The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all students; however, its impact has been particularly devastating for students of color, students from low-income families, English learners, and other marginalized children and youth. As transmission rates decline and vaccination rates increase in California, many are eager to return to normalcy, but we must all recognize that even the prepandemic normal was not working for all students. The 2021–22 school year, therefore, constitutes a critical opportunity for schools to offer students, families, and educators a restorative restart.

California schools' funding had improved, but still fell short of what is necessary to meet the state's goals. Now, schools face three major challenges: declines in student achievement and social-emotional well-being due to COVID-19, increased costs associated with distance learning and school reconfiguration, and the need to tighten budgets. Securing necessary funding will require an enormous and sustained effort from many stakeholders to improve schools and student outcomes and strengthen the economic and social outlook for future generations.

The brief summarizes the PACE report "Enabling Conditions and Capacities for Continuous Improvement," which provides a framework for supporting teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The framework emphasizes the importance of rapid cycles of improvement and the enabling organizational conditions for continuous improvement, including shared purpose, mutual trust, and resources for collaborative work. Examples of this approach in practice can be found in a related PACE brief "Ayer Elementary School's Resilient Conditions for Improvement: Pivoting Amid COVID-19."

This article provides 10 recommendations based on the PACE report to help educators and district leaders provide high-quality instruction through distance and blended learning models in the 2020-21 school year. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, research can guide decisions about student learning and engagement. These recommendations can be used as a framework to prioritize quality instruction.