Pandemic Learning Loss and Its Effects on the Economy and Young People's Futures
The failure of the United States to prepare our kids to learn is setting up millions of young people to struggle through adulthood. If leaders don’t make sure students learn what they missed out on during the pandemic, the negative impact of COVID-19 on education could cost our children hundreds of billions of dollars in future earnings and the U.S. economy trillions in lost activity. The 2024 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, uses 50-state data to call attention to the factors that cause these challenges, from poverty to physical and mental health, trauma and others.
Download the 2024 KIDS COUNT Data Book
In its 35th year of publication, the KIDS COUNT® Data Book focuses on students’ lack of basic reading and math skills, a problem decades in the making but brought to light by the focus on learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unprecedented drops in learning from 2019 to 2022 amounted to decades of lost progress. Chronic absence has soared, with children living in poverty especially unable to resume their school day routines on a regular basis.
How Covid-19 Affected Education
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a wide-ranging and long-lasting impact on education in the United States. Not only are students still contending with years of learning loss, but they also must rebound from the disruption to their social and emotional development.
- Remote learning: The sudden shift to remote learning platforms decreased instructional time and hindered student learning. Many students struggled to stay focused in class, and they were less likely to seek help when needed.
- Digital Divide: Disparities in internet access exacerbated existing educational inequities for Black and Brown communities. As a result, children spent less time learning, and were more likely to drop out of school altogether.
- Mental Health: Many students experienced significant mental health struggles after the shift to remote learning. Students were increasingly isolated, spending more time on devices and getting very little physical activity — all of which contributed to increased stress, anxiety and depression.
- Curriculum Adjustments: Teachers were required to redesign lesson plans and find innovative ways to keep students engaged. In many cases, teachers were forced to eliminate sections of their curriculum due to their limited instructional time.
- Extracurricular Activities: While classroom learning shifted to a remote model during the pandemic, extracurricular activities were typically suspended altogether. Without the outlet of extracurricular activities, students had fewer ways to develop their talents, manage stress and connect with their peers.
Key Findings on the Learning Loss Due to COVID-19
Key findings from the most recent school year available (2021–22) include:
- In 2022, only 26% of eighth graders were at or above proficient in math, much worse than before the pandemic (33% in 2019).
- Less than a third of fourth graders (32%) were at or above proficient in reading, two percentage points lower than right before the pandemic (34% in 2019).
- Thirty percent of all students (14.7 million students) were chronically absent, nearly double pre-pandemic rates (16% in 2018–19, the final school year fully unaffected by COVID). Two out of three students attended schools plagued by chronic absence.
- Four out of 10 (40%) had undergone at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), such as family economic hardship or their parents having divorced, separated or served time in jail.
These averages mask even worse educational outcomes for students of color, kids in immigrant families and children from low-income families or attending low-income schools. The gaps they face can affect their ability to succeed and thrive as adults.
Visit the 2024 KIDS COUNT Data Book Interactive
“Kids of all ages and grades must have what they need to learn each day, such as enough food and sleep and a safe way to get to school, as well as the additional resources they might need to perform at their highest potential and thrive, like tutoring and mental health services,” said Lisa Hamilton, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “Our policies and priorities have not focused on these factors in preparing young people for the economy, short-changing a whole generation.”
COVID-19 Education Gaps by State
While there has been progress nationally, recovery from pandemic learning losses has varied significantly across the country. Notably, achievement gaps — particularly between low-poverty and high-poverty areas — have persisted, and in many cases, worsened. In Massachusetts, for example, the gap between high-poverty and low-poverty districts has continued to grow — as recently as the 2022–23 school year. Other states are showing encouraging signs, however. Illinois, Mississippi and Louisiana are currently outpacing their pre-pandemic achievement in reading. Similarly, Alabama has returned to its pre-pandemic achievement in math.
Beyond the Pandemic Learning Loss
The Casey Foundation report contends that the pandemic is not solely to blame for the country’s worsening educational outcomes. Educators, researchers, policymakers and employers who track students’ academic readiness have been ringing alarm bells for a long time. U.S. scores in reading and math have barely budged in decades. Compared to peer nations, the United States is not equipping its children with the high-level reading, math and digital problem-solving skills needed for many of today’s fastest-growing occupations in a highly competitive global economy.
This lack of readiness will result in major harm to our economy and to our youth as they join the workforce. Up to $31 trillion in U.S. economic activity hinges on helping young people complete learning delayed by the pandemic. Research indicates that students who don’t advance beyond lower levels of math may be 50% more likely to be unemployed after high school. One analysis calculates that the drop in math scores between 2019 and 2022 will reduce lifetime earnings by 1.6% for our 48 million pandemic-era students, for a total of $900 billion in lost income.
However, some states have delayed spending their share of the $190 billion in critical federal pandemic funding (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER) that could help boost achievement. The deadline to allocate – not spend – this funding is September 30, 2024. Tens of billions of dollars set aside for schools will vanish forever if states do not act immediately.
Recommendations to Counteract the COVID-19 Impact on Education
The Casey Foundation recommends the following next steps to recover from the pandemic learning loss:
- To get kids back on track, we must ensure access to low- or no-cost meals, a reliable internet connection, a place to study and time with friends, teachers and counselors.
- Expand access to intensive tutoring for students who are behind in their classes and missing academic milestones. Research has shown the most effective tutoring is in person, high dosage and tied directly to the school.
- States should take advantage of all their allocated pandemic relief funding to prioritize the social, emotional, academic and physical well-being of students. As long as funds are obligated by the Sept. 30 deadline, states should have two more full years to spend them.
- States and school systems should address chronic absence, so more students return to learn. While few states gather and report chronic absence data by grade, all of them should. Improving attendance tracking and data will inform future decision-making. Lawmakers should embrace positive approaches rather than criminalizing students or parents due to attendance challenges, because they may not understand the consequences of even a few days missed.
- Policymakers should invest in community schools, public schools that provide wraparound support to kids and families. Natural homes for tutoring, mental health support, nutritional aid and other services, community schools use innovative and creative programs to support young learners and encourage parent engagement, which leads to better outcomes for kids.
Pandemic Learning Loss Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How did COVID-19 affect learning?
A: COVID-19 had a profound impact on the delivery of education to students of all ages. The abrupt shift to remote learning challenged student and teacher engagement, dramatically decreased instructional time, and hindered student understanding. - Q: How did COVID-19 impact education in America?
A: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted student learning and development, resulting in significant learning loss and an increase in mental health challenges. Further, the pandemic exacerbated existing racial inequities and worsened achievement gaps. - Q: How did COVID affect students with learning disabilities?
A: After the shift to remote learning, school districts struggled to deliver accommodations and therapies remotely. Without these needed supports, many children fell behind. In addition, many students suffered due to lengthy delays in school districts reviewing and updating their Individualized Education Plans (IEP). - Q: How did COVID affect students socially?
A: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted students’ social and emotional development. Increased isolation led to more screen time and higher levels of anxiety and depression. Additionally, students struggled with emotional, social, and behavioral issues. Schools and communities had to find innovative ways to combat learning loss among high school students, and ensure they were prepared to pursue careers. - Q: What is the effect of COVID-19 on college student performance?
A: While college students were more equipped to manage the COVID-19 pandemic than younger students, they are still demonstrating noticeably different behaviors post-pandemic. For example, professors report higher rates of missed assignments. Additionally, many professors have noted that students are more hesitant to engage in classroom discussions, and are more likely to be on their phones during class.
