Four years after COVID sent students home across the state, educators are trying to use lessons from the pandemic to enhance learning and close academic gaps.SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. — Eighth-grader Aitana Jones will never forget that week in March of 2020 when her school closed.Four years after COVID lockdowns sent students home across the state, educators are trying to use lessons from the pandemic to enhance learning and close academic gaps.
Combs Middle School English teacher Maggie Wooton credits the program for allowing her to spend more time in class personally assisting struggling students.The service costs the district $79,000 this year, said Superintendent Greg Wyman. The service includes tutors who speak other languages, which comes in handy for students whose parents speak Spanish at home.“In the three years since Covid we saw a rebound in scores,” said Wyman. “The scores have not reached the pre-Covid scores for the most part, but the gap did shrink last year.”“It’s cool because I can make a certain bond with someone who might be across the country,” O’Brien said.