increased from under 4% in prior years to over 6% in the 2021-22 school year in North Carolina. The state also ended up hiring fewer teachers for this school year than it lost, suggesting that some positions were eliminated or left vacant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Biondi is now seeing the effects on her own children, who attend school in the district where she taught. “My daughter lost her math teacher in December,” she said. “They don’t have a replacement teacher — she’s struggling very much in math.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, schools may have been in a particularly fraught position. Teachers appear to be leaving at higher rates, and there’s been a longer-standing \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/fewer-people-are-getting-teacher-degrees-prep-programs-sound-the-alarm/2022/03\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">decline\u003c/a> in people training to become teachers. At the same time, schools may have wanted to hire more teachers than usual because they remain flush with \u003ca class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/2/3/22916590/schools-federal-covid-relief-stimulus-spending-tracking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">COVID relief money\u003c/a> and want to address learning loss. That’s a recipe for a shortage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Typically, shortages hit high-poverty schools the hardest. They also tend to be more severe in certain areas including special education, math, and science.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benjamin Mosley, principal of Glenmount Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore, has been buffeted by these pressures. He’s had multiple teachers leave in the middle of this year, and has not been able to replace them or some others who left at the end of last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent visit to the school, students in a math class listened to a teacher based in Florida teach a lesson virtually; the class was supervised by an intervention teacher who was originally meant to provide small group tutoring. A social studies class, whose teacher had recently resigned, was being overseen by a staff member who had been hired to serve as a student mentor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mosley is still actively trying to find teachers, and is now considering candidates whom he might have passed over in years past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can put a man on the moon, but yet we can’t find teachers,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Matt Barnum is a Spencer fellow in education journalism at Columbia University and a national reporter at Chalkbeat covering education policy, politics and research.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"masters-of-scale": {
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},
"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"onourwatch": {
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"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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},
"pbs-newshour": {
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},
"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
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"politicalbreakdown": {
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 5
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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