Survey: Pandemic digital learning tools will impact curriculum for years to come – By Shawna De La Rosa, K-12 Dive
The shift to remote learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020 will have a lasting impact on the way curricula and learning materials are delivered as new digital tools and practices adopted for that environment are adapted for classroom use, according to a national survey of 2,168 teacher and administrators conducted in March by Bay View Analytics.
According to the survey results, 74% of teacher respondents were either in a fully remote environment or in a hybrid model, and 58% reported having no prior online teaching experience. Almost all respondents (97%) used some form of video instruction during the pandemic.
The top techniques educators reported planning to continue use of post-pandemic include online polling or quizzes (41%), on-demand instructional videos (32%), one-on-one video meetings (25%), online tools to ensure academic integrity (24%) and project-based learning (23%).
Additionally, about 20% of districts have adopted, or are in the process of establishing, a long-term virtual school option after the pandemic ends, according to a RAND report. The report also highlighted concerns about learning disparities and student mental health in fully remote learning environments.
10 Florida school districts have now mandated masks in defiance of ban – By Matt Zalaznick, District Administration
Threats of funding cuts by state leaders have fallen flat in Florida as a growing number of school boards and superintendents are imposing new mask mandates.
Just this week, rising COVID numbers among staff and students have convinced several more district leaders to join an initial group of districts that instituted mask requirements earlier this month.
In announcing his district’s temporary mask mandate for pre-K through 8th grade this week, Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to give local districts the authority to make critical public health decisions.
“To Gov. DeSantis, I ask you to reconsider your position on the issue to give local control back to school districts to do what’s best for the children in our community,” Hanna said during a Facebook Live appearance. “A leader should never allow pride or politics to cloud their better judgment. It is never too late to do the right thing.”
Study: Students in Louisiana pre-K showed long-term benefits – From the Associated Press
Students who took part in Louisiana’s program for 4-year-olds from low-income households showed benefits throughout high school, according to a new study that reviewed the performance of the program’s students.
The Advocate reports the study, released by the Council for A Better Louisiana, compared students in the taxpayer-financed LA 4 program with children who did not attend prekindergarten classes.
The review — which focused on 40,000 students — showed the LA 4 children outperformed their peers in most subjects in the fourth- and eighth-grade and in high school.
The children who participated in the prekindergarten children scored higher on the ACT college readiness test and were 45% less likely to be placed in special education programs. The study also showed 88% of LA 4 children graduated from high school, compared to the statewide average of 79%.
“There is such a consistent pattern of good news, year after year, about improved academic achievement in the children who received LA 4,” Sharon Ramey, a professor of psychiatry, psychology, neuroscience and human development at Virginia Tech, said in a statement.
State education grant to Teach for America hopes to address teacher shortage – My Michael D. Smith, The Daily Ardmoreite
A $4.2 million grant announced by state education officials on Tuesday will be used in an effort to build a pipeline of educators to fill Oklahoma classrooms. The grant has been awarded to the state chapter of Teach for America by using a portion of federal relief dollars.
“Educators who work within the TFA model are results-driven individuals who connect deeply with students and families. These skills will be in high demand as we continue to leverage strategies to combat the teacher shortage, work to ensure students recapture unfinished learning and foster a sense of reconnection within school communities," said state education Superintendent Joy Hofmeister.
The funding, slated to fund efforts through a three-year grant, will tap into the extensive Teach for America network of alumni to recruit and develop 50 teachers who will then commit to work for two years in Oklahoma schools. Another 75 aspiring school leaders will also be given resources to help them lead a school of their own, according to a Tuesday statement.
