LEARNING DERAILED

Report Shows How Schools Are ‘Failing the COVID Generation’

“The kids are still not alright,” the new research says, citing poor mental health and chronic absenteeism among continuing issues for students.

For many school students, the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are far from over, according to a new report that claims we are “failing the COVID generation.” The report, from the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), suggests “COVID-19 is continuing to derail learning, but in more insidious and hidden ways.” They cite chronic absenteeism, falling math scores, and poor student mental health as some of the key issues still plaguing students, especially those in high school whose learning was greatly impacted by school closures. The report states that the average American College Testing (ACT) score is at a 30-year low, math performance for the average 13-year-old is as low as it was in 1990, and nearly three-quarters of schools reported increases in chronic absenteeism in post-pandemic years. Robin Lake, the director of CRPE, told USA Today that while high school graduation is rising, “students have already graduated without what they need, and that trend will continue unless we do things differently.” On Tuesday, the White House announced measures to tackle learning loss, including $50 million in federal grants to help states improve reading and math outcomes.