COVID-19 has been one of the most difficult times for families across the globe. Many different areas of our lives have been impacted, but we want to shed some light on how the pandemic has created high numbers of learning loss.
Recent data reported by The Hill states that “recent declines in eighth graders’ math scores” indicates a potential loss of $70k across a pandemic student lifetime. So much so that the National Assessment of Educational Progress (also known as the nation’s report card) reports that the national average of math scores nationwide dropped by the most amount within the past year. Recent drops in scores could translate to “0.6 and 0.8 years of missed school”.
Here in Texas, the Texas Education Agency assessed 648,609 students across 334 school systems to see how they did the year prior after the regular assessment was canceled due to COVID-19. The agency reported the results of the study to indicate that…
…in addition to the typical 2.5 months of summer learning loss.
There are a few different kinds of impacts that have occurred due to the pandemic. NPR reported students learned less when remote, students in under-marginalized schools, and different states saw different numbers. It’s no surprise that our students’ attention dwindled and so did their learning. They reported that most schools did not have prior experience to excel in remote teaching. Many lacked training, proper software, and other necessary items to conduct remote education. With these kinds of issues, communities with fewer resources took even bigger hits.
“High-poverty schools spent about 5.5 more weeks in remote instruction during the 2020-21 school year than low- and mid-poverty schools” and it was also found that Black and Hispanic students were going to school remotely at higher rates than other demographics, making them more susceptible to learning loss. Teachers reported a lack of proper workspaces and even incidents of no interest.
These reports are the reason why programs supporting different subjects and areas of education are important. Creating different routines for the issues we are facing is imperative. We are committed to creating opportunities that will ensure every youth reaches their fullest potential. If you are looking for tips as to how to prevent learning loss throughout the year here’s an article we put together.
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dallas has a few different programs that combat some of these issues. Programs like Money Matters and Lyricism 101 have helped students gain skills to help them reach their fullest potential even during trying times. To learn more about the programs offered to combat these issues visit bgcdallas.org/programs
