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The issue that I am advocating for is limiting inappropriate technology use in schools (specifically cell phones). This advocacy project is helping me get more involved in advocating against non-educational cell phone uses. The current generation of high school students have never known a life without smartphones.  Students (who are often supported by their parents) are becoming more and more reluctant to put their cell phone away or not have it in the classroom and it has become such a strong addiction that students are sometimes using them subconsciously in the classroom.

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As far as I know, our district phone policy varies from school to school. The high school where I am at, which is the highest performing high school in the county, has a very lenient phone policy. We say as a school that cell phones should not be used for non educational purposes but cell phone policies are based on teacher discretion. Additionally, our school does not take cell phones into our possession or keep them overnight.

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I am only about a decade older than my students and cell phones were very relevant when I was in college (not so much during high school). I know what a distraction cell phones are and I also have learned first hand the disruption that they can be in the classroom. From my teaching experience, I know that my classes that are more engaged are those who put their cell phones away in a cell phone chart. I am a better teacher when my students are engaged and I can keep them engaged when I am not discouraged by their constant distractions.

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From my understanding, the decision makers in this process would be our SBDM council who are in charge of our school cell phone policy.

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Step Five: Know How to Contact the Decision Makers 

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Step Five: Know How to Contact the Decision Makers 

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In this particular situation, I would just need to get in contact with our SBDM council who I know personally and can contact them in person, via phone call, or by email. Our SBDM meetings are live streamed and I typically watch them, which is nice because I always know what is going on at the school level.

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Step Six: Know the Calendar for Decision Making 

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Step Six: Know the Calendar for Decision Making 

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Our SBDM meetings happen on a bi-monthly basis and new policies are usually put into place at the beginning of the school year or when we return to school in January from our winter break.

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Step Seven: Know How to State your Case 

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Step Seven: Know How to State your Case 

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Our SBDM meetings happen on a bi-monthly basis and new policies are usually put into place at the beginning of the school year or when we return to school in January from our winter break.

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Step Eight: Know how to Reach the Public 

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Step Eight: Know how to Reach the Public 

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Reaching the public, specifically parents and other stakeholders would be best done through using social media.

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Step Nine: Know Your Role in the Electoral Process: 

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Step Nine: Know Your Role in the Electoral Process: 

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he electoral process would involve the decision making of our SBDM. This would just be at the local level, beyond thaat, greater steps would have to be taken.

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When debating on what to create my action research on for my teacher leadership classes, I debated on a lot of topics and cell phones kept coming to me. Again, when I looked at the biggest issues facing education, cell phones continuously came to me. I wanted  focus on a student centered issue rather than only teachers. I genuinely believe that if we take care of teachers, teachers will take care of students.

I think that the consequences of cell phones on our younger generations, including mine, will be heavy on many levels. Addiction to technology is an issue in many aspects of our daily lives, specifically in education. There are countless negative side affects to cell phone use beyond disruption to the learning environment including: drug trafficking, cyber bullying, academic dishonesty, and more.

I am currently conducting my action research where I am comparing two groups of students. One group follows guidelines related to "phone etiquette" where their phone is in their possession. I have a LED light at the front of my classroom. When the light is on, instruction is going on and they are not to be on their phones. When the light is off, they can use their phones. In my other classes, we use a phone chart. Students put their phones in a designated pocket for the duration of class.

Research is still being conducted but I have had some pretty heavy realizations so far. Overall, in my classes, engagement is much higher in classes where the cell phone chart is being used. Furthermore, community and culture seems to be growing quicker and easier for classes who are using the phone chart.

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From issues as extreme as impacts on fertility to increased cardiac stress, this research describes all the intense impacts that technology has on physical health (Nath, Pages 3-5). Health and well being of our students should be our number one priority. Even for those who believe that smartphones have a place in the learning environment, the physical impacts on our students should be taken into consideration.

