Elementary and middle-school students across the United States have been working hard to recover from the learning loss caused by the pandemic school closures in 2020. While they have made significant progress, a new national study reveals that they are still far from fully catching up.
In the area of math, where the learning loss was most pronounced, students have managed to recover about a third of what they lost. In reading, they have made up a quarter of the ground lost during the pandemic, according to researchers at Stanford and Harvard.
The findings of the study indicate that while the United States has managed to avoid stagnating at pandemic lows, many students are still not on track to fully recover before the federal aid package of $122 billion expires in September. This aid has been instrumental in providing extra help such as tutoring and summer school to schools nationwide.
Surprisingly, the gains made by students were larger than expected, given previous research on the impact of additional funding for schools. However, the gap between students from affluent and disadvantaged communities has widened even further, exacerbating existing inequalities.
One of the most concerning aspects highlighted by the study is that some children may never fully catch up, potentially entering adulthood without the necessary skills to succeed in the workforce and in life. Students in poor districts, in particular, faced greater challenges during the pandemic and still have a significant amount of ground to make up compared to their wealthier counterparts.
While some wealthy districts have seen minimal improvement, others, like Durham, N.C.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Delano, Calif., have successfully caught up. The data analyzed in the study did not include progress made during the current school year, which will be evaluated through state tests in the spring.
Despite the successes in some districts, the overall pace of recovery has been deemed insufficient. With federal aid running out and Congress showing little inclination to provide additional funding, many schools will soon have to scale back or end programs aimed at helping students catch up.
Experts emphasize the importance of continued support for students, especially those who are falling behind. The impact of lower achievement in eighth grade can have long-lasting consequences, leading to lower lifetime earnings and increased risks of unemployment and incarceration. The United States may face a less skilled workforce in the future if students are unable to fully recover from the learning loss caused by the pandemic.
As the pandemic generation transitions into adulthood, the potential for lost opportunities looms large. It is essential for schools, policymakers, and communities to prioritize support for students to ensure that they have the skills and resources needed to succeed in the future.
