Provide extra instructional time every day for students who struggle

Students facing challenges in meeting grade-level standards often require additional time for instruction to catch up with their peers. This extra time, both at the elementary and secondary levels, allows for pre-teaching, reteaching lessons, addressing missing foundational skills, and clearing up misunderstandings.

However, in many schools, struggling students receive extra support from additional adults, like teaching assistants or special education teachers, but not necessarily extra time. While these students might have specialized instruction, it's often within the regular class duration. Some schools place struggling students in a "replacement" class, offering less content with lower rigor. It's essential to distinguish between "help time" and "instructional time." Students with special needs may have resource periods or support periods that cover various subjects, grades, and courses, which differ from a daily dedicated extra period specifically focused on a particular skill, such as math.

Districts successfully narrowing the achievement gap and improving outcomes for students with and without special needs incorporate additional instructional time each day beyond the regular core content instruction. This dedicated time plays a crucial role in addressing individual learning needs and fostering academic growth.