Ocean City High School Picked For Post-COVID Learning Study

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Students at Ocean City High School managed to overcome learning losses from the COVID-19 pandemic and showed growth in their performance. Now, the state wants to know how they did it.

The school is one of 52 selected to participate in the Promising Practices Project, a partnership with the New Jersey State Policy Lab and the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies, both of which are at Rutgers University.

This research initiative wants to identify and spotlight innovative practices that schools implemented to improve learning in response to COVID. According to the New Jersey Department of Education, Ocean City High School and the other participating schools “demonstrated exceptional growth in student performance when comparing pre- and post-pandemic performance in English Language Arts and Mathematics.”

A research team interviewed educators from the schools to identify the most successful strategies they implemented to help students overcome learning losses during the pandemic. Then, a formal report will present the findings, with the goal of sharing the innovative learning approaches with schools throughout the state via presentations, resources, and convenings, so other educators can effectively replicate the successful programs and initiatives.

“Working together to identify classroom-tested strategies that address our children’s most pressing academic needs is paramount,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “Through the Promising Practices Project, we are pulling together invaluable first-hand feedback from educators across the state – from Sussex to Cape May – to support accelerated learning and ensure our students are on pace to meet their educational goals.”

For more information about the project, visit the Promising Practices webpage.