Resources

Parents 2020: COVID-19 Closures - A Redefining Moment for Students, Parents, and Schools

In April 2020, Learning Heroes fielded PARENTS 2020, a nationally representative survey of parents and guardians (sample size of 3600+), designed to better understand how families are supporting their children’s academic development during school closures due to COVID-19. Insights from this survey build off of five years of parent research, and highlight the unique challenges faced by parents and guardians during this unprecedented moment in time. Review the presentation deck summarizing the survey or watch the webinar here.

With the K-12 System in Crisis, Top Education Funders Are Largely Absent From Relief Efforts

Recognizing the Role of Afterschool and Summer Programs and Systems in Reopening and Rebuilding

This resource describes the role that afterschool and summer programs and systems can play and offers strategies for afterschool and summer programs and school leaders to work together in support of youth, families, and the community.

Research suggests that all people—children, youth, and adults—thrive in safe, supportive environments that are developmentally rich and identity-safe, characterized by positive relationships and relevant opportunities to learn and grow. The need for safety, support, and trusting, reciprocal relationships becomes even more important now as we work to rebuild and return stronger than before COVID-19.

Fostering Connectedness in the Pandemic Era: Policy Recommendations to Support Social, Emotional, and Academic Development

These recommendations were developed by the Aspen Institute Education & Society Program, informed by a diverse group of education leaders that included students, families, advocates, district leaders, state chiefs, researchers, think tanks, funders, and policymakers convened on April 29, 2020. This resource is designed to help state education leaders identify potential actions focused on fostering social and emotional development and school connectedness and is not intended to offer one-size-fits-all recommendations.

Supporting a Strong, Stable Principal Workforce: What Matters and What Can Be Done

The importance of school principals, reasons they leave, and policy implications for principal retention and effectiveness are explained in this report, the third in a series conducted by the Learning Policy Institute and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

The first publication, which presents findings from a literature review, covers the known scope of the principal turnover problem and provides a basis for understanding its mechanisms. The second report offers insights from focus groups of school leaders who shared their experiences and expertise on the challenges of the principalship, as well as strategies to address these challenges. The third and fourth publications (a report and associated brief) summarize results from LPI and NASSP’s national principal survey and focus groups, which delve deeply into the five focus areas that emerged from the initial research and suggests policy strategies to increase principal retention.

Grantmakers for Education Chief on Philanthropy's Response to Coronavirus