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Khan Academy Addresses COVID-Related Learning Gaps with National SAT Prep Day

Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only exacerbated learning loss among students of all ages, but compelled education leaders to embrace curricula and technology tailored to people of various learning styles and skill levels.

As students across the country ease back into in-person learning, an online education pioneer is gearing up for a National SAT Prep Day that, much like its products, rejects a one-size-fits-all style of education and helps students strengthen their understanding of foundational English and math concepts.

“The process of students having gaps and the system expecting them to move on has happened for years and we know where that leads,” said Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, a nonprofit that provides a free education for students globally.

Khan Academy, in conjunction with College Board, will host National SAT Prep Day on Sept.18 via YouTube to help students practice for the test that, in part, determines college admission.

During this event, participants, as many have done with Khan Academy in the past, will navigate practice SAT problems and gain an understanding of their skills gaps that impede their academic progress.

“There are kids who are graduating from high school and trying to go to college,” Khan told The Informer. “Even though they’ve taken classes, the colleges are showing them that they have so many gaps that they’re going back to seventh grade [content]. It’s demoralizing.”

Remedial education, a process where first-year college students take non-credit grade school level courses, costs students $1.3 billion annually and, some researchers say, hints at the public school system’s failure to prepare students for undergraduate coursework.

In July, research conducted by NWEA determined that students of color, particularly those in elementary school and high poverty areas, experienced a decline in achievement during the pandemic. In the winter and spring months of the 2020-2021 school year, students made less progress than what school districts recorded in years past.

The largest declines happened in math, which Khan said indicates students’ need to master elementary concepts that can ease their understanding of higher level material in the future.

Since its inception in 2008, Khan Academy has provided, to students in the U.S. and nearly 200 countries, tens of thousands of online practice problems and videos that cover a range of K-12 subjects.

In 2013, Khan Academy and College Board established a partnership to help students score high on the SAT.

A key component of Khan Academy involves the real-time assortment of practice problems in accordance with each student’s skill level and progress.Problems, and accompanying videos, focus on skills giving students difficulty. School districts across the country partner with Khan Academy to provide differentiated instruction in historically disadvantaged communities.

Jaide Kelly, a high school junior from Suwanee, Ga., credited Khan Academy with highlighting her problem areas in the realms of geometry, and placing her on a path where she could reach her goal of 1300 out of 1600 on the SAT and attend the college of her choice.

Since she started high school, Jaide has taken the SAT three times, including last month after practicing on Khan Academy throughout the pandemic with her tutor’s guidance.

Jaide expressed plans to take the SAT two more times this year, but not before tackling several more geometry problems on Khan Academy.

“If you need to practice a lot, Khan Academy is a great website [because] it’s free if you can’t afford a tutor or coach,” said Jaide, a 16 year old with plans to pursue medicine.

“It's what you need to help with your scores [with] personalized tests and videos. Khan Academy is a great tool for learning the SAT.” WI @SamPKCollins

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DCPS

BRIEFS

Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

STRONGER, SAFETY PLEDGES

Here’s a list of pledges D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office has created to help students and staff have a successful 2021-22 school year:

Wear my mask at school and on school grounds at all times, and when in close proximity to others outside my household.

Get the COVID-19 vaccine if I'm eligible.

Wherever possible, maintain physical distance from those outside my household.

Practice safe hygiene, like washing my hands for at least 20 seconds and using hand sanitizer regularly.

Limit or postpone nonessential travel to areas outside of the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region.

Choose family activities that minimize the risk of COVID-19 spread.

Complete my daily health assessment to monitor any symptoms of COVID-19.

Stay home if I do not feel well or have symptoms of COVID-19.

Immediately alert my school if I test positive for COVID-19 and work with contact tracers to identify any close contacts.

Be a champion for health and safety in my community.

SYMPTOMATIC, RANDOM ASYMPTOMATIC TESTING

Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education recently announced that all DCPS students and students at public charter schools participating in the District’s testing program, will be automatically eligible for symptomatic and random asymptomatic testing as part of the centralized, school-based COVID-19 testing program.

According to the mayor’s office, the non-invasive test will require students to hold a small vial with a funnel attached and produce a saliva sample.

Consent for student COVID-19 testing which has already begun, will take place via an “opt-out” process. Parents, guardians, and students 18 and older can revoke consent through an opt-out form on the OSSE Office website.

Comprehensive COVID-19 testing plays a critical role in safely reopening the city’s schools and keeping students learning in person at school as well. The District’s transition to an opt-out model will significantly increase participation in its COVID-19 school-based testing program while simultaneously reducing administrative burdens and barriers to testing for schools, students and families.

Participating schools will aim to test a random sample of 10-20 percent of asymptomatic students, targeting unvaccinated students. Students who develop symptoms of COVID-19 while at school will also be eligible for symptomatic testing.

The opt-out form, which will be available in the seven most-commonly spoken languages in DC, will allow for electronic signature so that signatories can email the form to their school.

Weekly testing will remain available for all unvaccinated staff in participating schools. Staff will continue to opt into this testing program.

5 The D.C. State Board of Education recommends adjusting attendance policies to provide additional flexibility for excused absences. (DCPS photo) 5 Weekly testing remains available for all unvaccinated staff in participating schools. (DCPS photo)

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SOE RECOMMENDATIONS

The D.C. State Board of Education remains confident that many more families will be sending their students for in-person instruction five days a week.

However, for those who believe a different option is best for them, school officials believe it is important to provide options until the pandemic is over, or at least until infection rates have substantially decreased.

To facilitate this decision-making process, SOE recommends adjusting attendance policies to provide additional flexibility for excused absences.

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