Audit shows Georgia K-12 students fell months behind while learning remotely during pandemic
A new state audit shows that on average, Georgia’s public school students fell between three and six months behind during the pandemic. The report says officials need to carefully target resources to help kids catch up.
When COVID-19 hit Georgia in March of 2020, schools shifted quickly to virtual learning. The next fall, some districts stuck with online learning while others moved to a hybrid system where they alternated between face-to-face learning and virtual days. Students fell behind because, for most, online learning wasn’t as effective as in-person instruction, according to the audit.
That was especially true for students in vulnerable populations. Economically disadvantaged students, for example, often lacked access to healthcare, food and housing, and internet connectivity. Parents of those students are also more likely to work in jobs that don’t have telework options and may have depended on older children to care for their younger siblings during the day, the report says. The audit says schools had a hard time delivering services to English language learners and students with disabilities.
By the end of the 2021 school year, students in majority-white schools were, on average, four months behind in math and three months behind in reading, according to the audit. Students in majority-Black schools were, on average, six months behind in math and reading. The report shows students in low-income schools were further behind than students in more affluent areas. Students in urban and suburban schools were further behind than students in rural areas, the report says.
Although the percentage of virtual students decreased during the 2020-21 school year, most Asian-American students (58%) and almost half of Black students (49%) opted to remain virtual when schools offered an in-person option. Twenty-eight percent of Hispanic students and 15 % of white students chose to remain online when given the choice to return, the report shows.
Auditors sent surveys to almost 4,000 teachers across the state. About 19% responded. Ninety percent of respondents said they received some training on virtual instruction but didn’t think it was sufficient. Most teachers who responded to the survey said they weren’t able to cover all of the state standards required in their grade level or courses for the year. They said that was due to shortened school days and less instructional time in general. The state’s analysis shows pass rates dropped in all grade levels, especially among schools with high numbers of economically disadvantaged students.
Auditors say the Georgia Department of Education should consider additional monitoring and evaluation measures to ensure districts use federal stimulus money to address learning loss according to best practices. These include offering high-dosage tutoring and using formative assessments (shorter, more frequent tests) to assess students’ progress. GDE responded, saying it will continue to ensure districts follow federal law when using relief money. The department emphasized that the state can’t dictate local spending as long as school systems are complying with the law.
Related
Top Stories
