The Division for International Special Education Services (DISES) of the Council for Exceptional Children circulated what it calls an “Information Brief” entitled “Resrouces to Accelerate Learning Recover.” Although the evidence-base for some recommendations is stronger for some of them than for others, I present the content here verbatim in hopes of assisting DISES in its efforts to reach educators.

Resources to Accelerate Learning Recovery

for All Students

Throughout the world, the effects of COVID-19 on education are dramatic. Internet connectivity evolved from a want to a need. Without it, the outside world was inaccessible. Avanesian, Garen ,Amaro, Diogo , Mishra, Sakshi, Schaaper, Martin, Jones, Christopher, Park, Hyunju, Wang, Yixin, Egorova, Valeria Kamei, Akito, Mizunoya, & Suguru (2020) reported that 2/3 of children in poor countries did not have access to the internet. Though unfinished learning among vulnerable populations always existed, the pandemic amplified its effects (Dorn, Hancock, Sarakatsannis, & Viruleg, 2020; Kuhfeld, Soland, Tarasawa, Johnson, Ruzek, & Liu, 2020), widening achievement gaps. Attendance during in person and virtual instruction dropped among marginalized populations. Food, shelter, and basic necessities took precedence. Trauma magnified unfinished learning, potentially having life-long effects. 

Though the pandemic grossly exposed inequities throughout the world and global digital divide, technologies impact on education is transformative. Teacher comfort with technology and confidence in delivering virtual instruction improved. The proliferation of instructional technologies that enhance the education of all students became more widespread. These technologies can level the playing field for many students with disabilities, as teachers implement universal design for learning (UDL) into lesson plans. The pandemic transformed teacher professional development, extending opportunities to learn research-based practices into remote parts of the world. Through synchronous and asynchronous professional learning, teachers can learn as long as they have internet connectivity. 

The following resources can be used by teacher leaders and teachers to accelerate learning as students return to classrooms. Some resources leverage instructional technologies, while others share resources with more traditional mediums. These resources can be used to improve outcomes of all children, including students with disabilities. 

• CAST (2021) shares information and resources about ways teachers can integrate UDL and instructional technologies to differentiate instruction and maximize academic engagement

• The Council for Exceptional Children and National Council for Learning Disabilities (2021) recommend nine strategies to accelerate learning.  

• Fisher, D., Frey, N., Smith, D. & Hattie, J. (2021). Leading the rebound.  Corwin Press: Thousand Oaks, CA. ISBN-13: 978-1071850459

• Fisher, D., Frey, N., Smith, D. & Hattie, J. (2021). Rebound, grades K-12: A playbook for rebuilding agency, accelerating learning recovery, and rethinking schools. Corwin Press: Thousand Oaks, CA. ISBN-13: 978-1071848890

• Learning Policy Institute (2021). Learning in the time of Covid-19. 

• National Council for Learning Disabilities promising practices to accelerate learning for Students with Disabilities during Covid-19 and beyond  

• The National Center for Intensive Interventions shares ways to support students with some of the most intense behavioral needs.

• New Zealand Government - Learning in a Covid-19 World: The impact of Covid-19 on schools

• UNESCO and McKinsey & Company Covid-19 response remediation

• United States Department of Education Back to School Roadmap under IDEA 

• World Bank – Continuous accelerated learning (CAL)

References:

Avanesian, Garen ,Amaro, Diogo , Mishra, Sakshi, Schaaper, Martin, Jones, Christopher, Park, Hyunju, Wang, Yixin, Egorova, Valeria Kamei, Akito, Mizunoya, & Suguru. (2020). How many children and young people have internet access at home? Estimating connectivity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/two-thirds-worlds-school-age-children-have-no-internet-home/37934

Dorn, E., Hancock, B. Sarakatsannis, J. & Viruleg, E. (2020). COVID-19 and student learning in the United States: The hurt could last a lifetime. McKinsey & Company. Dweck, C. S. (2010). Even geniuses work hard. Educational Leadership, 68(1), 16-20. 

Kuhfeld, M., Soland, J., Tarasawa, B., Johnson, A., Ruzek, E., & Liu, J. (2020). Projecting the Potential Impact of COVID-19 School Closures on Academic Achievement. Educational Researcher, 49(8), 549–565. doi:10.3102/0013189x2096591

Unicef (2020). How many children and young people have internet access at home? Estimating digital connectivity during the COVID-19 pandemic https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/two-thirds-worlds-school-age-children-have-no-internet-access-home-new-unicef-itu

November 2021 Information Brief Authors:

Dr. Catherine Creighton Martin, Dr. Kati Brendli, and Dr. Mary V. Kealy

Learn more about DISES and the organization’s other information briefs.