by Jayne O\u2019Donnell and Richard Willing\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For all the despair and death it wrought, Covid-19 may yet prove to have a positive impact on the U.S. education system. Experts say – and educators hope – that record levels of federal money designated to address lost learning and bolster student mental health may also be directed toward some of the seemingly intractable problems that have bedeviled school systems for decades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pandemic widened the \u201copportunity and achievement gaps\u201d that were already evident with students of color from under-resourced communities, creating new pressure on school systems to allocate the windfall of funding wisely to reverse the trend, a July 2021 article by researchers at consulting firm McKinsey concluded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFederal funds are in place to help states and districts respond, though funding is only part of the answer,\u201d said the authors. \u201cThe deep-rooted challenges in our school systems predate the pandemic and have resisted many reform efforts.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the pandemic, students historically the most likely to drop out were at an increased risk of doing so. placing new pressure on education to retain students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students who drop out today are likely to earn $49,000 to $61,000 less over their lifetime than they would have otherwise due to the pandemic\u2019s effect on their schooling, the McKinsey researchers found. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In light of those numbers, student retention is receiving renewed attention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Post-pandemic, the education system needs to be rebuilt to focus on \u201cnurturing the whole child, balancing cognitive with socioemotional skills development and ensuring that all children have access to the conditions and resources that enhance learning and development,\u201d the nonprofit, nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute said in a September 2020 report. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Educational reformers say the pandemic highlighted how standardized tests in grade schools exacerbate educational disparities. EPI said these tests \u201ccould overwhelm or label children when what they need now are diagnostic assessments and needs-based assessments\u201d to see where their needs lie and how to address them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pandemic-driven switch to remote learning had its bright spots. Lack of connectivity led first to students taking remote classes in the parking lots of fast food restaurants to get Internet access. Pretty soon, though, the lack of devices and Wifi led to increased funding for computers and hotspots for students in many<\/p>\n\n\n\n
under-resourced areas. Still, Zena Whitworth, a longtime Prince George\u2019s County, Maryland English and journalism teacher said, the solution proposed by too many of the newly-funded programs involve screens. What students really need is social engagement and in-person help, she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As reopened schools became havens for students with increased mental health challenges, the education system came under renewed pressure to increase access and support for those who were struggling. Going forward, far more schools are expected to have in-house mental health centers and additional counselors. There was plenty of proof they\u2019re needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hopeful Futures, a coalition of mental health organizations, reported in February 2021 that only Washington, D.C. and Idaho exceeded the nationally recommended ratio of one school psychologist for every 500 students. The report on state policies on school mental health also found five states \u2013 West Virginia, Missouri, Texas, Alaska, and Georgia \u2013 employ only one school psychologist per well over 4,000 students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLeft unchecked, unfinished learning could have severe consequences for students\u2019 opportunities and prospects. It is not too late to mitigate these threats, and funding is now in place,\u201d wrote McKinsey\u2019s Emma Dorn and colleagues. \u201cDistricts and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
states now have the opportunity to spend that money effectively to support our nation\u2019s students.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
O\u2019Donnell, USA TODAY\u2019s health policy reporter until April 2013, is founder and CEO of Youthcast Media Group (YMG). Willing, her husband, is a former legal and intelligence reporter for USA TODAY and a YMG volunteer editor and instructor.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Jayne O\u2019Donnell and Richard Willing\u00a0 For all the despair and death it wrought, Covid-19 may yet prove to have a positive impact on the U.S. education system. Experts say – and educators hope – that record levels of federal money designated to address lost learning and bolster student mental health may also be directed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-covid"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eloquent-brown.192-250-224-79.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eloquent-brown.192-250-224-79.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eloquent-brown.192-250-224-79.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eloquent-brown.192-250-224-79.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eloquent-brown.192-250-224-79.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=51393"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/eloquent-brown.192-250-224-79.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51393\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eloquent-brown.192-250-224-79.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=51393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eloquent-brown.192-250-224-79.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=51393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eloquent-brown.192-250-224-79.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=51393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}