LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As the new school year looms, the Clark County School District is working to address a number of issues that are top of mind for local parents — improving school safety, filling vacant jobs, and improving learning outcomes for students.
When it comes to students' learning, school district leaders have a unique challenge in front of them: overcoming the learning gap for students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a media briefing hosted by CCSD on Tuesday, our team pressed district leaders on what's being done to close the gap for students who spent their entire Kindergarten year under pandemic-era teaching restrictions.
We asked CCSD what's being done to close the gap for COVID kindergarteners:
Dr. Jesse Welsh, CCSD's deputy superintendent of teaching and learning, says there's been some progress, but recovery isn't complete.
"I think it comes down to the same things that we know really work for instruction: making sure that we have quality teachers in every classroom; making sure that they're using those materials that they have, the professional learning they need, to use those effectively; and then really providing those additional supports for those students that need it, whether it's inside the classroom or through things like after-school tutoring," Welsh said.
The numbers we reported earlier this year show there's still a long way to go. State data from the Smarter Balanced ELA Assessment shows 60% of fourth-graders in Nevada were not proficient in reading.
Following up: Justin Hinton tracks the lasting impact of the pandemic on local COVID kindergartners:
Behind the numbers, there's a real-life impact being felt by local families, including Paige Shaw, who spoke with Channel 13 on Tuesday.
"When the pandemic was happening, there wasn't really any in-person education," Shaw said. "For me, trying to teach a 4-year-old how to pay attention to a computer was impossible."
She tells us her son, now 10 years old, has since been held back a grade.
"For me, it's affected him. He doesn't really realize it, but I realize it, and I'm like, I just wish it wasn't like that," Shaw said. "I'm hoping that we can get past that and get him to the grade he needs to be in, considering having to take that step back."
In the Clark County School District, specifically, fourth-graders are about half a year behind, according to the new superintendent, Jhone Ebert. She says targeted interventions like after-school tutoring and longer learning time are key to moving forward.
