Remediation vs Acceleration: how to address students’ instructional gaps
As we prepare for the 2021–2022 school year, it is an accepted fact that students will enter or return to school in the fall with learning gaps from the past 16 months. The question for teachers, school and district leaders is how to approach this fact in a way that meets students’ needs and ensures that achievement gaps do not continue to grow. A traditional response to gaps in learning is returning to prior grade level content and skills. However, TNTP in partnership with Zearn has enthusiastically advocated for an approach less previously touted as the solution: acceleration. This is a novel approach to addressing gaps in knowledge and skills for students. A Seattle area school district piloted this idea over the past school year, recognizing that remediation as a focus after Hurricane Katrina did not bring the hoped-for results.
We are all familiar with the idea of remediation — return to the foundational or last mastered skill and reteach until students master and then move forward sequentially. Remediation as the approach to knowledge and skill gaps is built on a deficit model. Acceleration by contrast draws on a strengths-based mindset. It challenges us to think about prioritizing the skills in standards and strategically teaching toward skills students require as they need them. This means that we keep students engaged in grade level content and skills and provide targeted instruction when students experience a gap in knowledge. TNTP found that students in classrooms where acceleration was the focus “completed 49% more grade-level lessons”.
Acceleration provides an opportunity for teachers to acknowledge that students have learned over the past year, while recognizing that there may be skill and knowledge gaps that we will need to address. However, there is no need to restrict student access to grade level content and skills. In fact, remediation can be viewed as analogous to retention. It is a return to baseline and is not necessary or in fact the answer to student growth and closing skill and knowledge gaps.
Considering how we can equip teachers with the skills necessary to accelerate student learning must be a priority. It requires a different mindset and instructional approach. However, the promise for students and the benefit to teachers and students is exponential. One question to consider is the prospect for aligning high dosage tutoring and acceleration.
As we begin the next school year, we encourage educators to embrace grade level standards, content, knowledge and skills; believe in the potential of students and translate these high expectations into action with the appropriate support. While there may have been less traditional instructional time, we know that students were learning over the past school year. We can capitalize on the current knowledge of students and teach up!
