Equity
It remains a critical challenge to ensure all children—regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, and/or ability—have access to a high-quality education. We are at a pivotal time where communities and schools are navigating issues of equity, poverty, and opportunity gaps against a backdrop of shifting education policy. With access to exceptional data and a multi-disciplinary team of researchers and research partners, we are able to provide unique insight into these important issues.
Understanding differential growth during school years and summers for students in special education
This study compares within- and across-years academic growth for students who were ever in special education (ever-SPED) to students who were never in special education (never-SPED) in grades K-4. Ever-SPED students grew more in math and reading than never-SPED students during many school years, but lost more learning during every summer than their peers, leading to expanding disparities. These findings suggest that summer learning opportunities are crucial for improving educational outcomes for students with disabilities.
By: Angela Johnson, Elizabeth Barker
Topics: Equity, Growth modeling, Seasonal learning patterns & summer loss
Measuring middle school achievement trajectories for college readiness
This study identifies students’ academic trajectories in the middle grades relative to a set of college readiness benchmarks. We apply math and reading college readiness benchmarks to rich longitudinal data for more than 360,000 students across the nation. Student-level and school-level demographic characteristics significantly predict academic trajectories.
By: Angela Johnson, Megan Kuhfeld, Greg King
Topics: Equity, College & career readiness, Middle school
Preparing early learners: Considerations for supporting the kindergarten class of 2021
Among the many ways in which schools are being transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the change in kindergarten enrollment is 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.
By: Beth Tarasawa, Angela Johnson, Christine Yankel
Topics: Equity, COVID-19 & schools, Early learning
How are students performing in the wake of COVID-19?
In this CPRE Knowledge Hub Research Minutes podcast, Megan Kuhfeld discusses what NWEA research using fall 2020 test scores of more than four million students shows about the academic achievement and growth of US students, and some of the many questions that remain.
Mentions: Megan Kuhfeld
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, Equity
Why students with dyslexia aren’t “at risk”
Researchers have made substantial gains in our knowledge around dyslexia. It’s time to dispel the outdated notion that students can somehow “get” dyslexia and stop using erroneous, ableist language of students “at risk” for dyslexia.
By: Elizabeth Barker
Topics: Equity, Reading & language arts
How did students fare relative to the COVID-19 learning loss projections?
In this SAGE perspectives blog, Angela Johnson shares some key findings from NWEA research exploring how school shutdowns impacted student achievement at the start of the 2020-21 school year.
By: Angela Johnson, Megan Kuhfeld, Beth Tarasawa
Topics: Equity, COVID-19 & schools
Fact or fiction? The 4 myths of dyslexia
It can be tricky to understand what dyslexia is and what it isn’t. In this blog, learn the facts about four myths about dyslexia and about possible indicators for dyslexia from preschool years through high school.
By: Elizabeth Barker
Topics: Equity, Reading & language arts