What Schools Should Be Doing to Help Students Recover Unfinished Learning

After a year and a half of remote learning — and with some schools still pausing in-person classes due to the Delta variant’s surge — many students are facing the new school year four to five months behind their expected level of academic achievement, according to a new report.

Recent studies reveal that students’ COVID-related learning disruption may take years to repair. Results from the Indiana Learning Evaluation and Readiness Network (ILEARN) assessment indicate that 40.5% of students are at or above proficiency standards in English/language arts, and 36.9% are at or above proficiency standards in mathematics. The assessment also reveals significant gaps persisted among Indiana’s racially and ethnically diverse, low-income, special education and English language learner students.

Recent research from McKinsey found that students were testing 10 points behind in math and nine points behind in reading on average — an educational disadvantage that, over the course of their lifetimes, may result in them earning $49,000 to $61,000 less than their peers.

Recovery Strategies

But there are steps both schools and parents should be taking to help students get back on track.

All schools will have a plan for the year in terms of how they want to approach this learning loss. Many will take an accelerated learning approach, which focuses catch-up efforts on key skills only. They can also pull out a subsection of students who need the most help and deliver targeted instruction during the school day or after school. Once a plan is created, principals need to make sure that plan and progress updates are communicated to the entire staff with frequent check-ins with instructors.

The goal after such a tumultuous year should be student growth rather than student achievement. We shouldn't let “perfect” be the enemy of growth, especially not this year. We need to keep people rowing in the same direction — we’re all in this together, and our goal is to help each other through it.

Equity and Support

Schools should remember, too, that the equity gap was exacerbated by COVID, so students who were already underserved or struggling may be even further behind their peers. Students of color, students from low socioeconomic areas, English language learners and students with special needs have been impacted the hardest.

At home, parents need to maintain consistent communication with their children. There are both short-term and long-term steps parents can take to help their children readjust to school.

Parents should be reading with their children each day and night, assisting them with their homework and incorporating more other subjects like math and science into daily life to make sure their children are learning at home.

More long-term steps include looking into outside tutoring programs like Sylvan Learning to help children keep up with class work and get the personalized attention they need. Parents can also look into their HR benefits to see if tutoring is something they subsidize. If tutoring is not currently subsidized, it’s a good time to ask employers for that benefit. Supporting employees’ families takes some stress off the employee, which is beneficial for work and home life.

The goal is to be optimistic without being unrealistic. Both schools and parents have a huge weight on their shoulders now to help students recover unfinished learning. But with guidance and encouragement, we can help get them back on track.

“Throughout COVID-19, Sylvan has provided much-needed flexibility and stability — for teachers and students — in an otherwise chaotic and uncertain time,” said part-time Sylvan Learning teacher Kathleen Byrne, who also maintains a full-time job with the U.S. Treasury Department. “It’s such a positive atmosphere. Sylvan has figured out everything with a constant message of motivation.”

With more than 40 years of experience and more than 750 points of presence throughout North America, Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of personal learning for students in grades K-12. Sylvan is transforming how students learn, inspiring them to succeed in school and in life. Sylvan’s proven tutoring approach blends amazing teachers with SylvanSync™ technology on the iPad® for an engaging learning experience.

Sylvan also leads the way with Sylvan EDGE — STEM and accelerated courses — and Sylvan Prep — college and test prep courses. Sylvan supports families through every stage of the academic journey. For more information, visit www.