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This article does a deep dive into cell phone use in American High Schools. Research was conducted in all 50 states in the U.S. An interesting component of this research is that it includes use of cell phones from teachers who are also distracted from the learning environment. This study also brought in data from high school Principals across the country that agreed that cell phones and text messaging play a role in in negatively impacting the academic integrity of our students.

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https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Asoke-Nath-4/publication/323393527_Comprehensive_Study_on_Negative_Effects_of_Mobile_Phone_Smart_Phone_on_Human_Health/links/5a93be35aca2721405660b19/Comprehensive-Study-on-Negative-Effects-of-Mobile-Phone-Smart-Phone-on-Human-Health.pdf

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https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ847358.pdf

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School safety was an anxiety of mine in high school, I did not think too much about it in college but as soon as I started teaching, the anxiety was back. I have more anxiety about school intruders/attackers than I want to admit. I have to reason with myself each morning on the way to work. I have so many apprehensions about sending my students to school and I do not think we are doing enough to protect our schools.

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My parents are retired teachers and my sister is a guidance counselor. I keep finding myself saying to them "if they can't pay us more, then they have to lessen the workload, so that I can be a wife, a mom, a human... and not constantly be pulled by my job." The reality is though, the workload will not be lightened and even if it was, we (those who are passionate) would continue to do more because there is always more to be done. Therefore, salaries will have to increase to retain teachers.

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It's not news that teacher pay is low. Low salaries have prompted teachers to march at state capitals around the country, and the topic has inspired the platforms of presidential hopefuls. A competitive salary is an obvious and important way to acknowledge the hard work teachers do each day, but there are even more research-backed benefits to increasing teacher pay. Here are the top six:

1. Increasing teacher pay strengthens the pipeline

When teacher pay is a problem, fewer people want to become teachers. It's just that simple. A majority (76%) of responders to a TIME poll said they agreed that many people won't go into teaching because it doesn't pay enough. This means fewer graduates of teacher education programs, and fewer teachers looking to fill the increase in demand for teachers.

Increasing teacher pay could strengthen the quality of the future workforce. In the U.S., only 23% of teachers graduated in the top third of their college class . In comparison, in Singapore, Finland, and Korea almost all teachers graduate at the top of their class. Raising pay would make teaching a more appealing career overall.

2. It keeps teachers in the classroom

Unsurprisingly, teacher pay has been shown to reduce turnover (which, in turn, increases student performance). Turnover is about 16% each year, and around 8% of teachers annually leave the profession entirely as opposed to moving to another school. it's interesting to note that within the U.S., teacher turnover is lowest in the Northeast (10.3%) where pay is higher and there is a greater investment in education.

3. It helps staffing in urban districts

Schools in urban districts have a particularly difficult time staffing all their positions. Increasing teacher pay in high-needs districts can attract teachers to those schools. For example, a study in San Francisco found that when the salary for teaching was increased, the size and quality of teacher applicants increased.

4. It means fewer teachers working second jobs

In 2015-2016, 18% of U.S. teachers worked second jobs, in everything from online teaching to retail. Teachers are 30% more likely than non-teachers to have a second job. It goes without saying that raising teacher pay so teachers didn't have to work a second job would boost teacher morale and help them stay focused on their classrooms.

5. It means less dependence on government programs

In some states, teacher salaries are so low that teachers routinely qualify for public benefits like food stamps or public health care programs (like children's health insurance programs). This is especially true for teachers who are the primary breadwinner in their family or have large families. For example, in 2014, mid-career teachers qualified for up to seven government benefit programs in states from Minnesota to Maine.

6. Higher pay for teachers means students do better

When teachers get paid more, students do better. In one study, a 10% increase in teacher pay was estimated to produce a 5 to 10% increase in student performance. Teacher pay also has long-term benefits for students. A 10% increase in per-pupil spending for each of the 12 years of education results in students completing more education, having 7% higher wages, and having a reduced rate of adult poverty. These benefits are even greater for families who are in poverty.

It's unclear as to why students do so much better when teachers get more money-perhaps it's an increase in teacher quality or having support from the adults. Whatever the reason, it's clear that teacher pay should increase.
What benefits to increasing teacher pay would you add to the list? Come and share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Plus, check out these districts that pay teachers six figures.

