Meeting the Moment? State Policies and Spending Decisions

This learning and engagement opportunity — moderated by Lillian M. Lowery, Vice President of Student and Teacher Assessments at Educational Testing Service and Jeimee Estrada-Miller, CGLR Senior Fellow — featured a panel of national leaders discussing the policy decisions states have made to direct school reopening, educational recovery and spending of relief dollars. Jeremy Anderson, President of Education Commission of the States; Cara Candal, Ed.D., National Policy Director of ExcelinEd; Denise Forte, Interim CEO of the Education Trust; and Allen Pratt, Ed.D., Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association, shared what state policies are emerging in the field toward the efforts of accelerated recovery. Jeremy Anderson, President of Education Commission of the States, initiated the conversation by sharing the literacy and learning recovery strategies directives from several states and what state spending decisions are emerging throughout the country. Increasingly, states are placing an emphasis on prevention and intervention in order to improve student performance. Across the state, trends indicate the use of high-dosage intensive tutoring, as well as more time and resources to increase learning, to further address the disproportionate and widespread effects of the pandemic. In discussing these topics, panelists expressed a concern that children should not just reap the benefits of these statewide shifts and improvements for aiding learning disruptions but also continue to experience these benefits after this historic investment in schools.

In a town hall setting following the panel discussion, Ray Hart, Ph.D., Executive Director of Council of the Great City Schools, and Michelle Exstrom, Director of Education at National Conference of State Legislatures, provided further comment on what is most important and what may cause concern during this acceleration of learning recovery at the state level. Furthermore, they discussed the importance of using best practices while recovering from the impact of the pandemic, coordinating between state- and district-level efforts, expanding the opportunities for students in broadband access and connectivity, and possibly continuing to offer remote learning opportunities. Further discussion focused on what remains to be considered by states as they make more important decisions for student learning.