The Murphy Administration recently announced a trio of programs designed to combat learning loss within New Jersey as a result of the pandemic.
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) said the three initiatives would focus on evidenced-based strategies to promote academic recovery for students who were impacted by learning loss associated with time away from school.
The initiatives would favor elementary-aged students, saying evidenced-based research had found these students experienced more significant developmental setbacks during the pandemic when compared to other student cohorts.
Tackling Learning Loss
“As a state that prides itself on delivering the high-quality education our children deserve, addressing the effects of learning loss on our students’ progress remains a top priority,” said Gov. Phil Murphy.
“These programs are another component of our ongoing efforts to comprehensively address the mental, emotional, and educational needs of young people throughout our state. We will continue to take a holistic approach to supporting the academic success and overall well-being of New Jersey’s students.”
High Impact Tutoring
One of the programs put forward by the NJDOE was the New Jersey High Impact Tutoring program, which had begun with a 60-day Request for Qualifications to find vendors that had the capacity to provide in-depth tutoring services for schools.
Under the initiative, the department would find vendors who demonstrated that their tutoring services were grounded in evidenced-based instructional practices. The third and fourth grades would be prioritized on an individual or small-group basis.
Following the establishment of a list of approved tutoring vendors, local school districts would be eligible to apply for reimbursement for a share of at least $17 million in federal funding from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund.
The programs would take place no less than twice weekly for a nine- or 10-week period.
RAPID Aid
The state said it would utilize funding appropriated through the Fiscal Year 2023 budget, as well as remaining Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) state aside funds, to launch RAPID and RAPID-Plus.
The programs are focused on providing targeted professional development for educators, with RAPID targeted to teachers of grades kindergarten through three. RAPID-Plus would be focused on grades 4 and 5.
The department will enter into an agreement with grantee colleges and universities that have the capacity to provide professional development to New Jersey educators. The Notice of Grant Opportunity for this program will be posted to the NJDOE’s website.
Support from Lawmakers, Administrators
Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D-6), Chair of the Assembly Education Committee, welcomed NJDOE’s efforts to bolster student learning with these programs.
“Our shared goal is to provide New Jersey’s young learners with the tools and resources they need to succeed, especially in light of pandemic-related impacts on learning,” said Lampitt. “The pandemic presented our students with an abundance of new, unprecedented challenges, and we will continue to see the impact for years to come.”
Karen Bingert, Executive Director, New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, added that “utilizing tutors with just a few students at a time will complement the learning happening in our classrooms with our state’s talented and dedicated teachers, and reinforce critical skills and concepts that will move learning forward continuously.”
