Rebuilding Academic Confidence: Mary Belle McCorkle Academy's Summer Program in Action

Classrooms at Tucson's Mary Belle McCorkle Academy of Excellence that would often be empty during the summer are occupied by students and teachers who are trying to catch up.

In order to assist students who fell behind during the academic year, many students are still having difficulty using skills they lost during the pandemic, which led the school to organize a four-week summer program called "hub school."

Even though COVID-19 stopped schools across the country five years ago, the effects of the pandemic on early education are still being felt in classrooms.

Some of the program's kindergarteners didn't know their numbers or alphabet when they first started, which is something that is usually taught in preschool or at home. Some have finished kindergarten, but they fall behind in fundamental math and reading skills.

As part of a district strategy, the hub school model brings students from all around the area to one school for intensive education. The objective is to offer a level of assistance that many might not be able to provide on their own.

The academic need at McCorkle is clear. According to Public School Review, only 14% of students at the school meet or exceed proficiency in math, 18% in reading, and just 8% in science, placing the school in the bottom 50% statewide for academic performance.

New research from Curriculum Associates shows that kindergarten readiness has continued to decline even years after schools reopened. Between fall 2021 and fall 2022, more children entered school below grade-level expectations, particularly in letter recognition, basic counting, and early literacy skills.

A significant amount of the issue, according to experts, stems from the early stages of the epidemic, when preschools either stopped or operated at reduced capacity.

For young children, who require in-person connection and hands-on learning, virtual learning also proved to be mainly useless. Many families had fewer resources to assist learning at home at the same time because they were dealing with job losses and increased stress.

More than just seasonal efforts will be needed to address pandemic learning loss; a sustained, system-wide commitment to early childhood investment and equitable education is needed.