Nation's school chiefs offer advice for how to help students make up for pandemic learning loss

After more than a year of classroom disruptions due to the pandemic, a paper highlighting ways states and educators are accelerating student learning was released by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers," Brent Woodie reports for Route Fifty. "The preliminary analysis shows ways states and school leaders have helped K-12 students make up for gaps in learning. Available state plans, websites, media reports and gubernatorial State of the State addresses for most states were reviewed."

The report highlights four major steps some states are taking to accelerate learning:

• Getting organized and understanding what needs to happen. States and educators are encouraged to communicate their plans and engage key stakeholders.
• Start or enhance summer programs to help students catch up.
• Provide more overall support to help students better learn. That includes using new federal funds to strengthen learning time, both during and after school, to address students' academic and overall needs.
• Strategically use one-time federal funds to address future issues that will crop up because of pandemic-related learning loss. That includes recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers at the schools that need them most, and identifying and supporting struggling students.