Statewide assessment plans are unclear and neglect remote learners
Weeks away from the end of the school year, it’s still unclear whether assessment data will play a role in shaping academic and social-emotional intervention strategies for 2021–22.
The Lens
Bringing vision and clarity to education policy
Hindsight is 2024: A premortem on districts' return to school
We believe there are at least four reasons the $123 billion American Rescue Plan (ARP) stimulus funding could go wildly awry.
Virtual IEPs should stay
Educators report that the switch from in-person to virtual IEP meetings prompted them to reflect on the intent of the IEP meeting, what information is most essential to convey, and how to run a meeting with the needs of students and families front of mind.
Pandemic pods show the value of designing for individual needs. Will we learn from them?
If districts don't heed demand and make changes in-house, it is possible that they will only accelerate drops in public school enrollment.
In thousands of districts, 4-day school weeks are robbing students of learning time for what amounts to hygiene theater
Eliminating a full day of in-person instruction was always a high-cost strategy from an education standpoint, and now we have confirmation that it's unnecessary.
The summer puzzle: Summer plans to date are lacking in key areas
Similar to last year, most summer school plans are vague, and a significant majority lack explicit learning supports and feature incomplete or confusing messaging.
As urban districts prepare to reopen, most are not doing enough to communicate how they will keep students and teachers safe
With access to vaccination, teachers and principals can focus more on academic recovery and serve as highly trusted messengers to families.
Learning hubs: A shovel-ready strategy for spending federal dollars
How state and local leaders use this unprecedented infusion of federal funding will be a critical question in the coming weeks and months.