A Comparative Case Study of Washington State and Mississippi's COVID-19 Learning Loss Recovery Strategies

Abstract

This study is a comparative case that investigates the learning loss strategies implemented by Washington State and Mississippi. This case study will address the following questions: What strategies did Washington State vs. Mississippi implement to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 learning loss and facilitate recovery? What specific initiatives have been implemented by Washington State and Mississippi to address COVID-19 learning loss, particularly concerning the racial gap? Addressing why Washington state with a low initial learning loss has a slow recovery and the opposite is true for Mississippi. Mississippi has the highest learning loss but has one of the fastest recovery rates. We should look into the best strategies for the academic gap and maybe learn and take advantage of what these two states did to help close the achievement and racial gaps in America. The strategies that Washington State implemented to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 learning loss and facilitate recovery were Equity and Accessibility, Mental health and well-being, Professional Development and Senate Bill 6168, and Engagement with Families and Strengthening Community Voices. The strategies that Mississippi implemented to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 learning loss and facilitate recovery were Mississippi Connects and Technology Access, Professional Development and Teacher Diversity, Family Engagement and Support. Lastly, On-Demand Tutoring. The specific initiatives that Washington State took concerning the racial gap were enforcing Senate Bill 6168 and giving voices to communities who have been excluded from education policy process, Vs. Mississippi. Mississippi hiring, certifying, and training educators of color, along with creating an online program or app as a digital learning resource called “Mississippi Connects”. Overall, My findings in the future may help policymakers and other researchers interested in racial equity and learning loss further understand the vastly different approaches each state took, comparing it to the results. This could potentially help in making policies based on this research to improve the quality of learning overall. Through my research as well as other fellow academics we hope to see a change and make a difference. I aspire to raise awareness and motivate advocacy efforts for policymakers to create or adjust policies that address racial disparities. I also hope other researchers and academic persons like me can use my findings for further studies.