Does DCPS have a plan to remediate the learning loss caused by their long-term pandemic closure?

[Anonymous]

The thing that bothers me is that the only students being addressed are the worst case scenarios. All students lost something. Maybe one group lost the equivalent of 22 weeks, another lost 15, and another lost 8- or whatever. Bottom line- the schools are focusing on the 22 week kids with whatever resources and/or high dosage tutoring they can offer. And I am not saying that is a bad choice- it is what it is and those furthest behind should be prioritized. But the rest of the students who are also behind are offered nothing. Essentially, we are saying the 15 weeks or less of loss are OK- we accept that loss. And we are only trying to make up the remaining 7. (Totally made up examples- but you get the picture)

My question, why are we ok with the 15 weeks? Why aren’t we trying to make up all the loss. I don’t know the solution, more teachers, more summer classes, more aftercare structured classes, whatever. But, at least at our school, it feels like only a small minority of students are offered what few opportunities exist for extra help. My kids are considered to be “fine” and they probably are- but they still “lost” something and probably need some more remediation. And yes, we can afford to pay for it- but I do need help identifying what they need, where to go for the help, etc. Couldn’t the schools provide us with a report on our students showing where they have gaps and making suggestions for how to close them. Maybe for my kids it’s just a bit of extra reading, a work book, a couple tutoring sessions- or whatever. But all kids deserve to have their gaps identified and a plan for how to close their individual gap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a thread about this a while ago. The answer is that Ferebee, Paul Kihn, and other DCPS leaders promised that extensive "high-dosage" tutoring programs would make up for learning loss. They haven't.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1036781.page

They kind of did in the sense that they provided the ability and the funds. But like I said in a previous post, they counted on teachers wanting $40 an hour to do it. No one on my team wanted to do it so no one in my grade level was offered it. And there was no back up plan. They just assumed we’d all be scrambling to sign up I guess.

Not to mention that if it's anywhere like it is at my school around the city, unvaccinated kids are losing crazy amounts of in-person instruction due to mandatory quarantines. The students that I currently have and should be getting high dosage tutoring have missed 30-60 days of school this year.

THIS. This is the #1 travesty right now - we are compounding learning loss with absurd and discriminatory quarantine policies. DCPS still requires mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated close contacts. Vaccine rates are lower for the more vulnerable (generally Black) kids. And there is NO public health reason for this - vaccines unfortunately do not appear to play a big role in limiting transmission. Even if they play a small role, at this point, it is totally unjustifiable to kick unvaccinated kids out of class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Learning was greatly interrupted by the pandemic. We should absolutely address that with intensive remediation - 1:1 tutoring, summer school, etc.

But don’t blame distance learning. The study doesn’t support the causation, only the correlation.

From the summary of the report:
It is possible that the relationships we have observed are not entirely causal, that family stress in the districts that remained remote both caused the decline in achievement and drove school officials to keep school buildings closed. However, even if that were the case, our results highlighting the differential losses in high poverty schools that went remote are still critical for targeting recovery efforts.

Oh please. Even for adult college students, we've known for ages that online learning is inferior. Do you actually want us to believe it's just "correlation" that kids who did "virtual Kindgergarten" are now behind academically 2 years later?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Learning was greatly interrupted by the pandemic. We should absolutely address that with intensive remediation - 1:1 tutoring, summer school, etc.

But don’t blame distance learning. The study doesn’t support the causation, only the correlation.

From the summary of the report:
It is possible that the relationships we have observed are not entirely causal, that family stress in the districts that remained remote both caused the decline in achievement and drove school officials to keep school buildings closed. However, even if that were the case, our results highlighting the differential losses in high poverty schools that went remote are still critical for targeting recovery efforts.

I think anyone with common sense and most of us who observed their children during the pandemic *can* confidently blame distance learning.

No doubt family stress and other factors mattered, too. But full-time distance learning was a bad experience for most PK-12 students.

THIS x 1000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you've probably violated copyright law by posting too much of the article. It is likely to get deleted.

Try getting this deleted and starting a new thread with less copy of the article.

Really? It's not nearly the whole article.

And the OP Is acknowledging the original source. Not an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you've probably violated copyright law by posting too much of the article. It is likely to get deleted.

Try getting this deleted and starting a new thread with less copy of the article.

Really? It's not nearly the whole article.

And the OP Is acknowledging the original source. Not an issue.