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6 Proven Benefits to Increasing Teacher Pay

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It's not news that teacher pay is low. Low salaries have prompted teachers to march at state capitals around the country, and the topic has inspired the platforms of presidential hopefuls. A competitive salary is an obvious and important way to acknowledge the hard work teachers do each day, but there are even more research-backed benefits to increasing teacher pay.

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We all know that class size and student success can be directly related, especially when special populations come into the mix. I currently have a class with 31 students and classes with 30+ students always come with challenges but within that class there a 2 ESL students (which I have not been prepared to deal with), several IEP students, and a handful of behavior problems. While, I could provide a quality agriculture education experience to these students in small groups, managing them in a large class size is very tough.

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NCTE has long-established positions on class size for English language arts teachers. In 1960 it adopted a policy that secondary teachers of English should teach a maximum of 100 students per day, and that elementary teachers should have a comparable load. In 1971 it passed a resolution to inform local, state, and national administrators and policymakers about this policy. In 1983 and again in 1995 there were resolutions urging more attention to the issue of class size. And in 1999 NCTE issued a position statement on class size and teacher workload.

Today public schools employ 250,000 fewer people than before the recession of 2008-09, while enrollment has increased by 800,000, and class sizes in many schools are at record highs (Rich, 2013). Recent research tells us why this matters:
What Is Class Size? Academic Performance
In research on early elementary school students, small classes usually mean fewer than 20 students, while for high school students the definition of "small" classes is usually somewhat larger. There are similar variations in what constitutes small classes for college writing instruction. In addition to the ambiguity about how many students constitute a smaller class, researchers use different strategies for assigning a class-size number. It can mean the number of students enrolled in the course, the number of students completing the course, or the number of students completing major course assignments (Arias & Walker, 2004). Furthermore, there is a shifting relationship between class size and teacher workload. Reducing class size can, for example, increase teacher workload if the number of students per class is lowered but teachers are assigned one more class per day.

Overall, research shows that students in smaller classes perform better in all subjects and on all assessments when compared to their peers in larger classes. In smaller classes students tend to be as much as one to two months ahead in content knowledge, and they score higher on standardized assessments. It is worth noting, however, that some studies analyze student assessment results in terms of individual student performance and others in terms of class-wide aggregated performance, which can obscure the differences in individual students' performances.

