Schools lauded for innovation during crisis
Leominster among several singled out for coming up with good ideas
BOSTON » As school districts across New England have adapted to the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers from the University of Washington’s Center on Reinventing Public Education have been studying and evaluating how various districts, including Leominster’s, were responding to students’ growing academic and mental health needs.
The CRPE’s latest fivepage report, “How Schools Adapt during the Pandemic Can Reshape Adolescent Learning Experiences for Generations,” draws on interviews with school and system leaders from across New England and raises lessons and innovations from during the pandemic that can help high schools better serve all students both now and for the long term.
This research was funded by the Barr Foundation, which supports innovation in public high schools across New England and builds on the CRPE’s “Think Forward New England” project.
Some districts stood out in their innovative responses.
In Leominster school leaders offered independent academic study periods, interactive live learning sessions, and one-on-one studentteacher check-ins so young people felt more connected.
In Hartford, Conn., public school leaders started “HPS Heals” in a partnership with the University of Connecticut School of Social Work so graduate level social work students could provide risk assessment and counseling for students feeling mounting pressure and anxiety.
At the Nipmuc Regional High School in Upton, teachers used portfolios and individual learner profiles as another way to assess students rather than grades
and tests.
“Challenging times call for bold, new solutions that aren’t only fleeting quick fixes,” said Leah Hamilton, the Barr Foundation’s director of education. “We know many high school leaders knew — before the pandemic — that their schools needed to change, grow, and adapt to the needs and times for their students. Then, the pandemic flipped education upside down. When we come out of this, we hope the innovation and new thinking will also help systems really change for good — and for better.”
Report authors Betheny Gross, Georgia Heyward and Sarah McCann found pockets of proficiency-based learning and flexible scheduling so students could learn anytime, anywhere.
There were examples of blended learning to weave live instruction with technology-supported independent work and individual support. Some districts rethought grading practices so that students did not fail during this time and received incomplete grades instead.
“These efforts are finding new urgency now as students have faced continued disruptions to their learning, fallen behind on coursework, and faced mounting mental health challenges,” they wrote in the report.
Research will continue as part of the CRPE’s “Think Forward New England” fieldwork to understand how high schools can use this moment to redesign high schools so they are better learning environments for adolescents longterm.