Sunshine, swimming, and ice cream are just some of the many reasons kids love summer. Not to mention the absence of homework, and the abundance of free time for friends, outdoor activities, and more. Despite these seasonal luxuries, educators are acutely aware of the academic learning loss faced by students across the nation following the pandemic, along with the already existing issue of ‘summer slide’.
The problem, and the solution, are clearly complex, but Georgetown University’s FutureEd think tank conducted a study to learn how a sample of 5000+ U.S. schools are working to counter the effects of lockdowns, remote school, and lost instructional time. Based on the data, below are the ways schools are spending Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to address learning loss, the top three being 1) summer learning, 2) instructional materials, and 3) software/instructional software (see Academic Recovery data, pictured below).
Quizizz as an Evidence-Based Solution
While Quizizz alone can’t solve the dilemma of summer slide or pandemic learning loss, our teacher-powered instructional engagement platform falls into all of three aforementioned categories, and more, and is a solid selection for each.
As the seventh largest school district in the nation, Houston Independent School District (HISD) instructional technology leaders identified Quizizz as one of the solutions they sought to aid in the district’s ongoing academic recovery efforts. (See “Case Study: Houston ISD’s ESSER-Funded Quizizz Plan Supports Equity and Achievement for Every K-12 Learner”.)
Not only do their teachers use the platform to support academic instruction throughout the school year (left Tweet photo below), but as detailed in an April 2022 Quizizz Blog, “Quizizz for Summer School and After School Programs,” Quizizz is persistently used by HISD educators to prevent summer learning loss. Take for example elementary teacher, Ana Acosta, who uses the platform with her summer campers (right Tweet photo below).
As for other educators around the country and the world, many create Quizizz activities to keep their students’ skills sharp while on summer break. Looking for inspiration for your own classroom, or to pass on to colleagues or parents? Here are just a few of the types of ready-made Quizzes and Lessons available on the platform:
- 8th Grade Math Summer Review Lesson by Theresa McWilliams
- Summer Slide: Nonfiction Text Features Quiz by Victoria Foster
- 4th Grade ELA Summer School Review Quiz by Olivia Whitehurst
- Summer School Biology STAAR Test Review Lesson by Samantha Knowles
- Social Studies Summer Session Quiz by Patricia DeFerrari
Search the Quizizz library to find resources for your own grade and subject area. Activities can be completed live for in-person sessions, or asynchronously while students are on vacation.
Robust Platform Tools Help Alleviate Instructional Challenges
With a massive content library of 20+ million teacher-created Quizzes and Lessons like those included above, Quizizz expands its value in FutureEd’s top three identified areas for academic recovery spending (summer learning, instructional materials, and software/instructional software). As validated by Tom Driscoll, CEO of EdTechTeacher, the multitude of materials available to educators, who are often short on resources and time, are just one of the reasons Quizizz is a classroom favorite (see Tweet photo below).
Along with the library, the platform’s latest updates of standards-aligned content and detailed data reports, both available on the Quizizz School and District Plan, are crucial to identify growth areas, set instructional goals, monitor progress, implement scaffolds, and celebrate achievements.
ESSER Spending Extension Offers New Opportunities
Given the ESSER spending deadline extension, districts now have more time to research and invest in vital academic recovery resources. “Schools have until this September to ‘obligate’ funds, or commit them to specific purposes from the first round of federal COVID relief, known as ESSER I,” EdWeek said. “The deadline to commit the second round of funds, ESSER II, is September 2023, and for ESSER III is September 2024.”
Going forward, as educators work to recalibrate following two months of summer break and two years of pandemic pandemonium, high quality educational technology should play a key role in the instructional support and learning loss recovery that today’s teachers and students truly need and deeply deserve.
Be sure to follow Quizizz on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest updates on the platform. Interested in a Quizizz School and District Plan? We’d love to chat!
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