What was a gap is now a chasm: Remote schooling, the digital divide, and educational inequities resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 resulted in the unexpected transition to remote learning for K-12 schools, exacerbating the existing digital divide and impacting the educational outcomes of marginalized youth. This article reviews the literature on the impacts of the pandemic on the educational outcomes of marginalized youth due to remote learning and the digital divide. Here, we provide an overview of the pandemic and remote schooling from an intersectional lens, discuss the impacts of the digital divide on learning for students during the pandemic, and then consider impacts on the delivery of special education supports. Additionally, we review the literature on the widening achievement gap in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Future directions for research and practice are discussed.

Quantitative analysis of impact of risk factors and learning modalities on urban high school student credit attainment and grade point average during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020-2021

This study examined how traditionally least advantaged populations of urban American midwestern high school students were affected by the pandemic compared to non-least advantaged peers. Previous literature recognized achievement gaps between students in the following groups prior to the COVID-19 pandemic: (a) traditionally least advantaged ethnicities (Hanushek et al., 2019;Ladson-Billings, 2006;Noguera, 2009), (b) students with special needs (Cohodes, 2018;Gilmour et al., 2019;Noguera, 2009), (c) students whose native language was different from the language predominantly spoken at school or English language learners (Fry, 2008;Garcia et al., 2012;Hyock, 2001) and students coming from low socioeconomic households (Chamielewski, 2019;Hanushek et al., 2019;Ladson-Billings, 2006;Noguera, 2009) in comparison to their peers not represented in the aforementioned sub-populations. Also, students not obtaining sufficient credits each semester to stay on pace for graduation have been identified as having a predictor of students not graduating (Allensworth & Easton, 2007;Heppen et al., 2017;Herlihy, 2007). Students were grouped by levels of low, medium, and high At-Riskness to determine if there was a significant correlation and/or difference between student achievement rates before and during the pandemic on credits earned and grade-point averages (GPAs) each semester. The data showed that as students accumulate at-risk factors their achievement declined, during the pandemic there was a disproportionate decline in achievement by the most at-risk. This study calls for a re-examination of how to educate through crisis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The effect of rigorous, targeted, and tiered RTI to overcome the poverty performance achievement gap

National, state, and local governmental authorities have researched and reported the impacts of poverty on academic performance for multiple decades, providing guidance, legislation, accountability, equal access initiatives, and continuous monitoring for educators to address the ongoing dilemma. However, poverty performance achievement gaps are still widespread, and in many cases growing, despite the multitude of governmental policies and educational intervention practices. This qualitative research study analyzed the effect of rigorous, targeted, and tiered Response to Intervention (RTI) strategies in overcoming the poverty performance achievement gap in math and English language arts (ELA) on Indiana's ISTEP+ and ILEARN state-mandated assessments for 3rd and 4th-grade students in a Midwest public elementary school. Additionally, the study addressed poverty's impact on academic performance and poverty subgroup performance. The rigorous, targeted, and tiered (RTT) method was found to have statistically significant effects in math performance when controlling for poverty;however, interventions were not significant for ELA performance, even when controlling for poverty. Nevertheless, the study was conducted during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Surprisingly, the academic performance for the poverty and nonpoverty student groups in the treatment cohort was counter to the anticipated negative impact of the pandemic school shutdowns, intervention interruptions, and subsequent virtual learning environments. Academic institutions looking for intervention practices to address the learning needs or learning loss for poverty and nonpoverty students will find merit in the mitigation of learning loss by utilizing the RTT method;however, future research on the components of the RTT method is warranted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Team of Caring Educators Delivering a Specialized Math Curriculum for Racialized Youth during COVID-19

This study examined the efficacy of an afternoon and weekend academic program called the "Community School Initiative" (CSI) during the COVID-19 pandemic. CSI was offered to racialized students and families from the Jane and Finch community in Toronto which is one of the most under-resourced neighbourhoods in Canada. It involved a partnership between private social enterprise "Spirit of Math" and non-profit organization "Youth Association for Academics, Athletics, and Character Education" (YAAACE). Seven teachers participated in a focus group and 33 students and parents completed a survey to express their experiences attending the CSI. Findings were identified using thematic analysis from a Critical Race Theory paradigm. Key characteristics of effective structural community-programming were identified. The results highlight the importance of access to opportunities in a culturally reflective manner to ensure student success through continuity of care particularly on evenings and weekends involving a team of caring educators.

