Combatting the COVID-19 Slide

Returning to school after a fun-filled summer can be difficult for children. They learn a great deal during the school year, take their final exams, and then have 3 months off from their rigorous studies. Transitioning out of summer break and back into the new school year takes an adjustment for some students. Professionals have termed this as the “summer slide” where students forget parts of what they learned the previous year after the summer break. This may be normal, but our recent pandemic has our gears shifting. This new season is now the “COVID-19 slide.”

Along with many other challenges experienced this year, students entering the 2020 school year will likely experience a more severe drop-off than the traditional summer slide. However, Renton Prep is well prepared to combat this slide for positive progression.

Effects of the COVID-19 Slide

With schools forced into shutdown early in Spring of 2020, many students forwent their quality of learning. School officials and parents made their best efforts navigating this new learning environment. However, we recognize that routines felt quite different for these children.

Experts have said, “the average student could begin the next school year having lost as much as one-third of the expected progress from the previous year in reading and half of the expected progress in math.” Many schools did not administer their usual year-end testing and much of their education was review over further education. The NWEA further explains these effects on student’s academic achievement.

A Positive Return is Possible 

Upon the entry of COVID-19, Renton Prep immediately shifted into remote learning. Our facility prepared ahead of time to make this transition. With mitigation techniques put in place, staff and students were all considered and accounted for. Continuing to teach new material was a top priority to staff over reviewing previously learned concepts for the remainder of the school year.

We are confident that the students taking advantage of the online space provided will transition smoothly into the 2020 school year. Keeping their minds stimulated and engaged will make the effects of COVID-19 less severe.

“For all students who followed through on their end and took the full experience we provided, they will be far beyond their same-age peers starting school again in the fall compared to those who were not provided the same opportunity,” Dr. Michelle Zimmerman wrote in a blog post. “We did this to decrease gaps, and provide stability to students in their educational progression.”

Returning to Class

Beyond efforts to end the 2020 school year strong, we are ready and eager to support students in their return. Along with keeping their health as a top priority, getting children back up to speed on their education is also of utmost importance.

All students will be assessed at the beginning of the school year to see where they are at. Individual progress all happens at a different pace. Each student is continuously monitored and supported on a routine basis. Those accelerating at a faster speed will have the option to test out of their same grade-level content at the beginning of the year.

Lesson plans are in place to support both remote and face-to-face learning environments. We want to ease students back into the “classroom” and accelerate their educational growth forward with positive momentum. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact us. We are all looking forward to making the best of another school year!