These positive effects of small class sizes are strongest for elementary school students, and they become more powerful and enduring the longer students are in smaller classes. That is, students who have smaller classes in early elementary grades continue to benefit from this experience even if they are in larger classes in upper elementary or middle school (Bruhwiler & Blatchford, 2011; Chingos, 2013).
Student Engagement
Despite the generally positive effects of smaller classes, the benefits are not consistent across all levels and populations. Small classes make the biggest difference for early elementary school students, while for many high school students smaller classes do not make a significant difference in academic performance. However, for minority and at-risk students as well as those who struggle with English literacy, smaller classes enhance academic performance. Class size also shapes the quality of writing instruction at all levels, including college, because smaller classes are essential for students to get sufficient feedback on multiple drafts. Not surprisingly, smaller writing classes increase retention at the college level (Blatchford et al., 2002; Horning, 2007).
Long-Term Success
Academic performance is important, but it is not the only measure of student success. In the area of student engagement, findings consistently show the value of small classes. Students talk and participate more in smaller classes. They are much more likely to interact with the teacher rather than listen passively during class. Not surprisingly, students describe themselves as having better relationships with their teachers in smaller classes and evaluate both these classes and their teachers more positively than do their peers in larger classes. Students display less disruptive behavior in small classes, and teachers spend less time on discipline, leaving more time for instruction. Specifically, teachers in smaller classes can diagnose and track student learning and differentiate instruction in response to student needs. In smaller classes students spend less time off-task or disengaged from the work of the class, and they have greater access to technology. Research also suggests that smaller class sizes can help students develop greater ability to adapt to intellectual and educational challenges (Bedard & Kuhn, 2006; Dee & West, 2011; Fleming, Toutant, & Raptis, 2002).
Teacher Retention
The benefits of smaller classes extend beyond test scores and student engagement. In addition to the longer-term positive attributes of small class sizes in the early grades, benefits include continued academic and life success. Researchers have found that reducing class size can influence socioeconomic factors including earning potential, improved citizenship, and decreased crime and welfare dependence. The beneficial effects of being assigned to a small class also include an increased probability of attending college. This benefit is greatest for underrepresented and disadvantaged populations. While the increased probability for all students is 2.7%, it is 5.4% for African American students and 7.3% for students in the poorest third of US schools (Dynarsky, Hyman, & Schanzenbach, 2013; Krueger, 2003).
The Cost Factor
Teacher quality has, for some time, been recognized as the most important variable in the academic success of students. Recruiting and retaining effective teachers has become increasingly important as school districts impose mandates about student test scores and overall academic performance. Class size has an effect on the ability to retain effective teachers because those with large classes are more likely to seek other positions. Research indicates, however, that instead of rewarding effective teachers by decreasing their class size, administrators often increase the class sizes of the most effective teachers in order to ensure better student test scores (Barrett & Toma, 2013; Darling-Hammond, 2000; Guarino, Santibañez, & Daley, 2006).
Recommendations
One of the most common arguments against smaller class sizes is financial. School districts claim that they cannot afford to reduce the size of classes because it would be too expensive. However, it is also expensive when students leave public schools to attend private ones. Research shows that class size is a significant factor in parents' decisions to send their children to private schools. Despite the enormous emphasis on test scores in public schools, parents report little interest in these scores when choosing a school. Instead, two of the top five reasons parents give for choosing a private school are "smaller class sizes" (48.9 %) and "more individual attention for my child" (39.3%). The other three reasons are better student discipline, better learning environment, and improved student safety, all of which are influenced by class size (Kelly & Scafidi, 2013).

Class size is a major factor in student learning. To be sure, it is one of several important factors, and more research is needed to determine how it interacts with phenomena such as teacher quality and context, but existing research should guide policy decisions in several ways.

Do not conflate class size and teacher workload.

Class size can refer to enrollment in or completion of a given class or program of study, and each of these has different implications for a teacher's workload. If a large number of students enroll but do not complete a course, for example, the ratio of class size to workload will shift depending upon whether enrollment or completion is considered. Furthermore, requiring teachers to teach more classes with smaller numbers of students in each does not constitute a decrease in workload.

Recognize that the benefits of reduced class size are not uniform across all grades and populations.

Although more research is needed to understand the full effect of class size, existing research shows that younger students, at-risk students, and special-needs students receive greater benefit from small classes than other populations.

Consider the differential effects of class size across the disciplines.

Most research on class size does not distinguish among disciplines, so it is easy to assume that an increase or decrease in class size will have the same effect in every classroom. However, a class that assesses student learning with multiple choice tests may not receive as much benefit from a reduction in class size as a class that assesses student learning with written essays.

Use multiple measures to evaluate the effects of reducing class size.
References
Since class size interacts with several dimensions of learning that extend beyond what can be measured with a standardized test, it is important to use several different measures to determine the effects of making classes smaller.

Arias, J. J., & Walker, D. M. (2004). Additional evidence on the relationship between class size and student performance. Journal of Economic Education 35(4), 311-329.

Barrett, N., & Toma, E. F. (2013). Reward or punishment? Class size and teacher quality. Economics of Education Review 35, 41-52.

Bedard, K., & Kuhn, P. J. (2006). Where class size really matters: Class size and student ratings of instructor effectiveness. Economics of Education Review 27, 253-265.

Blatchford, P., Goldstein, H., Martin, D., & Browne, W. (2002). A study of class size effects in English school reception year classes. British Educational Research Journal, 28(2), 169-185.

Bruhwiler, C., & Blatchford, P. (2011). Effects of class size and adaptive teaching competency on classroom processes and academic outcome. Learning and Instruction 21(1), 95-108.

