COVID-19 Coverage for Education and Technology


Closing the U.S. Homework Gap Using Unlicensed Spectrum

Closing the U.S. Homework Gap Using Unlicensed Spectrum

Almost 17 million students had no access to the internet in their homes at the start of the pandemic, while many more were impeded by unreliable internet connectivity and slow speeds. This divide wasn’t only restricted to rural locations; it was mirrored in towns and cities too.

NWEA: Certain Groups Lose More Ground When School is Out, Illustrating Importance of Summer Programs

An NWEA study of current research examining K–8 student progress during a typical school year and over the summer reveals that historically underserved groups suffer most when school is out for summer break, emphasizing the importance of summer learning programs in overcoming inequitable achievement gaps, the nonprofit said in a news release.

Nearly 1 in 5 Teens Factoring Remote Work into Their University and Career Plans, Survey Shows

Schools going remote during the pandemic may have been seen by adults as a temporary solution, but for many students, it has changed the way they are thinking about and planning for their futures in post-secondary education, careers, and where they will live, according to a survey by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics conducted at the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge competition in February.

Nationwide Tutoring for All Students is Goal of New Nonprofit Accelerate

A new nonprofit called Accelerate launched today, bringing together local, state, and federal education leaders, philanthropists, and researchers in a national effort to bring research-based, high-impact tutoring programs to every student in U.S. K–12 public schools — and to make tutoring a permanent part of the nation’s public education system.

LearnPlatform Launches Certification for Ed Tech Providers Meeting ESSA Evidence and Student Data, Privacy Standards

LearnPlatform has launched a new certification option called IMPACT-Ready for K–12 ed tech providers that have proven their solution or product meets the learning-impact requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act and that they are committed to protecting student data and are willing to efficiently share student data with districts.

Latest Renaissance Study Shows Student Learning Loss Slowing in Fall 2021

Renaissance, a global provider of preK–12 assessment, literacy, and math solutions, has released the 2022 edition of its How Kids Are Performing report, showing that COVID-19 learning losses continued in Fall 2021 but appears to be slowing down, according to a news release.

Most States' 2020-21 Assessment Scores Added to Assessment HQ Website, Illustrating Pandemic's Impact on Proficiencies

The Collaborative for Student Success has updated its AssessmentHQ.org site with state assessment data from across the United States reflecting proficiency levels during the 2020-2021 school year along with the previous four years, illustrating in one place the impact of pandemic disruptions to student learning nationwide.

Deadline is March 31 to Enter MIT Solve Challenge Calling for Tech Solutions to Re-Engage Learners

The submission deadline is March 31, 2022, for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Solve Challenge calling for technology-enabled solutions that help re-engage and meet the holistic needs of underserved learners ages 5 to 18 so they may thrive and succeed.

Savvas Unveils Summer Math and Reading Courses to Help Students Catch Up

Savvas Learning Company, a provider of K–12 learning solutions, today introduced several new digital courses intended to help students overcome pandemic learning loss over their summer break, according to a news release.

Mississippi to Use COVID Relief Funds for Statewide Access to Digital Learning and Safety Platforms

The Mississippi Department of Education has announced it will spend $49 million in pandemic relief funds on four new statewide initiatives to boost learning and safety, including providing 24-hour access to 1:1 digital tutoring for all students grades 3–12, at no cost to school districts or students.