
The COVID pandemic has impacted many areas of our life, including academics. Georgia State University found that after a year of remote learning and the additional stress caused by COVID, first year college students earned more D’s and F’s in foundational courses than in years past. The percentage of students who dropped or withdrew from their classes went from 30 percent to 40 percent (www.chronicle.com). It is still unclear what these effects will have on incoming first year students with standardized tests, placement tests, and grades being largely skewed.
It is no surprise that this has had a greater impact on students who lacked reliable technology and quiet places to study. These students also found themselves having to work and take care of their siblings. Unfortunately, this has disproportionately affected low-income and minority students who have experienced greater achievement gaps even prior to the pandemic (www.chronicle.com).

If these trends continue, it is predicted that white students in grades K-12 could end up four to eight months behind in learning by the end of the 2020-21 school year. The effect that this could have on students of color is even greater - these students could be six to 12 months behind, which can make the achievement gap even larger (www.mckinsey.com).
Because these academic struggles were predicted to happen due to the pandemic many summer programs have been developed to help students bridge the gap. Unfortunately, enrollment in these programs is low mainly due to “Zoom fatigue”. Students have had a rough year and many feel like they need a break to help rejuvenate for the upcoming school year and I have to say that I don’t blame them!
One of the biggest fears is that students will be placed in college level courses that they are not prepared for due in part to inflated GPA’s. It is important that colleges look at this and plan accordingly by having extra support and targeted tutoring as needed. If this isn’t in place I fear that many students will be placed on academic probation and will end up dropping out due to not living up to their (and the colleges) expectations.
Colleges will be trying multiple approaches to help combat these challenges. A couple different approaches are as follows (www.chronicle.com):
-Offering a one credit supplemental course lead by upper division students
-Classes with high failure rates will have additional tutors
-Residence halls will be offering tutoring in the evenings
-Some professors will give pre-tests to their students to gauge their level of preparation
After this challenging year it is important we take the time to congratulate students for being resilient enough to get through it!
If you are worried about navigating this upcoming school year don’t be afraid to reach out for support - info@atozeducationalconuslting.com or 612-735-1261.
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