Chingos, M. M. (2013). Class size and student outcomes: Research and policy implications. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 32(2), 411-438.

Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement: A review of state policy evidence. Educational Policy Analysis Archives 8.

Dee, T., & West, M. (2011). The non-cognitive returns to class size. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 33(1), 23-46.

Dynarsky S., Hyman, J. M., and Schanzenbach, D. W. (2013). Experimental evidence on the effect of childhood investments on postsecondary attainment and degree completion. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 32(4), 692-717.

Finn, J. D., & Achilles, C. M. (1999). Tennessee's class size study: Findings, implications, misconceptions. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 21(2), 97-109.

Fleming, R., Toutant, T., & Raptis, H. (2002). Class size and effects: A review. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.

Guarino, C. M., Santibañez, L., & Daley, G. A. (2006). Teacher recruitment and retention: A review of the recent empirical literature. Review of Educational Research 76(2), 173-208.

Horning, Alice. (2007). The Definitive Article on Class Size. WPA: Writing Program Administration 31(1/2), 14-34.

Kelly, J., & Scafidi, J. (2013). More Than Scores: An Analysis of How and Why Parents Choose Schools. Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice. Retrieved from https://www.edchoice.org/research/more-than-scores/

Krueger, A. B. (2003). Economic considerations and class size. The Economic Journal 113 (485), F34-F63.

Rich, M. (2013, December 21). Subtract teachers, add pupils: Math of today's jammed schools. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/22/education/subtract-teachers-add-pupils-math-of-todays-jammed-schools.html

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NCTE has long-established positions on class size for English language arts teachers. In 1960 it adopted a policy that secondary teachers of English should teach a maximum of 100 students per day, and that elementary teachers should have a comparable load. In 1971 it passed a resolution to inform local, state, and national administrators and policymakers about this policy.

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Find Expert-Led Strategies That Work for Your School

Visit the Waterford webinars page to learn from educational experts like Candra Morris, Dr. Jenni Torres, Julie Christensen, and others on topics that include:

Fostering Family Engagement

Teaching with the Science of Reading

Understanding the Six Literacy Strands

And more!

On both the classroom and schoolwide level, family involvement in education can make a profound difference in early learning outcomes. When educators build strong relationships, families can reinforce what their students are learning in the classroom as they set their own routines and expectations at home.

As an educator, it's important to remember that all families are different. While they may face barriers to their involvement, such as scheduling or transportation needs, always assume that families are eager to support their children however they can.

Focus on getting to know families so you have a solid understanding of their needs and what is going on in their lives. Use that knowledge and work with families to find ways to support their students at home and, if desired, in your school. Read on to learn what family engagement includes and how you can build a community where families are valued at your school.

What Is Family Engagement?

Family engagement is when families and educators, including teachers and administrators, partner together to share the responsibility of supporting a student's learning.

Educators can connect families with opportunities to actively contribute to the school community, set student goals, and create strong home learning environments. Families understand their child's needs, strengths, and areas of growth and use that understanding to inform the strategies educators use.

Engagement can involve a variety of opportunities depending on the individual family. Some families may want to take an active role in the classroom by volunteering or joining parent-teacher organizations. Others may prefer at-home options in which they stay connected with teachers through digital communication and help students build the skills they're learning in class from home.

Family Engagement Leads to Mutual Respect and Student Success

The importance of family involvement in education is clear, and the benefits profound. In a retrospective looking at 50 different studies, researchers found strong connections between family involvement and academic achievement.[1] Support and involvement from educators and families are crucial to a student's academic performance. This is one reason administrators must value families as a crucial part of their school environment.

By engaging families, educators can create partnerships founded on respect. Educators recognize the valuable understanding families have of their child's learning needs. As they build trust over time, families likewise come to recognize the expertise and training educators have to help students learn.

Remember that there is no way to know a student's full history and needs without connecting with their family. Likewise, educators can't effectively involve a child's caregivers without understanding events and communication options that interest the family most. In the most effective partnerships, educators work with families to determine the individual and school-wide strategies that will best involve caregivers and meet each student's needs.. .

