The COVID-19 pandemic forced widespread school closures and a shift to remote learning. A growing body of research has examined the effects of remote learning on student outcomes. But the accuracy of the school modality measures used in these studies is questionable. The most common measures--based on self-reports or district website…

Teacher turnover is a perennial concern, especially in low-performing, high-poverty schools. While districts and schools may try to anticipate and mitigate turnover by surveying teachers about their future plans, existing research on whether teacher-reported intent is predictive of actual turnover behavior is mixed. Using unique survey data from…

We conducted an instrumental case study to examine literacy instruction in K-3 classrooms in Michigan during the pandemic-impacted 2020-2021 school year. We sought to understand (a) how teachers described their literacy instruction before and during the COVID-19 pandemic; (b) the literacy instructional practices teachers implemented across…

For most of the 2020-21 school year, Michigan was among the roughly 70% of states that let local school districts, with guidance from local health authorities, determine how and when students were welcomed back into school buildings. Using instructional modality data collected throughout the 2020-21 school year, this paper uncovers not only how…

Teacher turnover is a perennial concern that became more salient during the COVID-19 pandemic as teacher-reported intentions to leave teaching escalated. The extent to which these teacher reports may translate into actual turnover remains an open question--especially given the pandemic context. Using unique survey data from teachers in 35…

We use data from Michigan and an interrupted time series (ITS) strategy to show how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted new special education classifications and discontinuations. We find a substantial decrease in K-5 classifications and discontinuations during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. Classifications fell by 19 and 12 percent in these…

Educators and policymakers have been concerned that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to substantial delays in learning due to disruptions, anxiety, and remote schooling. We study student achievement patterns over the pandemic using a combination of state summative and higher frequency benchmark assessments for middle school students in Michigan.…

This instrumental case study is focused on understanding more about literacy instruction in K-3 classrooms during the pandemic-impacted 2020-2021 school year. The study aims to examine (a) how teachers described their literacy instruction before and during the COVID-19 pandemic; (b) the types of literacy instructional practices teachers…

Educators and policymakers across the country have been raising alarms about a growing teacher shortage. In Michigan, teacher shortages were so severe in the 2018-19 school year that 2,500 classrooms were staffed by long-term substitutes --nearly ten times the number placed in classrooms five years prior. The COVID-19 pandemic has raised even…

Purpose: Prior research shows wide variation in student learning across contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic, but less is known about "why" such variation occurred or how particular response strategies may help districts navigate future crises. Research methods: Drawing on crisis leadership and organizational theory, we conducted a…

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised even greater concerns about a growing teacher shortage. In this study, administrative data on more than 140,000 Michigan traditional public and charter school teachers in an interrupted time series (ITS) framework is used to understand how teacher attrition and supply may have shifted after the onset of the…

This instrumental case study is focused on understanding more about literacy instruction in K-3 classrooms during the pandemic-impacted 2020-2021 school year. The study aims to examine (a) how teachers described their literacy instruction before and during the COVID-19 pandemic; (b) the types of literacy instructional practices teachers…