Third-grade student literacy: A quantitative analysis of two concurrent interventions

The achievement gap is a historic and pervasive issue of social justice in education. the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has further stalled student achievement in reading and math, amplifying the urgency for accelerating student learning to close the gap. The third grade is a critical year for literacy in education;if students have not mastered grade level literacy skills by then, they are likely to continue to fall behind, which can diminish academic opportunities and significantly reduce their economic potential. This study seeks social justice in education to add to the literature by elucidating strategies to improve third-grade literacy. Grounded in quantitative analysis, this longitudinal study employs a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design to evaluate the relationship between third-grade student engagement in two concurrent literacy interventions, Smarty Ants and Achieve3000 Literacy, and student reading outcomes. To this end, the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was applied with a control for pretest scores while evaluating the relationship between engagement and outcomes. Results of each ANCOVA show statistical significance between student engagement in the literacy interventions and their Lexile outcomes. Despite the small sample size, results of the analyses verify that there is statistical significance in the relationship between student engagement levels in the programs, individually and concurrently, and their Lexile outcomes in Achieve3000 Literacy during the 2020-2021 academic year within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the strength of correlation results in the ANCOVAs and the t-tests, this was especially true for engagement in Achieve3000 Literacy and more so for combined engagement. The study concludes with a discussion of these findings, an articulation of the significance of the study, as well as recommendations for future practice and study. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

COVID-19 Disruptions: Attainment Gaps and Primary School Responses. Research Report

The study uses data from five assessment points for reading and maths. It focuses on a constant sample of students, all of whom completed a Rising Stars assessment in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also administered three teacher surveys: the first focused on the initial period of lockdown, the second focused on the autumn 2020 term when students returned to face-to-face instruction, the third focused on the second period of school closures from January to March 2021. This descriptive, longitudinal study focuses on primary schools in England. It has three aims: (1) to quantify changes in attainment gaps since the onset of COVID-19: the focus is on gaps between economically disadvantaged pupils and their peers in Years 2 to 6, (2) to describe how teachers and schools responded to the challenges of COVID-19, and (3) to explore associations between school responses to COVID and changes in attainment gaps. [The report was published with FFT and Teacher Tapp.]

The Impact of COVID-19 on Learning: A Review of the Evidence

Schools in England have experienced unprecedented disruptions due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. There were two periods during which in-person learning was restricted for the majority of pupils: first for 14 weeks in spring 2020, and then for eight weeks in winter 2021. During these periods of partial closure, many pupils experienced some form of remote learning. Even when schools re-opened fully, significant challenges remained due to high levels of staff and pupil absence. Research shows that COVID-19-related disruptions have worsened educational inequalities: the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has grown since the onset of the pandemic. This report provides a summary of the findings from a range of studies that looked at the impact on learning during this period.

Moving Forwards, Making a Difference: A Planning Guide for Schools 2022-23

Instability caused by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) completely transformed teaching and learning in schools. Throughout this time, teachers and school leaders have had to find new ways to conduct lessons, assess learning, and maintain relationships with the children in their care. This guide is designed to support teachers and school leaders in identifying and addressing the key areas for development in their setting. It offers practical advice and signposts evidence-informed resources on a variety of areas of teaching practice, from ensuring high quality teaching to removing non-academic barriers to attainment. Drawing on the Education Endowment Foundation's (EEF's) tiered model, the guide is designed to support school planning. The guide aids school leaders in determining how best to focus time, effort, and resources by identifying evidence-informed strategies with the greatest potential to support pupil attainment. Alongside these strategies, the planning guide includes an array of school case studies and expert insights from school leaders, teachers and teaching assistants.