As Candra Morris, Waterford's Director of Family Partnerships, notes in a recent article, "We must include opportunities to elevate family voices and to involve them in the process to ensure they get what they need."

Recognizing and Addressing Barriers to Engagement

Teachers and administrators must be aware of significant barriers as they determine how to involve families in the classroom. Many families face structural barriers like a busy work schedule or a lack of transportation that make in-person options challenging. Other families may encounter societal barriers that discourage them from working with educators, especially if schools do not actively make sure families feel respected.

As you address structural barriers, get to know the families in your school and find ways they can get involved in their child's education that work with their needs. If a family is facing transportation issues or a busy work schedule, for example, advise teachers to consider virtual calls or provide flexible meeting times if they can.

To address societal barriers that alienate families, create a school-wide culture that values diversity and embraces every family's voice. Offer professional development opportunities to your teachers that include strategies for creating inclusive classrooms and recognizing implicit biases. Additionally, seek anonymous family feedback (e.g.,through surveys) to learn specific areas where your school can improve and determine ways to reach those goals.

The more you connect with families in your school, the better you will understand the barriers they face. No matter how you respond to these issues, the key is this: by definition, your strategies cannot follow a universal template. Instead, adjust them to meet the circumstances of the families you serve.

How Administrators Can Support and Engage Families

Because family engagement is so essential to a learning environment, it's never too early in the school year to start building connections. "[Back to school events] are great opportunities to meet families and let them know right off the bat that they can speak on behalf of their child," says Candra Morris, "and that you're eager to listen."

As teachers open their classroom doors for back to school nights, consider leaving your office door open or spending time in the front lobby. Start conversations with families and learn the names of people you haven't met before. Give them your contact information so they know how to reach you if any questions or concerns arise.

Through the school year, administrators play a crucial role in assisting and advising teachers as they build relationships with families. Establish yourself as a trusted leader for teachers to voice the barriers to engagement they come up against and ask for insight. As you model open communication and a willingness to listen with your teachers, you also encourage them to do the same with families.

To promote classroom engagement plans on a larger scale, consider offering professional development opportunities to teachers. Independent options like online courses, webinars, or in-person training sessions can give teachers fresh ideas to connect with families through the school year.
Sources:
1. Hill, N. E., & Tyson, D. F. "Parental involvement in middle school: a meta-analytic assessment of the strategies that promote achievement." Developmental psychology, 2009, 45(3), 740-63.

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How Parent Involvement Leads to Student Success | Waterford.org

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Learn how you can improve family involvement in your schools, and the significant impact it can have on academic achievement and student success.

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This is a controversial topic but research shows that the more involved that parents can be in a student's life, the more success that the student has. I am really passionate about parent involvement and incredibly passionate about providing extra supports for students who are lacking it.

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Fast Facts

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning for millions of students and educators across the U.S. during the 2020-21 school year.

We surveyed K-12 public school teachers nationwide and found:

60% of virtual learning teachers said their students had more difficulty understanding lessons than in a typical school year

61% of all teachers had more students who experienced emotional distress than in a typical year

85% of in-person teachers said live instruction, fully or partially in-person, helped students

Fewer than 40% of all teachers thought asynchronous learning, in which students work independently, helped the majority of their students

Note: The survey link was updated because the previous link was incorrect.

Highlights

What GAO Found

During the 2020-21 school year, students in all grade levels, whether learning in person or virtually, struggled with many obstacles. These ranged from lack of appropriate workspaces and adequate support to competing demands on their time, disengagement, and absences. Such obstacles hindered student learning, according to GAO's nationwide survey of K-12 public school teachers and discussion groups with teachers, principals, and parents (see figure).

