Back to: Alliance Blog

What We're Reading: Week of August 23, 2021

August 27, 2021

Welcome back to What We're Reading, a weekly roundup of our favorite stories we think the Linked Learning field may enjoy. This week, dive into articles covering student mental health, supporting postsecondary transitions, summer school during COVID-19, and more.

Have a story you think the Linked Learning field should read? Reach out to me at ava@linkedlearning.org!

Teens Are Advocating for Mental Health Days Off School, New York Times
Young people are suffering from a decline in mental health, largely thanks to COVID-19, national reconings on racial justice, and economic shifts. Many are now advocating for new laws that would allow them to take mental health days without penalties at school.

A Parent’s Plea: After 18 Lonely Months of COVID, the Kids Are Not Alright. Here’s Why This Back-to-School Season Must Balance Learning With Healing, The 74 Million
As schools open their doors again to students, it is clear the pandemic has impacted their mental health. Parent and Century Foundation fellow Conor Williams shares how schools can balance academics with social-emotional wellness and healing this year.

Weary of turmoil and division, most teens still voice faith in future, Post-Ipsos poll finds, Washington Post
Young people are coming of age amid a pandemic, racial justice protests, and political hostility. Despite the unprecedented world they face and the challenges that come along with it, young people are reporting that they remain optimistic about their lives and the future.

How To Connect 2-Year Students to a 4-Year School — and a Career, Strada Education
Nationwide, about 80 percent of students enrolling in community college say they intend to continue at a four-year college or university to earn a bachelor’s degree. But only 15 percent of community college students achieve that goal within six years, according to 2020 National Student Clearinghouse data. Strada Education shares strategies and resources for keeping community college students on the road to a four-year institution and into a high-paying career.

Putting Practice at the Core of Math Education, Just Equations
When educators make math real and relevant, students learn more. The missed opportunities for incorporating relevance and sense-making into classroom instruction may help explain why math standards haven’t led to greater improvement in math learning, writes Just Equations.

Educators nationwide completely reimagined summer school this summer. It could signal a new era., Washington Post
This year, summer school moved beyond the traditional approaches to catching students up and preparing them for the next school year. Districts used summer school to reengage young people and rekindle excitement for the classroom. Could this new approach continue to define summer learning for years to come?

Education Bills Move Out of Appropriations, Linked Learning Alliance
In this week’s policy update, we share information about key education bills that have moved out of Appropriation Committees in the State Legislature.