Lessons Learned

We now know the enormous toll the pandemic’s months of school closures, economic stress, illness and death had on children and their families.

Children lost months of in-person instruction and millions struggled to stay on track in their classes. Many failed and some disappeared completely. Trauma and stress were as much of a barrier to learning as a lack of internet access, and educators recognized that addressing children’s mental health would be essential for getting school back to normal.

Fortunately, research and experience tell us what’s most likely to work to help children catch up and move ahead.

The science of catching up

Daily tutoring for those who are most behind rises to the top in research evaluations

Zeroing in on a handful of strategies to catch kids up in math

Tutoring, flexible instruction and targeted support are among the efforts schools are trying to build students’ strengths

When kids pick their ‘trusted adult,’ it pays off

A district made it every employee’s job, from math teachers to custodians, to support student mental health in the pandemic

Rural areas have been slow to connect to broadband. More public funding could speed things up

Huge gaps exist in the nation’s broadband infrastructure, especially in rural states like New Mexico, but the pandemic may be the crisis that changes that forever

Digital divide: Gap is narrowing, but how will schools maintain progress?

How educators are trying to maintain progress on digital divide

Children’s brains on stress

New research findings on depression and anxiety signal that the pandemic’s toll is steep, and hold lessons for parents and teachers navigating the return to school

International newcomer academies offer lessons on how to quickly catch up children who are learning English

Educators say English-language learners were among the hardest hit during the pandemic

How one district went all-in on a tutoring program to catch kids up

A North Carolina district figured out early that tutoring could make a difference for kids who missed instruction, and they plan to keep it up for months and even years to come

Kids are failing algebra. The solution? Slow down.

One class often makes the difference between a STEM career and dropping out of high school — and this year the warning signs are everywhere that students have fallen behind

As teacher morale hit bottom, these Alabama districts looked for ways to ease workload

Stress of remote instruction could leave lasting impact on teacher workforce

Lessons from a virtual school exemplar

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD’s iUniversity Prep has consistently outperformed the state in student outcomes.

To serve kids in the pandemic, a tribe and a Washington school district create a unique learning space

“This actually feels more normal than school”

The pandemic’s remote learning legacy: A lot worth keeping

Educators are seeing pandemic innovations worth keeping – some may even help solve chronic problems of quality and equity.

Online therapy for babies and toddlers with delays often works well — but funding isn’t keeping up with the need

Early childhood intervention services for babies and toddlers have gone online during the pandemic, but states are failing to serve many kids who could benefit and thousands of kids are still missing out

Schooling has changed forever. Here’s what will stay when things go back to normal

Educators were forced to think big when schools were thrust into crisis, and not just about how to use technology