Covid-19 Policy Update #661
Tuesday 5/30
Top Three
The Programs Most Likely to Go Away When Stimulus Funding Ends: Via EdWeek.
"Areas high on the list for reduction are much more classroom-focused: summer learning programs (30%), computing devices, such as Chromebooks (29%), and tutoring (26%)."
"Relatively large districts, meaning those with 10,000 or more students, are relatively likely to scale back tutoring (33% said they would), as were those with enrollments of between 2,500-9,999 students (34%), as opposed to those from systems with fewer than 2,500 students (20%)."
"The survey also reveals that K-12 officials from suburban districts are much less likely to scale back stimulus-funded programs focused on student mental health/wellness resources (9% indicated they would) compared to those from districts in rural areas or towns (20%) and urban areas (28%)."
"Relatively few of those surveyed see core academic subjects as likely to receive cuts, such as elementary English/language arts (just 17%), science (13%), elementary math (12%) and social-studies (11%)."
The Pandemic Is Over, But the Education Emergency Continues: Via Bruno Manno:
There is a divide between the reality of student learning loss and parents’ perceptions of learning loss
Learning loss is related not only to what happened in schools but also to what happened in communities
Learning loss will become permanent unless learning time—student time on task—is increased
The Children’s Collaborative for Healing and Support: Was launched as an initiative of COVID Collaborative.
"As we explored the impact of the pandemic, we made a harrowing discovery – the disease had robbed hundreds of thousands of children of their parent or caregiver. Since 2020, more than 340,000 have been impacted by this loss."
In 2023, the COVID Collaborative re-launched Hidden Pain as the Children’s Collaborative for Healing and Support, in order to enable the identification of all children who have experienced the loss of a parent or caregiver and connect them to appropriate supports.
Federal
Debt Ceiling: President Biden and Speaker McCarthy reached a deal that would raise the debt ceiling and avoid default.
Raises the debt ceiling beyond the 2024 election.
The deal keeps FY 2024 non-defense spending at the FY 2023 level and increases it by 1% in FY 2025 with no caps in the following years.
In addition, Congress would have to pass all 12 of the annual funding bills by the end of January or face a stopgap funding patch that cuts spending by 1% across the board.
The Administration is touting that this preserves the increases over the last two years in areas such Title I in education and the Child Care and Development Block Grants.
Additionally, due to the significant increase in funding for FY2023 (exceeding 9%), a portion of those increased expenditures will carry forward into FY2024, resulting in higher spending in real terms next year, notwithstanding the new limitations.
Clawbacks approximately $30 billion in unexpended Covid funds.
However, the deal leaves intact funding for Project NextGen, which is developing the next generation of Covid vaccines and treatments, and the program which offers free vaccines to the uninsured.
Education ESSER funds are not affected.
Claws back some money from the IRS.
Institutes new work requirements on federal aid programs. On net, the changes would make an additional 78,000 people eligible for SNAP in an average month according to the CBO.
Makes modest improvements to permitting reform.
Congress: Good news. Zumi was reunited with his mom.
Covid Research
The Brain and Long Covid: Via Eric Topol.
"Ever since the UK Biobank study that showed brain atrophy, loss of grey matter, and cognitive decline in about 400 people who had Covid compared with matched controls, via baseline (pre-Covid) and subsequent (~3 years later) MRI scans, there has been significant worry about the impact this virus has on the brain."
"Two new studies, both from researchers in Germany, illuminate the mechanisms for inflammation of brain tissue which is persistent and occurs even in patients with a mild Covid illness. Importantly, these were studies of people with Covid, not specifically individuals who were suffering from Long Covid."
Bivalent COVID Vaccine Efficacy at 6 Months: 24% Against Hospitalization, Strong Against Death:"Estimated bivalent (two-strain) COVID-19 mRNA vaccine effectiveness (VE) against hospitalization dropped from 62% 1 week after receipt to 24% at 4 to 6 months in adults with healthy immune systems, but protection against severe outcomes was sustained, according to a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study.
State
Colorado: The Colorado State Board of Education voted unanimously to select Susana Cordova as the sole finalist for the position of Commissioner of Education.
Illinois:
Indiana: Via Chalkbeat: "Indiana’s new ‘science of reading’ law requires districts to adopt research-backed curriculum."
Missouri:
Judge rules that MO AG did not have authority to interfere with public schools' COVID-19 policies.
Via NPR: "Pandemic led to drop in special education services for young kids in Missouri and nationwide."
"The pandemic led to a drop in the number of young children who were receiving special education services, both in Missouri and across the country."
"A new report from the National Institute for Early Education Research examined equity in early intervention and early childhood special education. Researchers found a nationwide drop in those services between the fall of 2019 and the fall of 2020. That was also true in Missouri."
"The researchers also found racial disparities in who was most affected — the drop in early intervention was largest for Asian children, and the drop in early childhood special education was largest for Black students nationally, although in Missouri it was largest for white students."
New Mexico: "As school year ends, students still dealing with impact of COVID-19 pandemic."
New York: Tonight’s half Manhattanhenge. Tomorrow is full Manhattanhenge.
Economic Recovery
The Evolving Effect of Remote Work on Geography: Via EIG.
Resources
Kids Missing School: Why It’s Happening – And How To Stop It: Via the Conversation.
Most Families Have Given Up Virtual School, But What About Students Who Are Still Thriving Online?: Via Hechinger.
Expanding Access to Tutors: Nonprofit Grants $6 Million to 32 Learning Organizations Across 20 States to Help More Students: Via The 74.
Tutoring Evaluation Accelerator: Building partnerships to accelerate learning.
Stepping Up: Becoming a High-potential CEO Candidate: Via McKinsey.
AI:
Jensen Huang of NVIDIA gave his very first live keynote in 4-years. The most show-stopping moment from the event was when he showed off the real-time AI in video games. A human speaks, the NPC responds, in real time and the dialogue was generated with AI on the fly
Happy Memorial Day: French caretakers take the sand from Omaha Beach in Normandy and scrub them into the letters to give them the brown/gold coloring.
Different Parenting Styles: