How Students Are Still Recovering From Covid 19 Policies in 2023

Our students have been through a lot in the last 4 years. For that matter, teachers and parents have all been fairly reeling from the effects of remote learning and the return to normal (whatever that might be).

For our children, our students, so young and new to the world, it must be difficult to keep this turn of events in perspective. A fourteen year old staring out in high school at the beginning of Covid, these last few years were their high school years. There is no return method to solve that, there is no vaccine to save them that suffering and loss.

That change happened, and the impact those four years of unconventional learning had on their education is something they have confront, now. Unfortunately, the test scores indicate they have their work cut out for them. But these students don’t have to fix this mess alone. They have great teachers, institutions, and parents to help them. That was also proven over the last 4 years. And they have great services like Skooli available to take some of that pressure off everyone, including the students.

Test scores reflect the challenges

Test scores have been coming in over the last year, and these scores, regardless of the test, are saying the same thing: Covid 19 was BAD for education. Nationwide. PBS News Hour reports that the results of the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), a test which assesses hundreds of thousands of fourth graders, shows little to no progress.

Math scores have seen the largest decreases ever, and reading has dropped to 1992 levels. Some argue that scores were falling even before Covid 19 wreaked havoc on education, but whether the blame lies in containment policy of the coronavirus or other educational woes, the fact remains that the nation as a whole faces a real and immediate problem in our students’ learning.

Reading and math just are not going well right now, and teachers and parents can all agree that students are not benefiting emotionally or practically from this situation. So how do best address it?

Addressing the challenges

The first and probably most important step is to simply talk about it. Having an open dialogue between students and teachers about the problems kids are facing can go a long way to helping everyone get back on track. CNN Health advises that improving student test scores may not always start with a rigorous course of drills and worksheets.

Skooli’s professional tutors all hold professional teacher licensures, and many additionally hold master’s degrees or higher in their subject of study. These professional teachers are equipped to customize lessons to fit the needs of struggling students, or even students who are simply “burned out” on traditional methods.

Nurturing students’ well-being for academic success

Learning together in new ways builds confidence for both students and teachers. When students are struggling, teachers and tutors can use that opportunity to share stories about how they overcame difficulties in their own education.

• Playing games is a less stressful way for young students to engage in material, and quite possibly retain it even better than in more conventional class room methods.
• A trip outdoors can be great way to make connections with their daily lessons and the natural world around them. Students also need a chance to catch their breath. While there is so much pressure to raise test scores, mental health is more important than ever. To do well academically, students have to have a safe and sound mind.
• Give students a chance to rest, to eat, and to talk. Listen to your students’ needs, not just the test scores.

Finally, students, teachers, parents and tutors all need to be on the same page. We all want what is best for the students, and a brighter, more accessible academic future. We can get this through open dialogue and working together with purpose and patience.

Collaborative efforts for a brighter academic future

Covid 19 and the policies that came along with it may have taken a toll on academics and students, but there is much we can get out of it if we try. Yes, test scores have gone down. And yes, academics and learning have been lost.

But never before has a nation been able to so accurately measure nationwide academics. We know more about what our students know than ever before. We also have more effective ways to help them than ever before.

If nothing else, Covid 19 taught us how to be flexible about how to learn, whether in or out of the class room, online, remote, together or independently. With Skooli 1:1 professional online tutors, your students and your institution will not have to recover from Covid 19 alone.