Since 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a drastic decrease in academic achievement for students across the country. Both educationally and emotionally, over half of K-12 public school teachers admit that students have suffered greatly since the beginning of the pandemic. According to the Department of Education, only 26% of 8th graders are proficient in math compared to 34% proficiency of 8th graders in 2019. In addition, only 33% of fourth graders have achieved proficiency in math-- another dramatic decrease in performance. Experts in the education field believe that this is due to many factors that have resulted from the pandemic. Illness, isolation, remote learning, and anxiety are some of the leading issues students continue to face.
Among those affected, high-poverty areas have suffered the most in terms of educational decline. Sean Reardon, an education professor at Stanford states, “When you have a massive crisis, the worst effects end up being felt by the people with the least resources.” In some of the poorest communities such as that of Memphis, Tennessee, students lost over a year’s worth of progress in math and 70% of a year’s worth of progress in reading. Poverty and time spent learning remotely have proven to be two of the leading factors in students’ loss of learning.
To address these mounting issues, schools have put some strategies into effect. Many schools have added staff such as teacher’s aides to their classrooms, offered tutoring options, and created summer programs for student enrichment. Additionally, most schools have invested in technology in order to make remote learning as effective as possible. Nationally, school systems have spent over $190 million dollars in federal aid to promote academic recovery for students. Still, many educators feel these modifications are insufficient to meet the needs of struggling students, especially in economically disadvantaged school districts. Though adjustments have been made to minimize the effects of the pandemic, schools still struggle to fill positions and keep students engaged in the classroom.
Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator
kayley@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266
Sources:
https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/education-leaders-advise-how-to-aid-pandemic-learning-loss-159290949539
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/30/learning-loss-from-virtual-school-due-to-covid-is-significant-.html
https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2022-10-28/massive-learning-setbacks-show-covids-sweeping-toll-on-kids#:~:text=The%20analysis%20found%20the%20average,double%20those%20amounts%2C%20or%20worse.