I've seen where people will have a whole thread going and then Jeff will decide that the article amount captured (even with a source) is too much and therefore must be deleted. Who knows what the rules are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean, there are obvious solutions. This country is full of education experts and there is money available. The discussion shifted to political will because there is none in DC.

THANK YOU! High -dosage tutoring is the research-based solution. I don't support keeping students in school for more days getting the same whole-class, less-than-stellar instruction where maybethey pay attention ,maybe they don't.

High Dosage tutoring is where we need to focus---and once again, it is the incompetents at DCPS and OSSE that couldn't figure it out. There were a number of tutoring organizations primed and ready to go, and then it never really took off? Somebody should look into why. Maybe something to do with glacially slow background checks?

We have the money, we know what needs to be done. This is a human capital problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a thread about this a while ago. The answer is that Ferebee, Paul Kihn, and other DCPS leaders promised that extensive "high-dosage" tutoring programs would make up for learning loss. They haven't.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1036781.page

They kind of did in the sense that they provided the ability and the funds. But like I said in a previous post, they counted on teachers wanting $40 an hour to do it. No one on my team wanted to do it so no one in my grade level was offered it. And there was no back up plan. They just assumed we’d all be scrambling to sign up I guess.

Not to mention that if it's anywhere like it is at my school around the city, unvaccinated kids are losing crazy amounts of in-person instruction due to mandatory quarantines. The students that I currently have and should be getting high dosage tutoring have missed 30-60 days of school this year.

THIS. This is the #1 travesty right now - we are compounding learning loss with absurd and discriminatory quarantine policies. DCPS still requires mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated close contacts. Vaccine rates are lower for the more vulnerable (generally Black) kids. And there is NO public health reason for this - vaccines unfortunately do not appear to play a big role in limiting transmission. Even if they play a small role, at this point, it is totally unjustifiable to kick unvaccinated kids out of class.

There is nothing discriminatory about the quarantine policy. It's a blatant lie that vaccines do not play a big role in limiting transmission. Get your kid vaccinated if you don't' like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a thread about this a while ago. The answer is that Ferebee, Paul Kihn, and other DCPS leaders promised that extensive "high-dosage" tutoring programs would make up for learning loss. They haven't.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1036781.page

They kind of did in the sense that they provided the ability and the funds. But like I said in a previous post, they counted on teachers wanting $40 an hour to do it. No one on my team wanted to do it so no one in my grade level was offered it. And there was no back up plan. They just assumed we’d all be scrambling to sign up I guess.

Not to mention that if it's anywhere like it is at my school around the city, unvaccinated kids are losing crazy amounts of in-person instruction due to mandatory quarantines. The students that I currently have and should be getting high dosage tutoring have missed 30-60 days of school this year.

THIS. This is the #1 travesty right now - we are compounding learning loss with absurd and discriminatory quarantine policies. DCPS still requires mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated close contacts. Vaccine rates are lower for the more vulnerable (generally Black) kids. And there is NO public health reason for this - vaccines unfortunately do not appear to play a big role in limiting transmission. Even if they play a small role, at this point, it is totally unjustifiable to kick unvaccinated kids out of class.

There is nothing discriminatory about the quarantine policy. It's a blatant lie that vaccines do not play a big role in limiting transmission. Get your kid vaccinated if you don't' like it.

DP. For a few months, they might. Not beyond that. Or do you have evidence to the contrary? The PP is right that the policy doesn't make sense anymore.

And for the record, my kids are vaccinated, as I assume are the PP's. Not everybody who argues against these policies does so out of self-interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a thread about this a while ago. The answer is that Ferebee, Paul Kihn, and other DCPS leaders promised that extensive "high-dosage" tutoring programs would make up for learning loss. They haven't.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1036781.page

They kind of did in the sense that they provided the ability and the funds. But like I said in a previous post, they counted on teachers wanting $40 an hour to do it. No one on my team wanted to do it so no one in my grade level was offered it. And there was no back up plan. They just assumed we’d all be scrambling to sign up I guess.

Not to mention that if it's anywhere like it is at my school around the city, unvaccinated kids are losing crazy amounts of in-person instruction due to mandatory quarantines. The students that I currently have and should be getting high dosage tutoring have missed 30-60 days of school this year.

THIS. This is the #1 travesty right now - we are compounding learning loss with absurd and discriminatory quarantine policies. DCPS still requires mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated close contacts. Vaccine rates are lower for the more vulnerable (generally Black) kids. And there is NO public health reason for this - vaccines unfortunately do not appear to play a big role in limiting transmission. Even if they play a small role, at this point, it is totally unjustifiable to kick unvaccinated kids out of class.

