I recently read a U.S. News article that reported that 49% of students began the 2022-23 school year at least one grade level behind in one subject or more. This is compared to 50% from last year's report. While these statistics are astounding, they aren't surprising.
Students missed anywhere from 2 months to a full school year or more of in-person learning during the pandemic. While schools, teachers, and parents did the very best they could, virtual and/or hybrid learning simply is not the same quality of education that in-person learning provides. This is especially true for younger students.
The majority of schools resumed fully in-person learning during the 2021-22 school year. Since then, schools have improved roughly 1% of students' academic readiness. Having been in the general education classroom during the pandemic and the 2021-22 school year, I know what a tall task this is for educators. Under typical circumstances it can be extremely challenging to get your class fully ready for the next grade level, let alone trying to do so when they come to you behind in the first place.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is urging schools to implement high-dosage tutoring sessions for their students. However, the "National Center for Education Statistics researchers estimate that less than half of public school students are receiving tutoring and that just 10% of students are receiving high-dosage tutoring." It seems as though some of the learning catch-up will need to occur outside of the classroom. Schools alone are simply not cutting it.
Comments