The pandemic widened gaps in reading. Can one teacher ‘do something about that’?

By CAROLYN THOMPSON
Associated Press

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) — The COVID-19 pandemic upended learning across the United States. And now that students are back together in class, some are much more behind than others. In Richard Evans’ classroom in Niagara Falls, New York, the approach is one that mirrors a best practice for the nation. He is tailoring his instruction depending on individual students’ needs. And after a year of doing this and tracking the results meticulously, he says it appears to be working. Using assessments to identify students’ individual needs is the top strategy American schools are using to help kids catch up from the pandemic.