Despite the hardships of pandemic learning, there have been bright spots and even many learning gains. While the potential for learning loss is very real, simply comparing students' scores this year to previous years doesn’t tell the whole story and ignores the difficult but also rich life experiences students have had over the past 15 months.

For years, educators have been saying we can do more than measure progress by testing alone. Here are some of the gains we have seen in our students: Increased Communication Skills; Students Taking Ownership of their Own Learning; Resilience and Learning Outside of School; and Time Management.

One of the greatest gains has also been teachers learning to do asynchronous assignments with their students and then providing support to them as they need it. Teachers can be guides rather than only explaining subjects to their students.

Educators and their students are learning to utilize technology that can increase learning and access. For instance, ebook reading has surged during the pandemic.

Pandemic restrictions are easing and parents, educators, and students are hopeful that next year’s school year will be free of COVID-era restrictions. Still, many stakeholders are eager to utilize what worked well from this time.

While some students have struggled in the hybrid or remote setting scene much of the past year, others have thrived with increased flexibility.