The Upper Grand District School Board has launched a new three-part program to support students struggling due to pandemic learning disruptions. The board is receiving just under $4M from the Ministry of Education to support learning recovery initiatives.
This funding includes allocations for summer programming, reading intervention programs, and student success initiatives. The Board reported a phased plan will be focused on student success and intervention, to provide support to students facing learning gaps caused by the pandemic. The plan will focus on students with the highest needs as a result of the learning disruption caused by the pandemic, with a focus on literacy and numeracy needs.
The UGDSB plan includes specific programs and supports for elementary and secondary, divided into three phases. Phase 1 will begin this spring and will run until the end of this school year. That will include an elementary reading intervention program, led by qualified teachers, and support for secondary students struggling in their current courses.
Phase 2 will take place in the summer. That includes an elementary Literacy/Numeracy Camp and secondary Summer Learning Strategies courses.
Phase 3 will run from September 1 to December 31, 2022. It will include an elementary reading intervention program, and support for students struggling in their current courses, all delivered by qualified teachers.
A media release explained supports and instruction will be provided using a blended approach, utilizing in-person and virtual/online opportunities. It said selection for participants in these programs will be based on a data-driven approach, through examining student achievement data to ensure that students with the greatest needs are identified, and the availability of qualified teachers to deliver the program.
Schools will reach out to students and parents/guardians if this additional support is available.
