Pandemic Learning: Less Academic Progress Overall, Student and Teacher Strain, and Implications for the Future (June 20, 2022)

A U.S. Government Accountability Office  (GAO) report examines the pandemic‘s effect on academic progress in the 2020-21 school year. In the GAO survey, many K-12 public school teachers reported that more of their students started the year behind and made less progress than in a typical year.
In fact, the GAO found that, compared to a typical school year, teachers reported that more of their students started the 2020-21 school year behind and made less academic progress, according to GAO’s generalizable survey of K-12 public school teachers. Teachers also reported that many students ended the year behind grade level expectations (see figure). Educators and parents also shared their insights and experiences about student struggles and learning loss during the year.

To read the GAO report, click here.