The EEF Guide to the Pupil Premium. Updated

COVID has potentially reversed a decade of progress in closing the attainment gap. The evidence is clear that disadvantaged students have fallen further behind during the pandemic. This guide is designed as a practical starting point to support school leaders to develop, implement and monitor an evidence-informed approach to their Pupil Premium strategy. The guide suggests a four-step cycle for school leaders to follow when developing and sustaining their strategy: (1) Diagnose your pupils' needs, (2) Use strong evidence to support your strategy, (3) Implement your strategy, and (4) Monitor and evaluate your strategy.

Third-grade student literacy: A quantitative analysis of two concurrent interventions

The achievement gap is a historic and pervasive issue of social justice in education. the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has further stalled student achievement in reading and math, amplifying the urgency for accelerating student learning to close the gap. The third grade is a critical year for literacy in education;if students have not mastered grade level literacy skills by then, they are likely to continue to fall behind, which can diminish academic opportunities and significantly reduce their economic potential. This study seeks social justice in education to add to the literature by elucidating strategies to improve third-grade literacy. Grounded in quantitative analysis, this longitudinal study employs a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design to evaluate the relationship between third-grade student engagement in two concurrent literacy interventions, Smarty Ants and Achieve3000 Literacy, and student reading outcomes. To this end, the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was applied with a control for pretest scores while evaluating the relationship between engagement and outcomes. Results of each ANCOVA show statistical significance between student engagement in the literacy interventions and their Lexile outcomes. Despite the small sample size, results of the analyses verify that there is statistical significance in the relationship between student engagement levels in the programs, individually and concurrently, and their Lexile outcomes in Achieve3000 Literacy during the 2020-2021 academic year within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the strength of correlation results in the ANCOVAs and the t-tests, this was especially true for engagement in Achieve3000 Literacy and more so for combined engagement. The study concludes with a discussion of these findings, an articulation of the significance of the study, as well as recommendations for future practice and study. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The Effect of COVID on Oral Reading Fluency During the 2020–2021 Academic Year

Education has faced unprecedented disruption during the COVID pandemic. Understanding how students have adapted as we have entered a different phase of the pandemic and some communities have returned to more typical schooling will inform a suite of policy interventions and subsequent research. We use data from an oral reading fluency (ORF) assessment—a rapid assessment taking only a few minutes that measures a fundamental reading skill—to examine COVID’s effects on children’s reading ability during the pandemic. We find that students in the first 200 days of the 2020–2021 school year tended to experience slower growth in ORF relative to prepandemic years. We also observe slower growth in districts with a high percentage of English language learners and/or students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. These findings offer valuable insight into the effects of COVID on one of the most fundamental skills taught to children. © The Author(s) 2022.

Covid-19 and student engagement: Perspectives of educators to abridge learning loss and engage students in the new normal learning setting

With the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions were forced to shift to an online learning platform for the continuation of education. The lack of preparedness for this transition resulted in many challenges for learners and educators. One of the challenges instructors had to face was the disengagement of learners. It has been reported that the main reason for high dropout rates is low student engagement levels. Engaging students became even more critical as learners felt isolated and disconnected in the new setting. There is therefore a need to consider effective approaches to engage learners in their learning journey. Student engagement has been a quality indicator for higher education institutions adopting online learning. The successful completion of an online course is highly influenced by student engagement. In this research, the understanding of student engagement and its importance for an online learning environment, building upon the crucial role of the instructor to promote student engagement are explored. This chapter finally synthesises the existing literature on student engagement to propose the best approaches for instructors to consider in their instructional design for an online learning environment. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Codes and control: explicating pedagogic communication in classroom practice

The impact of State policy to combat educational disadvantage with two iterations of DEIS supports has had a positive influence the patterns of achievement among all social groups with some notable improvements across a range of indicators for students in DEIS schools. Notwithstanding these improvements, research and evaluations continue to identify a persistent achievement gap for large numbers of working-class students compared to their more middle-class peers. Research evidences the inextricable links between class, economic circumstances, and student outcomes. In producing these more system-oriented data, the dynamism of underlying processes that produces these outcomes can be often masked. Student-teacher characteristics and classroom interactions become variables or aggregated performance datasets, rather than signifiers to unpack the mechanisms of how students and teachers construct their classroom world. Pedagogic communication, so central to classroom teaching and learning, is largely unexplored from the perspective of its construction, transmission, acquisition, context and how these are framed by structures of social relationships. This paper intends to explicate a core component of the student/school relational domain by examining specifically the patterns of pedagogic communication that frame teaching and learning in one case study school located in a very marginalised and challenging community in Ireland. The findings are stark. Different linguistic strategies for engaging in pedagogic communication are detailed in the data but in all cases, they fail to lead to rich learning experiences and positive student outcomes. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Irish Educational Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Is low self-efficacy related to the poverty dip in mathematics? A mixed methods research

