This webinar describes changes in academic achievement (specifically, changes in test scores and grades) in Pittsburgh Public Schools during the period of remote instruction in the COVID-19 pandemic. It describes students' use of the learning management system (Schoology) during remote instruction, including examining the fraction of instructional days that students login and the number of course materials opened and submitted. We discuss how these usage measures change during the school year, vary across students, and are related to course grades and absences. Findings related to test scores suggest that Pittsburgh students experienced learning lags similar to those of students across the country, suggesting the broader relevance of the material. This research is unusual, however, in examining both test scores and course grades, with findings indicating that test-score results (which here and in other studies are focused on grades 3-8) likely underestimate the challenges experienced by students in higher grades. Our research is also unique in its ability to connect data on student participation in learning with data on chronic absenteeism and course failure, thereby providing insights that are important for educators and policymakers across the country. The presenters in this video are: -Brian Gill, REL Mid-Atlantic -Whitney Kozakowski, REL Mid-Atlantic -Patrick Lavallee, REL Mid-Atlantic -Ted Dwyer, Chief Accountability Officer for Pittsburg Public Schools
