Teaching What the Research Says

Learning Acceleration: A Resource Guide

By Sarah D. Sparks — May 02, 2023 2 min read
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While students are starting to regain academic ground, months of disrupted learning during the pandemic widened gaps between the highest- and lowest-performing students nationwide.

Studies have found the students who were hardest hit by school closures and other pandemic-related upsets have also been the slowest to recover. Based on their current pace of growth in reading and math, many students won’t recover their academic trajectory before the end of high school.

The solution, according to student achievement research, is to pick up the pace. The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching describes learning acceleration as an ongoing cycle in which teachers and students analyze assessment data, focus on priority grade-level content, establish groups for students to learn skills and knowledge to access the content, and monitor students’ progress to adjust instruction.

Those interested in learning research-backed strategies to boost student learning can sign up for an Education Week Mini-Course on the topic. (This time-limited email series launched in April but is available on demand.)
Below are articles, reports, and videos from Education Week and state, national, and international education groups for further reading on different aspects of learning acceleration.

Understanding Acceleration

Formative Assessment

Classroom Differentiation

Intensive Tutoring

Social-Emotional Supports

Coverage on research-to-practice connections for the education community is supported by a grant from the Spencer Foundation, at www.spencer.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

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