| The Research Alliance for New York City Schools |
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Most NYC Students Are Learning from Home. What Does the Literature Say About Remote Instruction?
On Nov. 19, district leaders again closed New York City public schools due to an increase in coronavirus cases. While elementary schools are scheduled to reopen next week, the vast majority of NYC students will remain in fulltime remote learning. As families, teachers, and administrators navigate the latest changes, the Research Alliance updated our exploration of the evidence on virtual and blended learning. |
| | Our review highlights lessons we've compiled from existing research—such as the importance of teaching quality over delivery mechanism, the challenge of providing access to technology, the value of peer interaction, and specific strategies to support students working remotely.
Notably, the review also underscores an enormous need for data and evidence to understand how school closures, and the various approaches to reopening that followed, have affected students’ academic, social/emotional, and health outcomes. Our review raises important questions about remote and blended learning in the context of COVID-19—circumstances that are dramatically different from those in most available research—and outlines data that are needed to answer these questions. This includes data about professional development aimed at helping teachers implement remote and blended learning, about students’ attendance and engagement, about the use of different technology tools and platforms, about students’ social and emotional well-being, and, critically, about what students are learning in their classes. Given widespread concern that the transition to remote and blended learning has aggravated existing inequalities, it is crucial that we examine how students' educational experiences have varied, especially in terms of race and ethnicity, poverty, and ability. New research can help identify strategies that have been effective in supporting our most vulnerable students. |
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The Research Alliance for New York City Schools is a nonpartisan research center housed at the New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. The Research Alliance conducts rigorous studies on topics that matter to the city’s public schools. The organization strives to advance equity and excellence in education by providing evidence about policies and practices that promote students' development and academic success.
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