Province targets pandemic ‘learning loss’

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The provincial government is creating new programming for students whose learning was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the province, research shows some younger children are struggling with literacy and numeracy because of the pandemic. Research by George Georgiou, a professor in the department of educational psychology at the University of Alberta, indicated some students in Grades 1 to 3 were reading eight to 12 months behind grade level last fall. Schools also engaged in a voluntary program in March to assess the impact of the pandemic, which focused on reading deficits among early learners. 

This is an alarming trend, as previous research has shown if reading challenges are not addressed by the end of Grade 3, about three quarters of those students could continue to struggle with reading for the rest of their school lives.

In response to this, new targeted programming will be implemented at the start of the next school year to help them catch up. The programming may differ among school divisions but will feature small group sessions for up to 16 weeks for students in Grades 1 to 3 assessed to be in need of additional support. Students will be assessed at the end of the program.

It is anticipated about 15 per cent of students will need this literacy and numeracy support because of learning disruptions. This is about double the number of students typically requiring additional learning support. It is also thought the degree of deficit will be greater and will require more work among those students experiencing learning challenges.

The number of students to be enrolled in the program will not be known until September, but up to 50,000 students may benefit from this programming. Funding will be available to school authorities through an application to Alberta Education by identifying the number of eligible students based on teacher assessments.

“Additional funding to target foundational skills is welcomed and timely news as jurisdictions are planning to address learning supports arising from the pandemic,” said Bevan Daverne, superintendent of Golden Hills School Division and president of the College of Alberta School Superintendents.