There is nothing discriminatory about the quarantine policy. It's a blatant lie that vaccines do not play a big role in limiting transmission. Get your kid vaccinated if you don't' like it.

It is absolutely discriminatory - the impact falls heavily on black kids whose parents have not vaccinated them. The burden is on DC to show why this is a reasonable policy given the racially discriminatory impact. Please show me the data on how vaccines prevent transmission in the elementary school setting, thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a thread about this a while ago. The answer is that Ferebee, Paul Kihn, and other DCPS leaders promised that extensive "high-dosage" tutoring programs would make up for learning loss. They haven't.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1036781.page

They kind of did in the sense that they provided the ability and the funds. But like I said in a previous post, they counted on teachers wanting $40 an hour to do it. No one on my team wanted to do it so no one in my grade level was offered it. And there was no back up plan. They just assumed we’d all be scrambling to sign up I guess.

Not to mention that if it's anywhere like it is at my school around the city, unvaccinated kids are losing crazy amounts of in-person instruction due to mandatory quarantines. The students that I currently have and should be getting high dosage tutoring have missed 30-60 days of school this year.

THIS. This is the #1 travesty right now - we are compounding learning loss with absurd and discriminatory quarantine policies. DCPS still requires mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated close contacts. Vaccine rates are lower for the more vulnerable (generally Black) kids. And there is NO public health reason for this - vaccines unfortunately do not appear to play a big role in limiting transmission. Even if they play a small role, at this point, it is totally unjustifiable to kick unvaccinated kids out of class.

It's particularly crazy when they're allowing test-to-stay for PK. So at our Hill elementary, that means (predominantly) white unvaccinated kids get to test-to-stay while (almost exclusively) black unvaccinated kids get quarantined. The optics are so awful that I can only hope even teachers (who have favored quarantines over test-to-stay at our school) are starting to have second thoughts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a thread about this a while ago. The answer is that Ferebee, Paul Kihn, and other DCPS leaders promised that extensive "high-dosage" tutoring programs would make up for learning loss. They haven't.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1036781.page

They kind of did in the sense that they provided the ability and the funds. But like I said in a previous post, they counted on teachers wanting $40 an hour to do it. No one on my team wanted to do it so no one in my grade level was offered it. And there was no back up plan. They just assumed we’d all be scrambling to sign up I guess.

Not to mention that if it's anywhere like it is at my school around the city, unvaccinated kids are losing crazy amounts of in-person instruction due to mandatory quarantines. The students that I currently have and should be getting high dosage tutoring have missed 30-60 days of school this year.

THIS. This is the #1 travesty right now - we are compounding learning loss with absurd and discriminatory quarantine policies. DCPS still requires mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated close contacts. Vaccine rates are lower for the more vulnerable (generally Black) kids. And there is NO public health reason for this - vaccines unfortunately do not appear to play a big role in limiting transmission. Even if they play a small role, at this point, it is totally unjustifiable to kick unvaccinated kids out of class.

There is nothing discriminatory about the quarantine policy. It's a blatant lie that vaccines do not play a big role in limiting transmission. Get your kid vaccinated if you don't' like it.

It is absolutely discriminatory - the impact falls heavily on black kids whose parents have not vaccinated them. The burden is on DC to show why this is a reasonable policy given the racially discriminatory impact. Please show me the data on how vaccines prevent transmission in the elementary school setting, thanks.

Now with boosters approved for 5-12s, there will unfortunately be some scientific basis for this again (although I'm pleased about the booster approval in general). Looks like the 3 shot regime is roughly 80% protective against symptomatic COVID at least for the first 5-6 months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a thread about this a while ago. The answer is that Ferebee, Paul Kihn, and other DCPS leaders promised that extensive "high-dosage" tutoring programs would make up for learning loss. They haven't.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1036781.page

They kind of did in the sense that they provided the ability and the funds. But like I said in a previous post, they counted on teachers wanting $40 an hour to do it. No one on my team wanted to do it so no one in my grade level was offered it. And there was no back up plan. They just assumed we’d all be scrambling to sign up I guess.

Not to mention that if it's anywhere like it is at my school around the city, unvaccinated kids are losing crazy amounts of in-person instruction due to mandatory quarantines. The students that I currently have and should be getting high dosage tutoring have missed 30-60 days of school this year.

