Teacher Feedback Shows a Need for Expanded Support Systems

Despite their love for teaching, educators have had a tough time during the pandemic. In January 2021, the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) and Understood commissioned the CERES Institute for Children & Youth at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development to examine general educators’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a specific focus on their experiences teaching students with learning and attention issues. The survey pointed to a need for supports and resources to address educator burnout, student disengagement, and unfinished learning.

Supporting Teachers With Student Re-engagement

1. Develop and disseminate resources and strategies for engaging students who have learning and attention issues. It is evident that many, if not most, students will need additional attention to overcome the negative impact of lower levels of school engagement experienced during the pandemic. States and districts should allocate resources toward employing evidence-based strategies for both academic and social-emotional re-engagement with school. To disseminate strategies, states and districts should develop and promote communities of practice or web-based clearinghouses for teachers to both share and access information.
2. Engage with parents and caregivers, paying special attention to students with disabilities who are also impacted by poverty and/or are English learners (ELs). Teachers reported similar patterns of low-level school engagement among students impacted by poverty and among EL students. Parents are critical players in re-engaging students, and efforts must be made to equitably improve communication with them. Consistent, clear resources on remote engagement of family members may assist teachers in reducing barriers to participation and collaboration. At the state or district level, resources should be invested to create culturally relevant family engagement practices, including translation services or translated materials, digital literacy training, or other evidence-based strategies for developing and sustaining productive family-school relationships.

Supporting Teachers With Learning Acceleration and Social-Emotional Learning

1. Invest in resources to build teacher confidence on positive behavior strategies, flexible grouping, and collaboration. In addition to developing materials and conducting professional development sessions, resources should be invested to establish sufficient shared planning time for educators to learn, collaboratively implement, and reflect on these practices. As concerns about learning recovery have dominated national conversations, there is an opportunity to invest in key pedagogical strategies to catch students up to grade level and provide the support for behavioral growth that is critical for all students — and particularly important for students with learning and attention issues.
2. Invest in social-emotional supports for students, including building data capacity. The majority of teachers surveyed reported having to rely upon their own personal assessment or “gut instincts” when evaluating student engagement. States and districts should engage experts to advise on the creation of tools and procedures necessary for screening and data collection regarding students’ social, emotional, and mental health needs. School districts should invest in district-wide professional development to allow educators to build the relationships and inform supportive contexts for learning. These investments should build on existing, effective multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and/or Response to Intervention (RTI) systems, or seek to create new programs and systems that provide equitable, universal, and targeted supports for students’ social, emotional, and academic learning and development.