In particular, a higher percentage of teachers who taught students in virtual or hybrid (mix of virtual and in-person) environments consistently reported that their students experienced learning difficulties than teachers in an in-person environment. For example, an estimated 60 percent of teachers in a virtual environment had students who had more difficulty understanding lessons than in a typical year, compared to 37 percent of teachers in an in-person environment. Differences in the responses between virtual and in-person environments could reflect the instructional setting and other factors that GAO did not measure, such as school resources or certain student characteristics. In addition, obstacles affecting students varied by grade level. For example, 92 percent of grades 9-12 teachers who had students who made less academic progress compared to a typical year indicated that social or emotional issues were contributors compared to 83 percent of grades 3-8 teachers and 69 percent of K-2 teachers.

Teachers used many strategies to mitigate learning loss. They reported that two strategies in particular helped at least half their students make academic progress: live instruction and technology apps or platforms. Specifically, 85 percent of teachers who taught students fully or partially in person indicated that live instruction helped many of their students. In contrast, 56 percent of teachers who taught students virtually all or part of the time indicated that live virtual instruction (i.e., synchronous learning) helped many of their students. Regarding technology, nearly two-thirds of teachers who used apps or platforms for students to submit their assignments and to provide feedback thought it was helpful for many of their students. Teachers used many other strategies as well, but they were generally helpful to fewer students and used less often. One notable exception was asynchronous learning, in which students work independently without live instruction. This strategy was used regularly by 69 percent of teachers, yet fewer than 40 percent thought it helped at least half of their students.

Why GAO Did This Study

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning for millions of students, educators, and families who had to navigate modified in-person and virtual schooling, often in difficult circumstances. The pandemic's effects continue to reverberate across the nation and produce challenges for schools that will likely be felt for years to come. In many respects, the 2020-21 school year offered useful insights that may help schools, educators, and parents in the future.

The CARES Act includes a provision for GAO to report on its ongoing COVID-19 monitoring and oversight efforts. GAO also conducted this work in response to a provision in the conference report accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2021. This report, which is the first in a series of reports, examines (1) obstacles to learning during school year 2020-21, and (2) strategies to mitigate learning loss. GAO examines these topics overall, by grade level, and by instructional model (in-person, virtual, or hybrid).

To address these objectives, GAO contracted with Gallup to (1) conduct a nationally representative survey of K-12 public school teachers and (2) arrange virtual discussion groups with teachers, principals, and parents of K-12 students. GAO also held two additional discussion groups, one with teachers and one with parents of students in Department of Defense Education Activity schools. GAO analyzed the resulting survey data and discussion group responses. To view more technical details on GAO's methods, see https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-22-105817.

For more information, contact Jacqueline M. Nowicki at (617) 788-0580 or nowickij@gao.gov.

Full Report

GAO Contacts

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Pandemic Learning: As Students Struggled to Learn, Teachers Reported Few Strategies as Particularly Helpful to Mitigate Learning Loss

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Fast Facts The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning for millions of students and educators across the U.S. during the 2020-21 school year.

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School During the Pandemic: Mental Health Impacts on Students

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School During the Pandemic: Mental Health Impacts on Students

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I would have loved to not include this one but our students are behind academically, socially, and mentally.

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-Addressing social and emotional issues facing our students.
(CTE Teacher)

-Teacher expectations and workload. (CTE Teacher)

-Teacher Pay (Spanish Teacher)

-Student cell phone use with unclear & inconsistent expectations (English teacher)

-Teachers having to cover too much at school because students are not learning the "basics" at home (History Teacher)

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-Mitigating the learning loss of students to teach the core concepts/values that they are not getting at home.

-Schools being more focused on social/political issues than content.

-Inappropriate cell phone/technology use in the classroom

-Class sizes

-Parent involvement

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 Specialist & Administrator Interviews: 

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 Specialist & Administrator Interviews: 

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-Student Self Advocacy (Counselor)

-Students need to experience consistency and routines within their school day (Assistant Principal)

-Opportunities to explore interests as individuals and research career opportunities (College & Career Coach)

-Support(s) for teachers (pay raises, smaller class sizes, less preps, etc). If you take care of the teachers, they will take care of the students (Assistant Principal)

-Safety of our students (Assistant Principal)