Study on strategies to curb student learning loss during the pandemic

 

Researchers say early data shows the pandemic is taking a toll on student learning. They concluded that children have lost at least one and a half months of reading, with students of color faring worse. And some experts say the loss could be even worse because some of the most vulnerable students may not be regularly attending class online or taking assessments this year. The report  details five strategies schools are taking to curb these losses: tutoring; lengthening the school year; ensuring learning materials are at grade level; partnering with community organizations; and tapping parents as partners in boosting literacy.

Dorn, E. et al. (2020, Dec. 8). COVID19 and learning loss. McKinsey.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/covid-19-and-learning-loss-disparities-grow-and-students-need-help

“Homework Gap” Hits Minority and Impoverished Students Hardest

A survey from ACT finds that lack of access to technology and Internet connectivity at home is especially severe among poor, rural, and minority students. It showed that 14% of students have access to only one device at home, and of those students 85 percent are classified as "underserved"—defined as economically disadvantaged, first-generation college students, and/or people of color. This topic is important because there may be specific challenges students will face if they only have access to one technological device at home.

Moore, R., Vitale, D., & Stawinoga, N. (2018). The digital divide and educational equity – A look at students with very limited access to electronic devices at home. ACT Center for Equity in Learning.

https://equityinlearning.act.org/wp-content/themes/voltron/img/tech-briefs/the-digital-divide.pdf

Minorities and Immigrant Families Face Socioeconomic Troubles

A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation discusses the socioeconomic barriers that children of color and kids in immigrant families face in society. The report found that between 2013 and 2015, a third percent of African-American children ages from birth to 17 lived above 200% of poverty. It also found that half of children in immigrant families lived above 200% of poverty from 2013 and 2015, compared to over half of children in U.S. born families. The research asserts that in order for America to reach its full economic, democratic and moral potential, all children must have the opportunity to grow, develop and thrive. Thus, it is important to ensure that children have strong families; environments that support healthy early brain development; and the opportunity to develop social and emotional skills.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2017). Race for results: Building a path to opportunity for all children. Baltimore, MD: The Annie E. Casey Foundation. http://www.aecf.org/m/privy/Embargoed-2017RaceforResults-Sp.pdf

Arts education analysis

Fewer children are getting access to arts education, whether at school or elsewhere, according to a new analysis of federal data. Especially alarming is that the overall decline in recent decades is coupled with a big drop for African-American and Hispanic youths.The research, part of broader look at arts participation by U.S. adults, finds that fewer 18-year-olds surveyed in 2008 reported having received any arts education in childhood than did those surveyed in 1982, dropping from about 65 percent to 50 percent.

National Endowment for the Arts.(2011). Arts education in America.

http://www.nea.gov/research/2008-SPPA-ArtsLearning.pdf

smartphone phone users in ethnic minorities

As of December 2010, nearly a third (31%) of all mobile consumers in the United States owned smartphones, cellphones with app-based, web-enabled operating systems. But smartphone penetration is even higher among mobile users who are part of ethnic and racial minorities in the U.S. – namely Asian/Pacific Islanders (45%), Hispanics (45%) and African-Americans (33%), populations that also tend to skew younger. Meanwhile, only 27 percent of White mobile users reported owning a smartphone.
Nielsen Wire, 2010, Among Mobile Phone Users, Hispanics, Asians are Most-Likely Smartphone Owners in the U.S.

