Students — some of whom haven’t been in a classroom in nearly a year due to COVID — are behind, according to state and national testing data. Some studies say the gap is minimal, while others say it’s half a year or more.
Districts across the Dayton region report a range of learning loss, with some seeing increases in students considered at risk, others experiencing relatively stable progress and a few with academic gains.
The question is how to reverse losses now to avoid a downward domino effect. An analysis by the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank suggested current learning loss could lead to a 3.8% increase in high school dropouts in the coming years, hurting the labor force and the economy.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine told schools to submit plans this month on how they’ll help students catch up. Those plans will vary, because in schools, one size almost never fits all — especially when some kids have been in classrooms daily since August and others have been fully online for 51 weeks.
“One of the positives this year is understanding the importance of personalization,” state Superintendent Paolo DeMaria said. “A lot more people have spent time understanding where kids are, what their needs are, and figuring out the best way to address those needs.”
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