Schools are grappling with how to stop the COVID slide and make up for lost learning during the pandemic.
A recent Stanford University study finds the average Indiana student lost 129 days of reading knowledge and 209 days of math knowledge because of disruptions caused by the coronavirus.
The gap is wider for students of color, who could be as many as 12 months behind on math, according to a national report by McKinsey & Co., a management consulting company.
“While all students are suffering, those who came into the pandemic with the fewest academic opportunities are on track to exist with the greatest learning loss,” the report said.
Funding could soon be available to help close the gap. A bill passed earlier this month by the Indiana House of Representatives allocates $150 million in grants to schools and other organizations for learning recovery programs.
On the federal level, the latest stimulus bill provided up to $54.3 billion for K-12 schools. President Joe Biden wants to give states another $5 billion that can be used to help students catch up on learning.
Crawfordsville schools plan to use any funding to offer a summer term for any child in grades K-2 who is behind on reading, which could be up to three-fourths of the students, said superintendent Dr. Scott Bowling.
The month-long, full-day program, which remains under discussion, would use the district’s existing curriculum for children with reading loss.
“There’s just a lot of research behind the fact that the earlier the intervention is to get them on track, particularly when it comes to reading, it sets them up for success in the later grades,” Bowling said.
Testing results show younger children are falling behind. Hose Elementary principal Carol Starlin analyzed a cohort of NWEA test results and found that one out of three first graders received the lowest score.
When that same group was in kindergarten, just 8% of the students scored the lowest.
“We’re hoping that families will see the [summer term] as a real bonus and will want to get their kids involved,” Bowling said.
