Fort Bend ISD administrators describe efforts to close learning gaps

Fort Bend ISD administrators presented their plan for addressing gaps in student learning during the Oct. 19 board of trustees meeting.

Officials said the learning gaps, which were caused by interruptions to instruction in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, could have lasting effects for two or three years.

FBISD’s Teaching and Learning Department performed a gap of analysis of each subject for every grade level to identify which topics traditionally covered during the fourth nine weeks students might be behind on from online learning, said Melissa Hubbard, executive director of teaching and learning.

Hubbard said staff then looked to see where that standard—which might have been omitted or abbreviated in the spring—fits within the curriculum for the next several grade levels. Furthermore, staff gave guidance to teachers so they can cover the missed content and tie it to the new curriculum.

“We wanted the learning gaps to be connected to new learning happening this year as opposed to front loading all the standards at the beginning of the year and then trying to recoup throughout the school year,” Hubbard said.

Hubbard said the district will continue to use data, including its diagnostic Renaissance 360 test and classroom grades and assessments, to monitor students’ learning.

“We do have our district diagnostic ... but the power for this year is going to be in our classroom formative assessments—that’s the assessments that are closest to the work of teachers and students learning,” Hubbard said. “So for this year, we will be relying heavily on that information in terms of student progress.”

During the November board meeting, district leaders will also present a variety of attendance data and grade distribution data, Deputy Superintendent Diana Sayavedra said. This data will help the district understand which campuses or areas of the district need additional support to close learning gaps.

“We do anticipate that as we disaggregate the data we are going to see much higher failure rates than we have in the past for the first grading period,” Sayavedra said.