THIS. This is the #1 travesty right now - we are compounding learning loss with absurd and discriminatory quarantine policies. DCPS still requires mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated close contacts. Vaccine rates are lower for the more vulnerable (generally Black) kids. And there is NO public health reason for this - vaccines unfortunately do not appear to play a big role in limiting transmission. Even if they play a small role, at this point, it is totally unjustifiable to kick unvaccinated kids out of class.

It's particularly crazy when they're allowing test-to-stay for PK. So at our Hill elementary, that means (predominantly) white unvaccinated kids get to test-to-stay while (almost exclusively) black unvaccinated kids get quarantined. The optics are so awful that I can only hope even teachers (who have favored quarantines over test-to-stay at our school) are starting to have second thoughts.

really unconscionable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a thread about this a while ago. The answer is that Ferebee, Paul Kihn, and other DCPS leaders promised that extensive "high-dosage" tutoring programs would make up for learning loss. They haven't.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1036781.page

They kind of did in the sense that they provided the ability and the funds. But like I said in a previous post, they counted on teachers wanting $40 an hour to do it. No one on my team wanted to do it so no one in my grade level was offered it. And there was no back up plan. They just assumed we’d all be scrambling to sign up I guess.

Not to mention that if it's anywhere like it is at my school around the city, unvaccinated kids are losing crazy amounts of in-person instruction due to mandatory quarantines. The students that I currently have and should be getting high dosage tutoring have missed 30-60 days of school this year.

THIS. This is the #1 travesty right now - we are compounding learning loss with absurd and discriminatory quarantine policies. DCPS still requires mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated close contacts. Vaccine rates are lower for the more vulnerable (generally Black) kids. And there is NO public health reason for this - vaccines unfortunately do not appear to play a big role in limiting transmission. Even if they play a small role, at this point, it is totally unjustifiable to kick unvaccinated kids out of class.

There is nothing discriminatory about the quarantine policy. It's a blatant lie that vaccines do not play a big role in limiting transmission. Get your kid vaccinated if you don't' like it.

It is absolutely discriminatory - the impact falls heavily on black kids whose parents have not vaccinated them. The burden is on DC to show why this is a reasonable policy given the racially discriminatory impact. Please show me the data on how vaccines prevent transmission in the elementary school setting, thanks.

Now with boosters approved for 5-12s, there will unfortunately be some scientific basis for this again (although I'm pleased about the booster approval in general). Looks like the 3 shot regime is roughly 80% protective against symptomatic COVID at least for the first 5-6 months.

No, the 5-11 booster does NOT show an 80% reduction. That is for the under 5s. The 5-11 booster has zero evidence for it other than increased antibodies.

And racial discrimination cannot be justified on a "scientific basis." There need to be a lot more to show how the quarantine policy is narrowly tailored to meet a compelling DC interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a thread about this a while ago. The answer is that Ferebee, Paul Kihn, and other DCPS leaders promised that extensive "high-dosage" tutoring programs would make up for learning loss. They haven't.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1036781.page

They kind of did in the sense that they provided the ability and the funds. But like I said in a previous post, they counted on teachers wanting $40 an hour to do it. No one on my team wanted to do it so no one in my grade level was offered it. And there was no back up plan. They just assumed we’d all be scrambling to sign up I guess.

Not to mention that if it's anywhere like it is at my school around the city, unvaccinated kids are losing crazy amounts of in-person instruction due to mandatory quarantines. The students that I currently have and should be getting high dosage tutoring have missed 30-60 days of school this year.

THIS. This is the #1 travesty right now - we are compounding learning loss with absurd and discriminatory quarantine policies. DCPS still requires mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated close contacts. Vaccine rates are lower for the more vulnerable (generally Black) kids. And there is NO public health reason for this - vaccines unfortunately do not appear to play a big role in limiting transmission. Even if they play a small role, at this point, it is totally unjustifiable to kick unvaccinated kids out of class.

It's particularly crazy when they're allowing test-to-stay for PK. So at our Hill elementary, that means (predominantly) white unvaccinated kids get to test-to-stay while (almost exclusively) black unvaccinated kids get quarantined. The optics are so awful that I can only hope even teachers (who have favored quarantines over test-to-stay at our school) are starting to have second thoughts.

really unconscionable.

And that's without even taking into consideration that school is way more important in terms of actual learning for the older ESes and most DCPSes aren't even providing virtual anything for quarantined kids.