Accelerated Learning: Focusing on the Foundations That Propel Growth
COVID-19 forced all of us to adapt how we taught and how our students learned during the 2019-20, 2020-21, and even the current 2021-22 school year. While remote/virtual/distance learning helped to fill a gaping void in students’ academic lives, the effect that the disruption of being in and out of school had on academic progress for many students is staggering.
It’s crucial that educators take swift and decisive action to reinforce academic foundations and support social-emotional well-being to accelerate learning to propel growth. Accelerated learning models provide intense and intentional support in 1-to-1 or small-group tutoring settings to reinforce essential foundational skills and knowledge in literacy and math.
How COVID Has Affected Learning
Early studies by McKinsey & Company estimated that students could lose up to 12 months of learning during the 2020-21 academic year.* More recently, a survey performed by the Horace Mann Educators Corporation revealed that 80% of K-12 educators believe that students are behind between three and 12 months in learning; another 5% felt that students were behind more than 12 months.
For non-public schools, financial relief has come in the form of Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) funding. These grants not only provide schools with money for operational needs like PPE, but also fund programs designed to accelerate learning to address unfinished learning due to the pandemic.
Accelerated Learning Programs Reinforce Foundational Skills
Accelerated learning models prioritize prerequisite skills and foundational knowledge to help students engage with grade-level content more effectively. Catapult Learning’s High-Dosage Tutoring program was built using this model and includes the following components:
- Diagnostic Assessments: Identify students’ strengths and areas for support.
- Individualized Student Plan: Create academic learning goals based on diagnostic data.
- Personalized Support: Focus on essential prerequisite skills and foundational knowledge.
- Formative Assessment: Use ongoing assessments to monitor progress and guide differentiation.
- Evidence-Based Curriculum: Deliver research-based grade-level support with a focus on high-impact content.
- SEL Boost: Include SEL lessons in tutoring sessions to support stress management and 21st-century skills like collaboration, critical thinking, and empathy.
Our Acceleration Framework ensures highly personalized instruction is delivered by expert tutors, leveraging formative assessments to provide real-time differentiation. Evidence-based curriculum ensures students focus on the right content at the right time, enabling academic success and personal growth.
Learn More
Learn more about Catapult Learning’s High-Dosage Tutoring program and Acceleration Framework by downloading our flyer here: Download Accelerated Learning Flyer.
