The 2020–21 academic year ended on a high note—with rising vaccination rates, outdoor in-person graduations,
and access to at least some in-person learning for 98 percent of students—it was, as a whole, perhaps one of
the most challenging for educators and students in our nation’s history. The impact of the pandemic on K–12
student learning was significant, leaving students, on average, five months behind in mathematics and four
months behind in reading by the end of the school year. The pandemic widened preexisting opportunity and
achievement gaps, hitting historically disadvantaged students hardest. In math, students are the majority.
The Effect On Student’s Mental Health Due To Online Learning
The pandemic took a toll on everyone, from social isolation to losing a loved one. High schoolers have become
more likely to drop out due to the covid pandemic. The crisis impacted not just academics but also the broader
health and well-being of students, with more than 35% of parents very concerned about their children’s mental
health. Parents reported increases in clinical mental health conditions among their children, with a 5% increase
in anxiety and a 6% increase in depression. Parents also said their children experienced social withdrawal,
self-isolation, lethargy, and irrational fears. The harm inflicted by the pandemic goes beyond academics. Students
didn’t just lose academic learning during the pandemic. Some lost family members; others had caregivers who lost
their jobs and sources of income, and almost all experienced social isolation.
The Long-Term Effects On Student’s Education Due To Cheating
Students testing in 2021 were about 10 points behind in math and 9 points behind in reading compared with matched
students in previous years. With school being online, many students took advantage of that and used companies like
photomath and looked up the answers on any quiz or test, and some students disengaged from school. Ultimately this
will mess with their future in more ways than one. Some students who have disengaged from school altogether may have
slipped backward, losing knowledge or skills they once had. The majority learned less than they would have in a typical
year. Students who move on to the next grade unprepared are missing key building blocks of knowledge necessary for success.
In contrast, students who repeat a year are much less likely to complete high school and move on to college. And it’s not
just academic knowledge these students may miss out on. They are at risk of finishing school without the skills, behaviors,
and mindsets to succeed in college or the workforce.
Learning While Wearing Mask
With students finally in school and the forced mask mandates, students were forced to wear masks, and for some impacted their
mental health and academic health. Students with asthma or some other medical condition could get exempt. Still, students with
autism, claustrophobia, or any other condition that doesn't qualify for an exemption were forced to wear them. Students with
autism experience sensory differently, so something like a mask would prevent them from learning and possibly cause panic attacks.
And not just students with a medical condition experience an impact on their mental health. Many students would get distracted by
the mask, their glasses fogged up, and many other things that affected them caused an effect on their mental and academic health.
