Yet another study proves the devastating effects of school closures during the pandemic on our children. This study illustrates how only a fraction of schools have recovered the learning losses incurred during the pandemic’s early months.
Losses
The study shows slow progress overall. By the fall of 2024, only 1 in 7 (14%) of schools had returned to fall 2019 (i.e., prepandemic) achievement levels in both math and reading. Only 32% of schools had returned to prepandemic levels in either subject.
Simply stated, more than 2 in 3 schools (68 percent) are performing worse in both math and reading than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a burden that this generation of young Americans will have to bear for decades.
More Problems
Additionally, schools with the greatest need also suffered some of the greatest learning losses. Only about 1 in 6 (17%) low-poverty schools have returned to prepandemic performance levels in both math and reading, and not quite 2 in 5 (38%) have recovered in one of the two subjects. By contrast, only about 1 in 8 (13%) high-poverty schools have fully recovered in both math and reading, and 3 in 10 (30%) have done so in either subject. Is part of the problem stemming from the lack of internet and technology available for the students during shutdowns?
Those losses among schools by income bracket also extend to racial demographics. While most public schools remained closed, private schools (that are unaffordable to low-income families) were inventing ways to reopen safely. Thus, low-income students were at a disadvantage in their learning.
Current Results
High-poverty schools and schools enrolling a majority of students of color are struggling the most to recover their pre-pandemic scores. Nonetheless, students and teachers need to recognize their deficits to move forward in their learning.
