Tennessee provides new resource to help with COVID learning loss
The Tennessee Department of Education launched a new resource this month to help school districts continue to recover from the learning loss students experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.The department says the TN ALL Corps District Support Network will provide districts with new opportunities to engage in collaborative learning experiences, share best practices, and enhance local tutoring programs.The resource is an extension of the TN ALL Corps program the Tennessee General Assembly established in the 2021 special session to mitigate COVID-19 disruptions.“The TN ALL Corps District Support Network is a tremendous opportunity for participating districts to learn from each other and continue enhancing their local programs,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “The network will provide evidence-based strategies and tools to support sustainable programs and ensure our teachers and tutors have what they need to help all our students accelerate their learning.”Throughout the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, the TN ALL Corps District Support Network will provide instructional leaders of all 87 school districts that are participating in TN ALL Corps with assistance to promote regional collaboration and the sharing of best practices. Additionally, the network will provide resources to improve tutoring, student placement and performance, and data and progress monitoring.“TN ALL Corps funding has been vital to our ability to fund teachers for before and after-school tutoring programs for Hamilton County students,” said Dr. Justin Robertson, Director of Schools, Hamilton County Schools. “The funds have also been utilized to provide more materials and training for teachers in grades K-8 so they can better implement small-group instruction and high-dosage tutoring in literacy and math. We look forward to having these funds over the next two school years to expand our tutoring options into the school day and alongside our community partners.”“We are very excited to be implementing TN ALL Corps as one of our key strategies for accelerating student learning in literacy and math,” said Dr. Liz Norton, Deputy Superintendent, Knox County Schools. “The tutors we have hired are bringing dynamic energy and focus on student success. We appreciate the support from the Tennessee Department of Education for this valuable work.”
