According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 44% of public school students started the 2023–24 school year below grade level in at least one subject. This has been evaluated as the aftermath of COVID-19 when all students nationally had to continue their education from spring 2020 to about spring 2022 through online synchronous or asynchronous learning. In Virginia, the extent of the consequences academically can be seen through Standards of Learning (SOLs) scores, where children have been scoring significantly lower as the years progress. Despite post-pandemic efforts, in regards to reading tests, “writing rates continued to fall, dropping by 4% for a second straight year.”
There have been impactful initiatives in response to these pressing issues, such as Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s “ALL In VA” plan. This invests $418 million in public education with objectives of “high dosage academic tutoring, accelerating the expansion of the Virginia Literacy Act, and combating chronic absenteeism.” However, additional plans should be conducted that fully tackle the underlying issues and the root of the cause contributing to the learning loss crisis experienced by students. A solution that targets not only the lack of academic attention, but also company and students’ self-confidence, motivation and sense of purpose should be implemented.
Complementing ALL in VA efforts, I propose a bill that provides funding for a course to be integrated into the 2nd-5th grade curriculum that shifts the focus from remediation to empowerment. Children will be provided with direct mentorship, peer interaction, positive visualization skills, and a sense of purpose and accomplishment in addition to reading, writing and critical thinking tutoring. The goal is to improve reading and writing SOLs along with their well-being and self-perceptions.
Some Virginia programs have already been successful, such as the Kids Can Write Creative Writing and STEM programs. Over six weeks, university students mentor children in the 2nd-5th grades through the process of creating and self-publishing their own books. Children are tutored alongside their peers, become published authors, and are recognized at an award ceremony.
Through a similar approach, the course curriculum will allow children to view reading and writing skills as essential to their success. Thus, they will be more strongly encouraged to study these subjects. Throughout each school year, students should publish stories, create websites, be given prizes along the way, and be celebrated with an award ceremony, showcasing their success to the local community.
The proposed solution goes beyond academic catch-up and helps students create a legacy. That being said, there are several obstacles to consider, the first being resistance to change. Utilizing new approaches may not be welcomed easily by educators and policymakers. Metrics will need to be developed and validated to overcome skepticism. That being said, the program is aimed at improving reading and writing abilities, and with the program carried out, one can expect a significant improvement in SOL test scores.
Finding enough college students to mentor children may prove difficult without incentive, but retirees may be very interested in helping with this initiative. The course should start at the grassroots level, piloted in counties where there have not been similar programs conducted. Finally, ensuring that the tutoring curriculum aligns with Virginia educational standards is necessary, and for this to be done there will need to be a joint effort among educators.
The bill should be pursued with a bicameral approach, engaging with the Virginia House and Senate Education Committees for comprehensive support. It is unlikely Youngkin would veto it. Imagine a Virginia where every child is a published author — envision their self-perception and the pride with which they represent their state. This is the transformative potential we aim to unlock.
Elea-Maria Abisamra of Fairfax is the founder and CEO of Kids Can Write and a junior at Virginia Tech.