Research brief
Preparing early learners: Considerations for supporting the kindergarten class of 2021
March 2021
Description
Among the many ways in which schools are being transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the change in public school kindergarten enrollment is one likely to have important consequences in classrooms across the nation. Because the academic and nonacademic skills students develop in their preschool and early elementary school years are foundational to important longer-term outcomes, understanding these changes and finding ways to effectively support our youngest students’ learning is critical for educators and leaders. Drawing on recent research, we offer four timely considerations for district, school, and classroom leaders.
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Topics: Early learning, COVID-19 and schools, Equity
Related Topics
Measuring student success: Lessons for evaluators in the wake of COVID-19
Topics: COVID-19 and schools, Equity
Learning during COVID-19: Reading and math achievement in the 2020-2021 school year
To what extent did COVID-19 disruptions affect student achievement in 2020-2021, and which students have been most affected? New NWEA research aims to provide insight to inform leaders working to support recovery: using data from 5.5 million students in grades 3-8 who took MAP Growth assessments in reading and math, this brief examines how gains across the 2020-21 school year and student achievement in spring 2021 compare to pre-pandemic trends.
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Technical appendix for: Learning during COVID-19: Reading and math achievement in the 2020-2021 school year
The purpose of this technical appendix is to share more detailed results and to describe more fully the sample and methods used in the research included in the brief, Learning during COVID-19: Reading and math achievement in the 2020-21 school year.
Two research questions were investigated in this brief:
1. How do gains across the 2020-21 school year compare to pre-pandemic trends?
2. How does student achievement in spring of 2021 compare to pre-pandemic levels?
Topics: COVID-19 and schools, Equity
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In this webinar by the Alliance for Excellent Education, NWEA, and the National Center for Learning disabilities, learn about recent research on academic growth for students in special education before the pandemic and implications for policies and practices designed to spur COVID-19 recovery.
Topics: Equity, COVID-19 and schools, Seasonal learning patterns & summer loss
Academic growth for students with disabilities: Lessons from school-year learning gains and summer learning loss—Implications for COVID-19 recovery and beyond
How can we support academic growth for students with disabilities (SWD) who may have experienced disproportionate academic impacts from COVID-19?
Topics: COVID-19 and schools, Equity
