There’s clearly no disputing that over the past year when it comes to their education, students have lost a lot. As schools reopen, learning loss, lost learning, and unfinished learning are top of mind, presenting challenges for K-12 teachers and students alike. So much so, that the U.S. federal government has set aside unprecedented amounts of Elementary and Secondary School Relief (ESSER) funds as part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. With 20 percent earmarked for loss mitigation, the latest round of funding allows district leaders to enhance curriculum development with exciting new digital solutions and tools that have the power to positively transform the way school leaders implement both personalized learning and differentiated learnings in the classroom.
When considering any educational mitigation strategy, it’s important to start with lessons learned. By far, the single biggest takeaway from remote and online learning environments is that targeted teaching of core concepts through personalized learning or differentiated instruction equals greater student success. As a result, many K-12 districts are actively promoting a return to the classroom, whether virtual or face-to-face, with a laser-sharp focus on digital curriculum. They are doubling down on grade-level teaching, tutoring, and differentiation strategies to meet students where they are to motivate and engage them with learning while meeting core competency-based standards.
