According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 44% of public school students started at least one subject below grade level in the 2023-24 school year. This is being assessed in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which required all students nationwide to continue their education through online synchronous or asynchronous learning from spring 2020 until around spring 2022. Masu. In Virginia, the extent of the academic impact can be seen through Standards of Learning (SOL) scores, where children's scores decline significantly as the year progresses. Despite post-pandemic efforts, “writing rates continued to decline, dropping by 4% for the second year in a row” when it came to reading tests.
There have been impactful efforts to address these pressing issues, such as Governor Glenn Youngkin’s “ALL In VA” plan. It would invest $418 million in public education to “mass academic instruction, accelerate the expansion of the Virginia Literacy Act, and combat chronic absenteeism.” However, additional plans must be implemented to fully address the root of the underlying issues and causes that contribute to the learning loss crisis experienced by students. Solutions need to be put in place that target not only the lack of academic interest, but also the confidence, motivation and sense of purpose of employers and students.
As a complement to ALL efforts at VA, I am proposing legislation to fund courses integrated into the second through fifth grade curriculum that shift the focus from corrections to empowerment. In addition to instruction in reading, writing, and critical thinking, children are provided with direct instruction, peer interaction, positive visualization skills, and a sense of purpose and accomplishment. The goal is to improve SOL literacy and improve well-being and self-awareness.
Several programs in Virginia have already been successful, including Kids Can Write Creative Writing and STEM programs. Over the course of six weeks, a college student will mentor children from her second grade to her fifth grade, guiding them through the process of creating and self-publishing their own books. Children will be mentored with their peers, become published authors, and be recognized at an awards ceremony.
Through a similar approach, the course curriculum helps children see literacy skills as essential to success. Therefore, they will be more strongly encouraged to study these subjects. Throughout each grade, students must present a story, create a website, win an award in the process, be celebrated at an awards ceremony, and showcase their successes to the community.
The proposed solutions go beyond academic catch-up and help students build a legacy. That being said, there are some obstacles to consider. The first obstacle is resistance to change. The use of new approaches may not be readily welcomed by educators and policy makers. To overcome skepticism, indicators must be developed and validated. However, this program is aimed at improving reading and writing skills, and you can expect a significant improvement in your SOL test scores by implementing the program.
Retirees may be very interested in helping with this effort, although finding enough college students to mentor their children may be difficult without incentives. This course should start at the grassroots level and be piloted in districts where similar programs are not in place. Finally, it is necessary to ensure that the tutoring curriculum aligns with Virginia's educational standards, and doing so requires a collaborative effort among educators.
This bill should take a bicameral approach and work with the Virginia House and Senate Education Committees to seek comprehensive support. Yonkin is unlikely to veto it. Imagine a state of Virginia where every child is a published author. Imagine the children's self-awareness and pride in knowing they represent their state. This is the transformative potential we aim to unleash.
Elea Maria Avisamra of Fairfax is the founder and CEO of Kids Can Write and a junior at Virginia Tech.
