Research on K12 educational practices during the pandemic

To determine effective ways to deliver education during the pandemic, agent-based computational models ran thousands of simulations of infection spread across more than 100 different school situations, varying by school level, school size, operating strategy, approach to quarantines and closures, and the local community’s COVID-19 infection rate. The results offer educators and civic leaders a set of comparable schools to their own, and provide insights beyond the heated political rhetoric about the best approaches for individual communities and schools to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while providing meaningful learning opportunities. Key findings include:

• Precautions such as requiring masks and limiting the mixing of students outside of classes can measurably reduce infection spread in schools.
• Hybrid approaches where smaller groups of students wearing masks attend in person part time dramatically reduce the total number of likely infections in a school.
• Infection rates in elementary schools are likely to be lower than in secondary schools employing the same operating strategies.
• Part-time hybrid operation is far more effective at reducing infections than temporarily closing the school building each time an infection is detected.
• In schools that are using a part-time hybrid approach, quarantining close contacts of individuals with detected infections is sufficient to keep the school’s infection rate low, while closing entirely reduces the number of days that students can attend with no demonstrable benefit in further reducing infections.
• Schools using a hybrid approach in a community with a moderate infection rate are likely to experience little or no unplanned disruption in the number of days students can come to school.
• Regardless of precautions taken, there is a chance that a school could have an infection on its first day of operation.

Gill, B., Goyal, R., & Hotchkiss, J. (2020).  Operating schools in a pandemic.  Princeton, NJ: Mathematica.

https://mathematica.org/our-publications-and-findings/publications/operating-schools-in-a-pandemic-predicted-effects-of-opening-and-quarantining-strategies

Pandemic impact on students

 Some high-school students feel more motivated to learn in school than online and do not have equal access to remote instruction, according to a national survey administered in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, from March 26 to April 1. Results also show the toll of the pandemic on students' mental health, with one sharing it felt like life was in chaos. "Most, but not all, students had access to the technology needed for online learning; however, many found it difficult to adapt." The study recommends addressing inequities of access to technology and Internet, addressing food insecuriy, considering the whole student, improving online instruction and materials.

Croft, M. et al. (2020). HIgh school students' experiences in March during the coronavirus pandemic. Iowa City, IA: ACT Center for Equity in Learning.  https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/R1841-covid-insights.pdf 

Research on school libraries and student well-being

 This paper explores how school libraries may support student well-being by operating as safe spaces for young people, promoting and resourcing mental health and well-being initiatives, and supporting and promoting bibliotherapeutic practices and reading for pleasure. It then highlights implications for future research to support the development of a sound, research-supported evidence base for advocacy moving forward.

Merga, M. (2020). How can school libraries support student wellbeing? Evidence and implications for further research. Journal of Library Administration, 60(6), 660-673.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01930826.2020.1773718

Writing time study

 Students are not spending enough time writing, according to a recent report. The findings, based on data from the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress, found that about 25% of middle-and high-school students write for 30 minutes a day, and even fewer say they do argumentative writing weekly. Schools are not making writing a priority, and writing does not occur across the curriculum. Black and Hispanic students are more likely to be graded on "mechanics and conventions" (25 percent) compared to 18 percent of White students. A potential explanation for this, researcher Picou wrote, is that Black and Hispanic students were "more likely to have accents, dialectic differences or speak another language at home, which educators may classify as deficient."

Picou, A. (2020). Are schools making writing a priority? Learning Agency Lab.

https://www.the-learning-agency-lab.com/the-learning-curve/are-schools-making-writing-a-priority

Student motivation during COVID-19 survey

 During coronavirus-related school closures in the spring, students' ability to motivate themselves to complete schoolwork varied by age, with 57% of fifth-graders saying they were able to stay motivated compared with 26% of 12th-graders, a survey finds. Distractions at home were the most common reason students cited for lack of motivation, followed by feeling stressed or depressed. 

Large numbers were able to navigate the mechanics of accessing and turning in their schoolwork (87 percent and 79 percent, respectively). Nearly six in 10 (57 percent) said they spent more time than usual on activities they enjoyed. And half reported that they were able to focus on their learning.

But remote learning didn't always result in a lot of learning. Challenges were especially high for low-income and Latinx students, who cited lack of ready access to the internet and computing devices more than other groups of students. Also, female students and those who identify in a way other than male or female reported struggling more with mental health and well-being (57 percent and 70 percent, in order) more than male students (38 percent).

Students weigh in: Learning & well-being during COVID-19. (2020). San Francisco, CA: YouthTruth. https://youthtruthsurvey.org/students-weigh-in/#studentvoice

Personalized Learning Perceptions Study

 

Personalized learning (PL) approaches have become increasingly common across the United States. PL aims to create individual learning experiences and pathways for students. Despite its popularity, little data exists on the prevalence of PL practices and the conditions needed to support high-quality PL implementation, particularly in high schools. This report presents findings from high school teachers taken from RAND's 2018 American Teacher Panel. The findings should be useful to practitioners, professional development and support providers, researchers, and policymakers interested in understanding how high school teachers are using PL practices and which supports and resources they need to use them effectively. Key Findings Teachers reported providing a variety of instructional materials and adapting course content to meet students' needs; student-directed learning was less common. Teachers reported using mastery-based assessment more frequently than other mastery-based practices. Most teachers reported addressing students' social and emotional growth but reported that professional development was less helpful for addressing this area. More teachers reported using student data for tailoring instructional approaches than for adjusting how quickly students advanced through content. Teachers reported infrequently receiving data on individual students' progress and needing better data systems; those who reported access to high-quality data reported more extensive use of PL practices.

Elizabeth D. Steiner, E., Doss, C., & Hamilton, L. (2020). High school teachers' perceptions and use of personalized learning. Santa Monica, CA: Rand.

https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA322-1.html?utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=NPA:2535:6293:Aug%2011,%202020%205:42:03%20AM%20PDT&utm_campaign=NPA:2535:6293:Aug%2011,%202020%205:42:03%20AM%20PDT

Mobile device affect on students

A national survey of educators and interviews with school principals reveal big concerns about how the proliferation of digital devices is affecting K-12 education. Two-thirds of students use smartphones in schools, 90% of high schoolers use them on campus. While such devices facilitate communication and remediation through relevant apps, it also facilitates distractions, misbehavior, and cheating, Nevertheless, usage will probably increase. 

Smartphones and other devices in schools. (2020). Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/media/tc2020%20survey%20report%206.5.20.pdf