Education Week, July 29, 2020, by Evie Blad
State guidance on reopening schools largely focuses on health and safety practices without adequately addressing the challenges of keeping students on-track academically following extended coronavirus closures, a new analysis of state reopening plans finds.
The report, released Wednesday by education organizations the Center for Reinventing Public Education and Public Impact, urges states to provide more direction to districts as they face another unprecedented school year. Many districts plan to start the year with remote instruction, and others are preparing to transition to remote learning in the case of spiking virus rates, adding hurdles to academic plans.
But just 15 state plans require districts to prepare for a remote-only option, and just 11 states expect specific practices from districts to support students during remote learning, the analysis says.