33,000 students show up for voluntary ‘acceleration days’ in L.A. Unified

More than 30,000 students opted to spend two days during their spring break attending “acceleration days” in Los Angeles Unified, as a way to catch up after last month’s strike and learning loss suffered during Covid, the Daily Breeze reported.

Students spent their days getting tutoring, doing science labs, making up homework and enjoying enrichment activities like arts, crafts and games. Students also received free meals. About 9,500 teachers and other staff worked during the acceleration days.

The district also offered acceleration days during winter break, when attendance was roughly 40,000.

“Any and all of our students could really benefit from additional learning time,” Karla Estrada, deputy superintendent of instruction, told the Daily Breeze. “Our intention is really to personalize that support, so you will see definitely small-group instruction … and in some cases, you’ll see 1-to-1 intervention and support, targeting certain skill sets that we know that the student would benefit from.”

This could be the last year the district offers acceleration days. The recently approved 2023-26 academic calendars do not include any acceleration days.