The achievement gap has alluded school leaders for more than 50 years. Students living in poverty are continually at the bottom of every academic measure, specifically in mathematics. The COVID-19 closures have exacerbated the gap to a point where it will be noticeable for our entire lifetime. This study sought to enlighten educators on the relationships between self-efficacy, poverty, and mathematics achievement. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were mixed to gain a multidimensional perspective. General education eighth-grade mathematics students were targeted and determined that there is a relationship between self-efficacy and the poverty gap. A multi-phase approach was applied throughout one school year. Observations, open-ended writings, and interviews were paired with test scores and self-efficacy scales to show the full picture of the effects of poverty on a student's self-efficacy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Using intervention methods to close the achievement gap in middle school mathematics

The achievement gap, or opportunity gap, in education is when one group of students outperforms another group of students in statistical category. For decades, these gaps been analyzed in an attempt to support students and close these differences in categorical scores. The primary purpose of this dissertation was to focus on closing the achievement gap on state mathematics assessment scores in order to increase overall mathematics proficiency levels. The implementation of different interventions in the classroom and around planning for student learning was the main strategy used to improve mathematics standardized test scores, specifically with traditionally underachieving subgroups. The main instrument used to determine growth and success of the intervention models was the Smarter Balanced Mathematics Assessment (SBAC), given yearly by the state of Delaware. The growth goal was in reference to overall proficiency levels, with an increase goal of 10% building wide. Ongoing assessments and data collection throughout the year of grades, attendance, Interim Assessment Blocks (IABs), and Common Formative Assessments (CFAs), were used to assess the need for interventions and the efficacy of these interventions. Ultimately, with COVID shutdowns, cancellations of state testing, and remote/hybrid learning, the goal of increasing the overall proficiency levels by 10% did not happen. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

An examination of the impact of distance learning on course failures and GPAs of sophomore students in a suburban high school

The COVID-19 pandemic caused schools nationwide to open the 2019-2020 school year with educational options for students and parents. Distance learning has become increasingly popular with the ability to learn anytime and anywhere. Traditional learning provides face-to-face instruction with the ability for collaboration among students. This quantitative study compared the impact of virtual or face-to-face instruction on students' progress towards high school graduation. Specifically, this study investigated the effect the two instructional models had on course failures, grade point average, and attendance. Lastly, this study investigated the influence a tiered two intervention, Extended School Day, had on students identified as Off-Track students who had earned less than the required credits and had a grade point average below 2.0. Unpaired, two-tailed t-tests were used to determine the instructional model's impact on course failures, absenteeism, and grade point average. Archival data from a suburban high school from the 2019- 2020 school year was analyzed. The results showed that distance education students accumulated less course failures and better grade point averages for semester one. The results shifted towards traditional learning for semester two, and a Fisher Exact test was used to calculate the effect Extended School Day had on Off-Track students. The results demonstrated this two-tiered intervention benefitted those who attended by decreasing course failures thus increasing grade point average. These results suggested that distance education provided a better learning environment for students during the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year. However, traditional education impacted students more positively during the second semester. Therefore, distance education may be a good option during times of emergency, but it cannot be the only option for all students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

One Laptop Per Child 2.0-The Lessons We Did Not Learn: Education, Technology, and COVID-19

