By Dr. Kenneth W. Eastwood
Throughout modern history, during national crises our federal and state governments have deployed educational programs and funding to reduce racial and economic inequities and to expand opportunities for talented students. Those efforts aimed to strengthen the workforce and drive the innovations needed to move the nation forward. Today we confront another historic emergency: a global pandemic that threatens the academic and economic future of millions of children. Once again, we must harness our education system so our nation can emerge stronger.
Public education has long been intended as the great equalizer, but in practice it has struggled to deliver consistently deep and lasting equity. Over the past several decades some progress has been made: more students from low-income and minority backgrounds graduate high school than in previous generations. Yet these same students remain far less likely than their wealthier or white peers to complete college.
National assessments reveal the extent of the challenge. The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results showed that many students do not reach the fifty-percentile mark for proficiency across core subjects. In 2019, only 41 percent of fourth graders, 34 percent of eighth graders, and 25 percent of 12th graders met or exceeded math proficiency. Similar shortfalls appeared in reading and science.
A 2019 report from New Classrooms, titled The Iceberg Problem, described how these low proficiency rates are the result of accumulated learning gaps. Students often advance by grade level without mastering prerequisite skills, and grade-level instruction frequently fails to address unfinished learning from prior years. As a result, skill gaps widen, undermining college and career readiness. The report argues that the system currently incentivizes advancement over true mastery.
What does this mean for students returning to school in altered learning environments? Many districts will promote students to the next grade despite students having missed a substantial portion of instruction and with little or no targeted summer remediation. For the 2020–2021 school year, the shift to virtual and hybrid instruction left many classrooms without consistent modified direct instruction, and teachers have had to develop new methods on the fly. Continued instructional loss threatens to create a long-term crisis: a growing divide between the skills students possess and the expectations of the grade levels where schools place them.
Social promotion — advancing students with their same-age cohorts regardless of readiness — has been widely criticized, yet many of the nation’s school districts are likely to follow that practice. Advancing large numbers of underprepared students risks locking in deficits that will burden children from low-income families for years to come, affecting their education, economic prospects, and civic life.
Research from the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) and other organizations indicates that students from low-income families are likely to suffer the most from pandemic-related learning loss, widening existing achievement and opportunity gaps. If students move forward without the prerequisite knowledge and skills, how will teachers be able to cover one to two years of missed content within a single school year? How will students absorb it?
Could this Deficit Become an Opportunity?
Instead of accepting a long-term setback, we can treat this moment as an opportunity to build a smarter, more equitable generation. Critics will cite cost, logistics, and resources, but large-scale public initiatives have succeeded before when they had national vision and commitment. We should see this crisis as a chance to rethink fundamental assumptions about promotion, the school calendar, assessment, and instructional support.
Someone should call for a national commitment to educational equity and renewed investment in effective systems — a focused effort comparable in ambition to past national projects. We must ensure every child receives the education and support needed to explore, create, and contribute to the nation’s future.
American public education needs strategic change that includes the following priorities:
- Shift promotion to proficiency-based advancement: Move away from automatic grade-level promotion and toward advancement based on demonstrated mastery of essential skills and knowledge. This approach will require flexible timelines and options for additional summer work or extended semesters for cohorts affected by instructional interruptions.
- Redesign the school calendar: Consider extending the school year to 12 months with targeted summer sessions focused on personalized interventions for students who are not yet proficient. Summer programming should deliver focused remediation rather than merely re-teaching an entire course and also offer opportunities for students to accelerate once they demonstrate mastery.
- Adopt proactive, frequent formative assessment: Use ongoing diagnostics throughout the year to identify learning gaps early and to establish a post-pandemic “starting line” for every student. Rapid assessment cycles enable teachers to diagnose trouble spots, adapt instruction, and measure growth against clear standards.
- Support teachers with targeted tools and training: Teachers are the most vital resource for student success. Provide professional development and instructional technology that align with proficiency data, enabling differentiated pathways and remedial resources tied directly to standards. Effective training will help educators deliver growth-focused instruction in both in-person and virtual settings.
- Guarantee free access to programs and resources: Ensure every student can participate in academic and extracurricular opportunities regardless of family income. Practical supports — such as district-owned instrument loans for music programs or no-cost access to supplies and devices — increase engagement and equity.
An existential crisis calls for an extraordinary response. Our nation’s character is revealed by the problems we choose to solve together. We must seize this moment to rethink, redesign, and reinvest in a more equitable and effective education system so all students become literate, knowledgeable, and prepared for success.
Public education should function as a universal promise, not a privilege for some. We have the resources and talent to make meaningful, long-overdue changes. The question is whether we will unite around this crisis and pursue an American Educational Moonshot — a national effort to finally get schooling right for every child.
About the Author
As a former superintendent of both Oswego City School District and Middletown City School District, Dr. Eastwood is nationally recognized for turning around low-income and high-minority districts. He has presented at numerous national and international conferences and has participated in multiple White House summits on education.
This article was originally published by The Learning Counsel, a research institute and news media organization focused on the transition to digital curriculum in education.