The Biden COVID stimulus: Big spending can bring big liabilities
K–12 public education has won the lottery in the current coronavirus stimulus bill, with a $123 billion bailout package—more than six times the size of annual Title I grants. It remains to be seen whether public districts and schools will be permanently better off or, like too many winners in state lotteries, end up in […]
Districts quiet on how they plan to help students recover from a year of continued disruption
As more large and urban school districts welcome students back to campus, few are providing public details about how they plan to academically support students after a year of disrupted teaching and learning.
What’s behind the racial divide on school reopening?
After more than six months of divisive debates about the reopening of American schools, the good news is that bipartisan consensus appears near. Recent survey data show growing support for in-person learning among Democrats, likely reflecting President Biden’s endorsement. More worrying, however, is that opinion remains deeply split along racial lines. These divisions are surprisingly […]
Community health, vaccination policies & local preference: How 100 districts are reopening after COVID-19 shutdowns
Urban districts across the country have taken a sharp turn toward in-person and hybrid learning in the start of 2021.
Announcing a new initiative to support district- and community-led innovation through learning hubs
We are honored to announce a set of grants to help school districts and their community partners launch learning hubs.
School Reopening Trends Offer Districts the Opportunity to Start Planning Beyond the Pandemic
Our latest analysis of school district learning models from March 1 to March 13 finds that a clear majority—57 percent—of the nation’s school districts report offering full-time in-person learning.
The kids are (really) not alright: A synthesis of COVID-19 student surveys
This brief from the Evidence Project synthesizes student surveys from the 2020–21 school year.
Is it Safe to Reopen Schools?
This report examines the collective findings of more than 120 studies and considers their implications for current decisions on reopening schools.
How Schools Adapt during the Pandemic Can Reshape Adolescent Learning Experiences for Generations
This brief, informed by interviews with school and system leaders in the New England region, suggests some efforts to reinvent schools before the pandemic have helped schools to navigate the current crisis.
To make up for lost learning time, set priorities
For students not to fall perpetually behind because of school closures and the difficulties of virtual learning, schools and districts must set priorities. Students need to catch up as quickly as possible on the core ideas and skills that are prerequisites to the material that will come next year. Schools may need to add tutors […]