Just how much learning did Ohio and national students lose during the pandemic?
According to research from Harvard University, students lost about half a grade level in math and a quarter of a grade level in reading on average during the pandemic. COVID-19 learning loss has meant that Ohio has struggled to return to pre-pandemic levels and may just now only be back to “square one” regarding reading skills and still lags in math skills.
John Phelps, head custodian at Glenwood Intermediate School in Plain Township, begins the nightly task of spraying surfaces with an electrostatic sprayer to help reduce the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus in this 2020 file photo.
Here’s what to know about the challenges students face in regaining the lost learning during the pandemic:
The pandemic’s continuing impact on education, by the numbers
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90%: The number of parents who believe their students are at or above grade level in math and reading, according to a Gallup poll conducted in 2023.
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64.5%: The percent of third graders in Ohio reading at a proficient level in 2023, according to the Ohio Department of Education annual report cards. This reflects a bounce-back from a low-water mark of 51.9% in the 2020-2021 school year, but still below the pre-pandemic level of 66.7%.
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55.9%: The percent of middle schoolers proficient in algebra, according to the Ohio Department of Education annual report cards. This reflects a reduction from 61.1% in the 2018-2019 school year.
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25.6%: The percent of students in 2023-2024 school year considered chronically absent, which reflected a decline from more than 26% the year prior. That number spiked during the pandemic when more than 30% of Ohio students were chronically absent during the 2020-2021 school year. The rate was just less than 17% before the pandemic.
Pandemic relief money on schools: how it impacted education
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$6.5 billion: The amount of pandemic relief money distributed to school districts across Ohio during several waves of federal funding.
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$1,000: Each $1,000 difference in relief spending per student was associated with a 0.03 grade equivalent increase in math achievement, equal to around six days of learning, and 0.018 grade equivalent increase in reading, which equals around three days of learning, according to collaborative research from Harvard and Stanford Universities
Mental health’s impact on education
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40%: The number of students who experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), such as family economic hardship, parental divorcee separation or a caregiver spending time in jail, according to a 2024 report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Students who have at least one ACE were associated with lower grades, more school absenteeism, and more school suspensions, according to The National Institutes of Health.
Cbehrens@dispatch.com
@Colebehr_report
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Just how much learning did kids lose during the pandemic?