While the COVID-19 pandemic caused millions of students to have their education disrupted during the 2020-2021 school year, teachers have since reported finding limited strategies that could be helpful in mitigating learning loss, the Federal government’s top watchdog agency said in a new report.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved $41.98 million for Round 2 of its COVID-19 Telehealth Program.

Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, asked Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to ensure that schools nationwide are aware that they can use Federal funding from COVID-19 relief bills to improve cybersecurity.

The Education Department released guidance this month which intended to provide strategies for the safe operation of higher education institutions, as well as address the impact of COVID-19 on higher education students, faculty, and staff. Among other issues, the guidance specifically addressed helping higher education navigate online learning in a pandemic and broadband and device access for students, faculty, and staff.

Reps. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., and Jim Langevin, D-R.I., urged Education Secretary Miguel Cardona in an April 1 letter to address the growing cybersecurity threat facing K-12 schools by issuing guidance that will give K-12 schools more confidence in making investments in increased cybersecurity measures.

As the state has shifted to distanced and hybrid learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Jersey Department of Education announced it has closed the K-12 digital divide by using roughly $60 million in Federal funding.

The Commonwealth of Virginia is using $10 million in Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to create a new statewide technology platform to connect Virginians with health and social services.

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly forced state and local governments to modernize at lightning speed to not only provide government services online, but help residents access the technology they need to socially distance themselves properly.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has changed nearly all aspects of life, it has had a radical impact on the way students are learning.

In March and April as the spring semester came to a close, the COVID-19 pandemic upended the nation’s higher education institutions as they scrambled to get classes online for huge numbers of students.