TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Recovery efforts are now taking shape in Arizona schools.
The pandemic created severe widespread learning gaps in students at all grade levels.
Schools are receiving federal funds to help with remediation programs, but some received much less than others.
Vail is one of them and the board voted to send a letter to the Governor and state senators to get more financial help.
Superintendent John Carruth said, “We're asking for the support at the state level to help fill a gap and bring it closer to a median amount for all school districts to help with those recovering and remediation efforts moving in to next school year.”
The letter states, "Recent studies are showing that the average student has lost approximately half a year of academic progress. Learning loss has been addressed by the federal government through the three stimulus packages. However, the federal funds were based on a district’s free and reduced lunch rate. This has caused monumental inequities in resources between LEA’s to address an issue that impacted every Arizona student. The Vail School District has received $660 per student, while our neighboring school district, Tucson Unified, has received over $7000 per student."
Carruth said the district "received $1.7 million dollars so far." It's summer school program alone will use up about a third of those funds — $500,000.
The superintendent said remediation efforts will take many years.
Vail wrote, interventions may include --
- Smaller class sizes
- Additional adults in classrooms
- Longer or additional school days
- Addition of reading and math specialists at schools
- Summer school
- After school tutoring
- Academic opportunities during fall or spring breaks
- Credit recovery
- Formative assessment to determine areas of learning gaps
- Reteaching standards from prior grade level
- Specialized teacher training around remediation and acceleration strategies