Dive Brief:

• Schools continue to tweak their remote learning strategies, but some common solutions are emerging, according to a study from Bellwether Education Partners and Teach For America examining lessons learned by 12 district and charter schools that could allow for sustained and improving learning during school closures.
• In its analyses, the study found there is no one “right” way to perform distance teaching, but the remote learning processes of many districts and charters are similar to in-class instruction. They also found more of a focus on health and safety than academics in the spring, and while schools also made more efforts to connect with families and students, serving those with disabilities was a challenge across the board.
• Among the areas where best practices were identified are providing support and adjustments, innovative instructional approaches; providing for special needs students; big-picture planning and establishment of core principles; the design of data-intensive approaches; focusing on social-emotional learning; creating supportive school-student connections; and building relationships with families and communities.

Dive Insight:

As education leaders grapple with distance learning and reopening schools safely, common best practices are becoming part of the strategy. Maintaining connections and supporting students’ social-emotional needs is a top priority for many administrators, including Richard Gordon, principal at Paul Robeson High School in Philadelphia.

The Kentucky High School Speech League is open for business and full steam ahead! We celebrate our 100th state speech tournament this year and have moved smoothly to online competitions after trying it out with our April/May state senior speech tournament series. We offer competition in speech and debate categories for students in grades 4-12  and co-sponsor professional developments for teachers and coaches through SPEAK. Additionally, our member schools host events from October through January with our Regional and State tournaments in February and March. We provide mentors for new programs, host a website with continually updated support materials, and are eager to add new schools this year when other extracurricular options are more restricted. Let us help you offer these co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities for your students! And follow us on Facebook and Twitter!