At a November 9 meeting, Charles County Public Schools unveiled a plan to address COVID-related learning loss.
As students continue to reintegrate themselves to in-person learning, it has become clear that some fell behind during virtual and hybrid learning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Charles County is taking its “COVID Gap” head-on with a newly revealed three-year plan.
The plan, which was presented by Deputy Superintendent Kevin Lowndes at the November 9 meeting, includes specialized instructional programs to lesson learning loss and summer programming to continue to close gaps in readiness.
Key to the plan are “multiple layers of support” in the form of core programming, systematic use of data, and supplemental programs, like summer programs to help students maintain their progress.
WTOP explained the County’s approach:
It uses a structured, multi-layer approach where learning in core subjects, like math and language arts, will be accelerated. Then, using performance data tracked in the district’s i-Ready student data collection system, students who need additional instruction will be broken out into small groups during the school day.
In a presentation to the board, officials used a 90-minute math block period as an example. Sixty minutes would be used for core resources and grade-level standards, while the remaining 30 minutes would be used for intervention and reinforcement that helps kids who are scoring below target.
The November 9 meeting agenda and materials are available online.
Access the full three-year plan.
At the MACo Winter Conference session, “Education Equity: Confronting the COVID Gap,” an expert panel will discuss how the emerging challenges and opportunities our students and institutions face coming in the “new normal,” from learning gaps, to inequities in resources and access.
The 2021 MACo Winter Conference, “Time to Reboot: Tomorrow’s Tech Today,” will be held at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Hotel in Cambridge, MD from December 8-10.
Learn more about MACo’s Winter Conference:
