School Practices to Address Student Learning Loss
Elaine Allensworth | Chicago Research Consortium
Nate Schwartz | Annenberg Institute at Brown University
Breaking Down the Issue
- Learning losses are likely to show up differently across grades and subjects, with intensive recovery needs concentrated in the early grades and among already struggling students.
- Supportive school environments and strong teacher-student relationships speed recovery from learning loss.
Strategies to Consider
- High-dosage tutoring that is directly tied to classroom content – helping students succeed in their coursework – can substantially accelerate learning in both math and reading for the most struggling students.
- Extended learning time interventions, including weeklong acceleration academies staffed with highly effective teachers and some double dose math structures, show strong evidence of effectiveness.
- Strong systems to monitor for early student warning signs paired with strong norms and routines help students recover emotionally and engage academically.
Strategies to Avoid
- Compressed content, grade retention, and enhanced Response to Intervention (RTI) show less evidence that they substantially shift learning outcomes for struggling students, and some have potential adverse long-term consequences.
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