Ground Lesson Plans in Equity and Acceleration to Address Unfinished Learning

By Sonya Murray and Gwendolyn Y. Turner?

As educators gather the shattered pieces from a broken, unprecedented time in education, research suggests more students are experiencing unfinished learning. According to NAEP reading and mathematics data, scores have declined in grades 4 and 8 compared to data in 2019 (Education Week, 2022). Educators should ground lesson plans in equity and acceleration to address unfinished learning. First, we as educators should examine our mindsets, perceptions, and biases about students. Next, we maintain high expectations for all students regardless of their ability level or background in our planning. Moreover, we scaffold student learning and build relevant experiential learning experiences by incorporating active student learning. We must respect our students’ vast needs, voices, and agency in planning.

Educators planning for equitable learning should consider the following strategies:?

Start with YOU: Assess mindset and disrupt deficit thinking in planning.

The most crucial phase in equitable lesson planning is examining your own bias and deficit thinking about students’ capabilities before initiating the lesson planning. This action requires exploring?mental models, which are?the images, assumptions, and stories we carry in our minds of ourselves, other people, institutions, and every aspect of our world.??Educators should constantly ask themselves in planning,?“Do I hold preconceived ideas about my students’ abilities that prevent giving all students access to “the good stuff”- rigorous mathematics problems, complex text, and challenging tasks?”?

Maintain High Expectations and a Grade Level of Focus

High expectations have a positive effect on students’ learning and grade-level performance.

Lowering expectations and rigor do not promote student learning acceleration, even for those students who need more support.

Educators should instead plan tasks that promote critical thinking and problem-solving at grade level.?A study of more than 2 million students in more than 100,000 classrooms found that students are more successful when they can work at their grade level?(TNTP, 2021; ZEARN, 2021).

Scaffold Instruction Through Relevant Learning Opportunities

Moreover, as we plan, we scaffold student learning and build relevant experiential learning experiences by incorporating active student learning.?

1. Plan for Small or Individual Grouping that elevates students’ needs, voice, and agency.
2. Utilize rich curricular activities, resources, and technology to enhance student motivation and engagement.
3. Provide students with multiple attempts on formative assessments and assignments.
4. Use scoring guides and personalized lessons for experiential learning opportunities.
5. Foster peer collaboration and shared responsibility for learning.