Newsroom

In March 2021, XPRIZE launched the $1M Digital Learning Challenge to modernize, accelerate, and improve effective learning tools, processes and outcomes. Why? Because we are living in the age of unprecedented ubiquity of edtech – and yet how to assess that edtech hasn't caught up. Today, we’re excited to reveal the Digital Learning Challenge has reached its next stage: ten teams have officially been selected to compete in the Pilot Phase. Education Analytics is one of these teams.

Mid-year data shows that the so-called "COVID cohort" of students in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade are making progress--but they haven't caught up to where students in those grade levels were performing before schools shut down in March 2020. High-dosage tutoring programs like Education Analytics' Future Forward are one of the most promising approaches for addressing literacy gaps in early elementary school.

In an effort to tackle the education crisis triggered by the pandemic, the federal government distributed billions to schools throughout the country, including in California. The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit talks to teachers and school staff who have seen very little of that money go to address students’ learning needs in the classroom. An Education Analytics study published by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) highlights the academic impact of the pandemic on students in the state.

Academic learning losses from the pandemic were more severe for children from Black and Hispanic communities and other traditionally underserved groups, according to an Education Analytics study. Studies show that families of color were also more likely to have a student in virtual school than White families, and mental health challenges have become even more acute during the pandemic, showing the pandemic has taken a hefty academic and emotional toll on students.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s been clear that not all students have been impacted by the switch to online learning in the same ways. The greatest impacts have fallen on young children, as well as English language learners and low-income students. Joining us to discuss is Libby Pier, director of impact at Education Analytics, and Magaly Lavadenz, executive director of the Center for Equity for English Learners.

A year and a half of pandemic has left many children struggling academically and emotionally. This fall, many kids are heading to their new classrooms toting traumas, worries and gaps in their learning. A recent study from Education Analytics highlights the impact of the pandemic on students' academic growth.