The rapid onset of COVID-19 brought unprecedented changes to K-12 schools throughout the United States, requiring many schools to immediately transition to distance learning. COVID-19 significantly altered the delivery and learning of core and entrepreneurial competencies and previous studies on distance learning showed a greater benefit to students who have more robust academic support systems. In addition, COVID-19 required an increased reliance on technology to deliver education in ways that many educational infrastructures were ill-prepared to do. Some schools in the U.S. distributed computers and WiFi hotspots to students to facilitate access to distance learning platforms. This distribution of computers to students during the pandemic harkens back to One Laptop Per Child. This study peers into current achievement gaps for core and entrepreneurial competencies, assessing whether the technology-reliant distance education prompted by COVID-19 farther entrenches existing, or creates additional gaps for students. The theoretical frameworks underpinning this research include principles of Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT);distance education: digital divide;technological determinism: technological optimism and entrepreneurial mindset. The research leverages a secondary and thematic analysis of survey data that assessed the distance learning experiences of families in the Paradise Valley School District (Phoenix, Arizona) during COVID-19. Parent-guardian perceptions were intentionally selected for this study as this group now plays a different, more prominent role in students' education.

Seeking Equality of Educational Outcomes for Black Students: A Personal Account

The global pandemic caused by coronavirus has highlighted the systemic nature of inequalities caused by racism in Britain: people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups were more likely to be in jobs that had a high risk of exposure to infection, were more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19, and were more likely to die from the virus (Public Health England, 2020). These systemic problems are not of the making of these groups of people, nor are they their responsibility to solve (Winters, 2020). Equal treatment of people is likely to preserve disparities between groups under the well-intended, but misguided umbrella of fairness. In this article, Louise Taylor will share how she began to learn about the issues that contributed to unfair academic outcomes for Black students. She will talk about the findings form a significant research project that she led with colleagues and students in order to explore students' lived experiences of anti-Black racism in higher education. Embarking on this project saw the beginning of a challenging journey in which she learnt more about unconscious biases and the cultural stereotypes that are responsible for embedding this form of racism in higher education institutions and wider society. By sharing her learning and the mistakes and successes she made along the way (hopefully fewer of the former and more of the latter), she hopes is that this article both informs and inspires educational change that promotes racial equality of outcomes both within and beyond classrooms.

A Strategic City-Based Framework for Effectively and Efficiently Educating Students with Disabilities

Charter schools' autonomy and flexibility provides them with the opportunity to find ways to close the performance gap between students with and without disabilities, but deep-seated, systemic challenges often cause individual charters to struggle to do so on their own. For cities with an established charter sector, a city-wide, collaborative strategy involving all stakeholders to overcome these systemic challenges is proposed. By working together, charter schools can fulfill their potential with regard to educating students with disabilities. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying effective strategies to accelerate learning for students with disabilities and optimize the flexibility extended to charter schools is essential. This brief introduces critical components of a strategic, city-based framework, along with details regarding how this multi-pronged approach can drive systemic and sustainable change that will lead to better access and outcomes for students with disabilities. Each component has value independently, but when combined in a coherent manner so that each augments the others, the framework has the potential to ensure that students with disabilities have access to a robust continuum of educational opportunities in districts that have widespread public school choice and, in particular, charter schools. If individual charter schools, regional government officials, authorizers, and funders work together to create a new system that spreads the responsibility, incentivizes schools to support students with disabilities, and nurtures talent to support these goals, charter schools can be agents of change for closing the gap between students with disabilities and the general education population. [This paper is the result of a collaboration with Pathway 2 Tomorrow: Local Visions for America's Future (P2T).]

Economic Inequality, the Digital Divide, and Remote Learning During COVID-19.

Wealth and education establish a cycle of intergenerational inequality. Wealthier households can provide more educational opportunities for their children, who then will have more chances to build wealth for themselves. The digital divide may have emerged as a key reinforcing mechanism of education through wealth and of future wealth through education during the pandemic. The intergenerational transmission of racial wealth inequality likely played out at rapid speed during the pandemic. We analyze the link between wealth, reliable internet and electronic device availability, remote learning time, race, and ethnicity, using the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey. We conclude that Black and Hispanic/Latinx households have less reliable internet and devices available. This goes along with fewer hours children spend on remote learning. The lack of internet and devices correlates with less wealth, as reflected in lower homeownership rates and greater housing instability. Black and Hispanic/Latinx households, in particular, are more likely to be renters and face housing instability.