Building upgrades, SEL: 100 large & urban districts plan their pandemic recovery
New review of ESSER spending plans shows districts favor facilities improvements, student & teacher supports; investments in staff, parents less clear.
School mask, vaccine mandates are mostly gone. But what if the virus comes back?
As 100 large districts gear up for a “normal” year, it’s not clear what will happen should another deadly COVID variant arise.
Enrollment drops, staff shortages cause budget whiplash for top school districts
The contrasting trends underscore the pandemic’s wildly variable impact on districts — and the key impact of enrollment on revenue
Data From 100 Large Urban Districts Show Half Facing Shortages in Key Positions. Fixing That Will Mean Rethinking Teaching & Working in Schools
Our analysis of district information and local media reports finds 93 of 100 large and urban districts have mentioned staffing shortages in the 2021-22 school year.
Notes from our database: The latest on 2021-22’s rocky return to school
The scramble to reopen schools, keep students safe, and keep them learning hasn’t abated.
How 100 large urban districts are wrapping family & community input into plans for spending federal emergency school relief funds
A first look at ESSER priorities indicated many districts may be struggling to reconcile public input with their own strategic priorities.
How 18 top charter school networks are refining remote learning for the fall
18 leading charter school organizations are strengthening curriculum offerings and modifying schedules — although their plans are less detailed than districts’ on remote learning improvements or lessons learned from the spring.
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 Biden administration has told districts to resume statewide assessments so they can better target student supports for next school year—with a popular waiver system available for […]
As urban districts prepare to reopen, most are not doing enough to communicate how they will keep students and teachers safe
As districts move to offer more in-person learning this spring, many teachers, parents and students remain hesitant, worrying whether schools — and their specific campuses and classrooms — are safe.
What does ‘attendance’ mean for remote learners in a pandemic? How 106 districts are dealing with absenteeism, student engagement & grades
Our analysis of reopening plans in 106 large, high-profile districts finds that they have taken student engagement and attendance far more seriously this fall than they did after schools first closed last spring. But many school systems have struggled to create consistent rules, especially for remote learners.
