Mending Pandemic Learning Loss: Beyond Band-Aids
How strength-based practices and ambitious systems make better use of ESSER Funds
The echoes of disrupted learning still reverberate throughout our nation’s classrooms. Students may be back, but they continue to carry the heavy burden of academic gaps and stunted social-emotional development. In an attempt to respond, schools are using Elementary and Secondary School Relief (ESSER) funding to implement myriad programs, designed to offset the learning and mental health disruptions that occurred.
Amid the showering of new school programs being thrown about like confetti at a celebration, no one seems to be asking the crucial questions: Are schools focusing on the right levers that will mitigate and/or eliminate student learning loss? Are the programs being purchased making a difference for students’ social and emotional needs? If so, how will these programs be sustained when the money runs out?
The historic ESSER emergency funds were allocated to address real concerns, yet many districts have spent the money on unsustainable salary increases and bonuses, increased staffing, off-the-shelf programs, and new construction projects. While all might be worthy, the long game in sustaining any or all of these aspirational spends isn’t clear. When budgets return back to their original state, what will happen? These are the real issues districts and schools are facing today.
The answer lies in practice evolution, not program proliferation. Forget one-size-fits-all solutions - our classrooms need a Double Helix Approach, one that twines pedagogy with placement for maximum impact. Here's why:
Programs are blunt instruments. They often paint classrooms with a broad brush, ignoring the intricate nuances of individual needs and contexts. A struggling student reader in New York City will have different challenges than one in rural Montana. A program designed for one environment might simply fall flat in another.
Practices are the DNA of learning. Effective pedagogies, like formative assessment, targeted feedback, and differentiated instruction, can be adapted and integrated into any environment. When educators are equipped with the tools to diagnose learning gaps, they are better prepared to tailor their methods to each student's unique needs.
Having qualified teachers isn't enough. Placement matters. We need teachers to be strategically situated, placed where their strengths and expertise will have the most significant impact. This means educators from different disciplines co-designing and co-delivering lessons that get to the gaps, with precision. It means veteran teachers are mentoring novice colleagues, and building collaborative teams that share and refine best practices.
Shared accountability breeds collective success. Programs often create silos that isolate teachers and encourage a “check the box" mentality. Instead, let's nurture a culture of shared accountability where educators work together, learn from each other, and track the impact of their practices. This collaborative approach allows for constant refinement and ensures everyone stays invested in student success.
The power of the Double Helix System of Support© is its scalability and sustainability. It doesn't require massive expenditures on pre-packaged programs that may not be future-focused. Instead, it empowers educators, leverages existing resources, and fosters a culture of continuous learning. It’s an organic approach that creates a responsive and dynamic environment, and ultimately, leads to deeper learning and improved outcomes for students and teachers.
This year, as we navigate the choppy waters of pandemic recovery with ESSER funds that must be spent down by September 2024, let's resist the siren song of quick fixes. Let's invest in the power of practices, the wisdom of placement, and the strength of partnerships and shared accountability. Let's empower educators to be the architects of their classrooms, not program pawns. Ultimately, it's not about the number of programs we adopt, but the depth of learning we cultivate.
You can find more in-depth information about the Double Helix Approach, as well as best practice strategies and strength based systems in my forthcoming book, “Radical Excellence, A Resource for Relentless Improvement.” Published by Corwin, a company with a mission to help educators make the greatest impact through sustained professional learning, this book provides a bold blueprint for designing, implementing, and monitoring a comprehensive improvement process that leads to radical improvement.
Join me in the ambitious pursuit of relentless improvement. It’s time to write a new chapter in education with a fearless focus on the strengths of practice.
Use the button below to download a full-page infographic that explains my Double Helix System of Support.
