Pandemic erased Atlanta students’ progress: report – WABE

The pandemic reversed tutorial beneficial properties metro Atlanta college students had been making, in keeping with a brand new report from schooling non-profit Learn4Life.

“There are form of two massive takeaways,” mentioned Learn4Life govt director Ken Zeff whereas talking concerning the knowledge on the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Thursday. “One is we had been making just a little little bit of progress that bought erased by the pandemic. [The] second, and perhaps much more substantial takeaway is, we weren’t doing very properly earlier than the pandemic.”

The report confirmed in 2019, about 40% of metro Atlanta third graders had been studying on grade degree. In spring 2022, 39% of third graders reached that benchmark.

“Forty % can’t be acceptable,” Zeff mentioned. “That may’t be sufficient.”

Districts at the moment are centered on tutorial restoration packages to assist children catch up. They’ve obtained unprecedented quantities of federal reduction cash to assist. Atlanta Public Faculties has prolonged the varsity day for elementary college students, established a summer time restoration academy, and has offered entry to well being care.

“As of the closure of this week, each pupil in our college system … has entry to free telehealth, ages 4 to seniors in highschool,” mentioned APS Superintendent Lisa Herring.

Herring mentioned that features medical and psychological well being care, stating earlier than faculties can adequately tackle studying gaps, they need to guarantee college students are wholesome. Metropolis Faculties of Decatur Superintendent Maggie Fehrman agreed and mentioned her district has opened pupil facilities at Decatur Excessive College and Beacon Hill Center College.

“It’s an area for college students to return once they want a break … for them to entry counselors in real-time,” she mentioned.

Fehrman mentioned the district additionally employs a full-time dependancy specialist. Clayton County Superintendent Morcease Beasley mentioned catching children up afterCOVID will take a village.

“It doesn’t matter what we do as college techniques, we don’t have sufficient time within the day or the varsity 12 months,” he mentioned. “So, households, the group at massive, companions–they actually should step as much as assist us tackle this studying state of affairs that we’re coping with.”

Learn4Life additionally seems for “vivid spots” within the knowledge, which means it seeks out efficient packages or instructing strategies that work for some faculties and tries to deliver them to scale. The nonprofit is partnering with districts to assist them in particular areas, together with early literacy, retaining good lecturers, and guaranteeing highschool college students are ready for post-secondary schooling.