RI Superintendents and Teachers Union Call for Urgent Action to Reverse Pandemic Learning Loss

RI Superintendents and Teachers Union Call for Urgent Action to Reverse Pandemic Learning Loss

An ad hoc roundtable of Rhode Island school superintendents, education union leaders, school committee members and others released a framework of goals and objectives this week to address the "urgent need to slow and reverse pandemic-related learning loss in students statewide."

The members of the group – convened by the Hassenfeld Institute for Public Leadership – includes the Rhode Island School Superintendents’ Association, the Rhode Island Association of School Committees, the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, the National Education Association Rhode Island, and the Rhode Island Foundation – believe the highest priority must be given to a multifaceted program to curb the loss and accelerate student learning.

“We convened virtually toward the end of 2020 aware that preparations must be initiated as soon as possible in order to create space to address disrupted learning opportunities for Rhode Island’s students,” said Hassenfeld Institute for Public Leadership Founding Director Gary S. Sasse. “The importance of this moment for Rhode Island requires all hands on deck, from all sectors, to engage in building a comprehensive summer-and-beyond program that will focus on learning loss – primarily on the critical concepts of literacy, mathematics, and social-emotional learning in elementary and transition grades.”

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According to the group, a comprehensive Rhode Island student “catch-up” program should include both short and long-term strategies that address students’ academic, physical, social, and emotional needs.

 

Framework of the Plan

According to the group the plan should:

1) Focus primarily on the critical concepts in Literacy and Mathematics, aligned to appropriate grade level standards, that are foundational to continued learning. Reading at grade level by the third grade, and Elementary and Transition grades (e.g. 6, 8, and 9) should be prioritized. There should also be an emphasis on social-emotional development that has been impeded by school disruptions as a result of COVID-19;

2) Recognize the importance of school and district decision-making and implementation, consistent with high statewide standards;

3) Include plans for financial and other incentives to encourage participation and family support;

4) Scale up existing Summer Academy for Interactive Learning (SAIL) programs;

5) Partner with community resources to address students’ social and emotional needs throughout the summer of 2021 and beyond;

6) Align during-, before- and after-school, as well as summer school “ramp-up” and “catch-up” opportunities and coordinate efforts of school- and community-based partners (see Full-Service Community Schools models);

7) Include guidelines and recommendations for program design and implementation, based on research and best practices, to assist districts and schools in their design and implementation;

8) Provide 100 percent state funding of either pass-through federal coronavirus aid or own-source state revenues;

9) While continually documenting learning losses in Rhode Island schools, build the initial program with the assumption of a one-year learning loss; and

10) Emphasize in-person student interventions as Rhode Island implements its vaccination strategy and other COVID-19 mitigations.

 

Cost:

The group warns that there will be a cost to the program.

"Financing at Scale A significant investment will be required to develop and implement a comprehensive program to make up for pandemic-related student learning losses that is aligned with both state standards and local curriculum," they said. 

"For example, it is estimated that 25 hours of targeted instruction for a group of 8-12 students for six months of additional learning over two weeks of vacation academies would cost $1,600 per student per year. Summer programs will not be sufficient to reverse pandemic-related student learning losses alone. Therefore, a strategically coordinated, year-round system of academic, social, and emotional supports for students is strongly recommended," the group added. 

The group’s report highlights goals and objectives, conceptualizes a framework on which learning-loss programs should center, outlines how districts could demonstrate need, identifies financing and investment, and underscores the importance of public engagement. The report recommendations were provided to the Department of Education to be utilized by the RIDE commission assembled to examine COVID-19’s impact on education.