Featured image of article: Summer Programs At ConVal Address COVID-Related Learning Challenges

Summer Programs At ConVal Address COVID-Related Learning Challenges

The ConVal School District has developed a comprehensive program for students who have faced challenges during the past year and a half of pandemic-related learning disruptions.

According to Assistant Superintendent Dr. Ann Forrest, who is in charge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment in the district, up to 40 percent of students could benefit from the learning recovery plan. The program was devised following a review of local and nationwide assessment data, starting last fall.

“A review of fall assessment data nationwide revealed that students, on average, were about one and a half months behind where they would typically be in reading and about three months behind in where they would typically be in math as a result of the ‘shutdown’ last spring,” Dr. Forrest noted. Since then, cumulative learning loss and widening gaps in performance have become key concerns.

The learning recovery program will follow a two-pronged approach to address both immediate and near-term student needs. The recovery portion, scheduled for this summer with a start date of July 6, is designed to mitigate learning losses by concentrating on core competencies, essential content and skills. To make the summer recovery program accessible to all families, bussing is included in the plan.

The learning acceleration portion will begin in the fall and aims to have students meet grade-level expectations through high-intensity tutoring sessions, held both during and outside of the school day. The goal is to close the gap between students who have experienced learning difficulties and their peers. In addition to specific restorative learning opportunities, the program will also address social and emotional learning components.

“All costs associated with the key recommendations of the learning recovery plan will be covered using federal grant monies,” Dr. Forrest.

For more on the summer learning programs that are offered in the ConVal School District, click here to read the article in the June 24 edition of the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript. For a detailed review of presentations to the ConVal School Board about the program, see the related web post here.