Home Youngkin announces plan to support students still struggling with COVID-19 learning loss
Schools, Virginia

Youngkin announces plan to support students still struggling with COVID-19 learning loss

Rebecca Barnabi
child vaccine
(© Africa Studio – stock.adobe.com)

ALL IN VA is a comprehensive plan to support Virginia’s students facing the continued detrimental impacts of COVID-19 learning loss, declining academic performance and absenteeism.

According to Virginia’s Standard of Learning scores, student achievement remains well below pre-pandemic levels three years after the onset of COVID-19.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration is taking further, aggressive action to ensure all Virginia students get the academic support they need to recover learning loss, boost their attendance and academic performance.

“The shuttering of our schools led to lasting learning loss for our children. Especially in grade 3 through 8, we must redouble our efforts,” Youngkin said. “ALL IN VA focuses on the foundational elements of education, attendance, literacy and learning, and provides a playbook to school divisions to meet the needs of our students. The ALL IN VA plan fosters collaboration and partnership between school divisions, our Department of Education, community leaders and most importantly, students and their parents. I challenge all of us to work together with urgency to create a brighter future and deliver the education our students in the Commonwealth were robbed of for far too long.”

Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera said the plan is built on proven best practices for learning loss, literacy education and school attendance.

“We know what works, and Virginia’s students will benefit with high-intensity tutoring built into students’ day by school divisions investing this money in proven models that get results. Our students deserve nothing less,” she said.

Virginia’s students in 3rd grade through 8th grade are still struggling to recover learning they loss during the pandemic, according to Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons.

“The 2022-2023 SOL data demonstrates just how important school attendance is for students’ academic success. VDOE recommends school divisions allocate this $418 million in learning loss resources to proven programs that will achieve the greatest student impact — approximately 70 percent for high-dose tutoring, 20 percent for Virginia Literacy Act implementation and 10 percent for chronic absenteeism response,” Coons said.

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca J. Barnabi is the national editor of Augusta Free Press. A graduate of the University of Mary Washington, she began her journalism career at The Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star. In 2013, she was awarded first place for feature writing in the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia Awards Program, and was honored by the Virginia School Boards Association’s 2019 Media Honor Roll Program for her coverage of Waynesboro Schools. Her background in newspapers includes writing about features, local government, education and the arts.