What affect did the pandemic have on schooling?
09/14/2021, 2:03 pm
Updated on: 14.09.2021, 2:03 pm
Elizabeth Hashagen of News 12 was welcomed by Ashley Bencan and Dr. Peggy McDonald accompanied.
Bencan is a co-founder of Connect Ed Workforce, an education advisory group. Dr. McDonald is the Special Project Coordinator for the Foundation for Educational Administration and a former NJDOE Assistant Commissioner for the Student Services Department.
Analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute shows that the impact of the pandemic on K-12 student learning was significant, with students lagging an average of five months in math and four months behind in reading at the end of the school year. The switch to distance learning during the pandemic disrupted special school services and likely exacerbated an already widening performance gap.
A report by New York Auditor Thomas DiNapoli found that when schools closed their doors to full face-to-face learning in March 2020 and switched to distance or hybrid options, 464,000 students with disabilities nationwide – that’s 18% of K-12 enrollments – got lost on vital services. What has to happen to try to compensate for what has not been done?
How do school districts find out how to prioritize federal funds and should they be spent on special education programs?
