NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area, Sahtu Settlement Area, Dehcho Region, North Slave Region, South Slave Region, Qikiqtaaluk Region

Tags: educational resources, public learning, pandemic

Objective(s): [With partnerships and coalition of experts] (1) to inform policy and practice on pandemic learning loss in Canadian, (2) enhanced mobilization of knowledge, (3) the creation of new partnerships between government and non-government organizations and academic institutions, and (4) the mentorship and skill development of students and early career researchers.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No. 5912. We have formed a partnership between the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and created a coalition of experts across Canada to produce a comprehensive data-informed pan-Canadian policy report on pandemic learning loss that is intended for policy makers, professional practitioners (e.g., educators, school psychologists), and academic and non-academic researchers from public and private or not-for-profit organizations. Our key outcomes will be (1) to inform policy and practice on pandemic learning loss in Canadian, (2) enhanced mobilization of knowledge, (3) the creation of new partnerships between government and non-government organizations and academic institutions, and (4) the mentorship and skill development of students and early career researchers. A systematic review of the current state of knowledge on learning loss will be conducted, along with provincial and territorial studies using standardized data (where available) on learning outcomes before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic obtained from the respective Ministries of Education. Our analyses for each province/territory will include (1) cross-sectional statistical comparisons of typical math and literacy standardized test scores for same-grade cohorts before and after pandemic school closures, with adjustments for student demographics, boards, and number of days closed, and (2) longitudinal comparisons of changes in student achievement across grade levels for cohorts before and after school closures, with the same adjustments as above. Analyses will likely differ across provinces/territories due to differences in data availability and measurements. Since each Canadian jurisdiction uses different kinds of test scores, this policy report will not rank jurisdictions by achievement; instead, it will report on learning losses within each jurisdiction with the aim of generating a complete picture of learning loss across Canada as a whole. This policy report will be promoted through a variety of ways. Including a knowledge mobilization partnership with UNICEF Canada and People for Education, meetings with Ministries of Education and other key stakeholders, webinars on key findings hosted by UNICEF Canada, and a series of op-eds on main conclusions and implications that will be published in the Globe and Mail. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from: July 14 - December 31, 2024