Despite Lost Time, Keep Learning Moving Forward 

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced most students across the country out of school buildings for the equivalent of two summers so far—a period that is expected to continue at schools in California and many other states. Despite serious concerns about variable access to instruction during the pandemic, schools should resist the instinct to reflexively test and remediate students, and instead focus on supporting them to learn at grade level as much as possible. 

Pam’s latest blog delves into how math testing can provide an inaccurate picture of what students have learned and how providing support to learn at grade level, rather than remedial education, leads to more student success. 

Modernizing Math Pathways

Also important for student success is modernizing mathematics. Just Equations has supported the work of the Launch Years Initiative, led by the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas-Austin. The Launch Years report, released earlier this year, highlights how redesigning mathematics policies and practices can support students in transitioning seamlessly to and through college. As a member of the Launch Years Consensus Panel, Pam worked alongside education leaders and advocates to develop the recommendations in the report. You can read more about the Launch Years Initiative here and watch Pam discuss why we need to rethink the role of math and the way we use math in the education system. 

In Other News

• Equity and School Reopenings: As colleges and universities across the country finalize their reopening plans for this fall, equity issues must be explicitly addressed alongside health and safety concerns. The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the systemic racism that had led to inequities in our education system. For key insights on how best to reopen and ensure better student outcomes with an equity lens, see the following:  

  • Policy Analysis for California Education: What Can Be Done to Address Learning Loses Due to School Closures?

  • ReachNY: Reopening With Equity: 10 Questions for Campus and Systems Leaders 

  • The Council of the Great City Schools: Addressing Unfinished Learning After COVID-19 School Closures

• Webinar on the Changing Landscape of Math Education: In case you missed it, TODOS: Mathematics for ALL hosted a webinar on how the current health pandemic has brought equity and social justice issues to the fore, including momentum towards antiracist teaching in mathematics education. To find previous and upcoming webinars, visit: https://www.todos-math.org/todoslive

• Upcoming Report: New research by the California Acceleration Project highlights how offering corequisite courses (instead of remedial courses) at colleges has resulted in large gains in the completion of transfer-level courses across all racial and ethnic groups—with the greatest gains among Black and Latinx students. Next month, Just Equations will release a new report that sheds light on how college and university websites can help students select math courses and pathways in sync with both their math background and academic goals. It includes recommendations and a checklist for strengthening math-related guidance. We're excited to share our findings with you soon.