Middle school health study

Intervention helps at-risk middle-school students stay healthy
Middle-school students are healthier when schools intervene in their exercising and eating, according to results of a recent study. Intervention methods used over a three-year period were found to reduce obesity rates among minority and low-income middle-school students, who are often at risk for long-term health problems.
National Institutes of Health. (2010). Healthy study.
http://www.healthystudy.org/

Minority access study

Minority children have fewer opportunities than their white peers to gain access to high-quality health care, education, safe neighborhoods and adequate support from the communities where they live, according to a nationwide survey of professionals who work with young people. Of the professionals surveyed, 59 percent said young white children in their communities have "lots of opportunity" to play in violence-free homes and neighborhoods, while only 36 percent said the same about Hispanic children, 37 percent about African-American children and 42 percent about Native American children.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
http://www.wkkf.org/news/Articles/2010/07/Minority-Children-Face-More-Obstacles-to-Health-and-Success.aspx

Reading report

This report highlights fourth-grade reading scores as a predictor for dropping out, with lower earning potential, global competitiveness, and productivity. Examines factors undermining poor minority students' reading proficiency and outlines reforms to address them.
Annie E. Casey Foundtation. (2010). 2010 KIDS COUNT Special Report: Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters. Baltimore: Author.
http://www.aecf.org/~/media/Pubs/Initiatives/KIDS%20COUNT/123/2010KCSpecReport/AEC_report_color_highres.pdf

culturelly-responsive pedagogy research

Reviews the literature on culturally responsive pedagogy — using the students' cultures and ethnic identity in promoting resilience and academic success, with a focus on African Americans. Defines concepts and makes recommendations for grantmaking.
Hanley, Mary Stone; George W. Noblit. (2009). Cultural Responsiveness, Racial Identity and Academic Success: A Review of Literature. Heinz Endowments.
http://www.heinz.org/UserFiles/Library/Culture-Report_FINAL.pdf

Career academies report

This report examines the long-term impact of the Career Academies high school reform initiative on primarily Hispanic/Latino and African-American students: their labor market participation and outcomes, such as earnings; postsecondary education; and family stability.

MDRC. (2008). Career Academies: Long-Term Impacts on Labor Market Outcomes, Educational Attainment, and Transitions to Adulthood. New York: Author.
http://www.mdrc.org/publications/482/full.pdf

African American males and graduation report

This report highlights the gaps in high school graduation rates between African-American men and their white counterparts and the disparities between school resources and quality. Charts the best- and worst-performing states and districts for African-American men.
Schott Foundation for Public Education. (2008). Given Half a Chance: The Schott 50 State Report on Public Education and Black Males. Cambridge, MA: Author.
http://www.blackboysreport.org/files/schott50statereport-execsummary.pdf

Preschools and socio-eonomics report

Few poor, minority children enrolled in best preschools
Only 15% of the disadvantaged California children who would benefit most from strong preschools are actually enrolled in the best programs. The results of the study show that (1) use of center-based early care and education (ECE) is the norm for these children; (2) Latinos and socioeconomically disadvantaged children use it least; (3) these programs fall short on key quality benchmarks, especially those linked to early learning; (4) groups with lower levels of school readiness and later school achievement are least likely to participate in the programs that most promote school success; and (5) there is room for improvement in quality across the board and in raising participation for targeted groups.
Karoly, L., et al. (2008). Prepared to learn. Santa Monica, CA: Rand.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR539/

Parental impact on children's education

Surveys the literature on how education affects intergenerational mobility. Discusses the impacts of parents' education, financial resources, GED and job training programs, K-12 quality improvements, and early childhood education and intervention.

Grawe, Nathan. (2008). Education and Economic Mobility. Washington, DC: The Economic Mobility Project, Pew Charitable Trusts.
http://www.economicmobility.org/assets/pdfs/EMP_LitReview_Education.pdf

Seamless education study

This study describes the P–16 approach of linking education strategies from preschool through college graduation to better prepare low-income minority students. Discusses academic content, state policy strategies, and P–16 network efforts in Atlanta. Lessons learned include: start in pre-K, support communities who help students, focus on transitions periods (elementary to MS, etc.), have high expectations, make students feel part of the community, expand learning opportunities.
Jehl, Jeanne. (2008). The Connection Strategy: Preparing Young People to Succeed in College and Beyond. Baltimore: Annie E. Casey Foundation.
http://www.aecf.org/~/media/publicationfiles/connection_strategy.pdf