The Impact of Covid-19 on Early Care and Education

The National Academy of Sciences Engineering and Medicine released a study in January arguing that the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated many issues in the early care and education sector (ECE). These heightened challenges include “pre-existing structural flaws; insufficient funding mechanisms; sector fragmentation; inadequate support for the workforce; and inequalities, such as the lack of access to high-quality care among low-income, rural populations, and communities of color”.[1] In addition, the impacts of the pandemic have widened opportunity and achievement gaps, hitting economically disadvantaged students and students of color the hardest. During the 2020-2021 school year, “test-score gaps between students in low-poverty and high-poverty elementary schools grew by approximately 20% in math (corresponding to 0.20 SDs) and 15% in reading (0.13 SDs)”.[2]

A Brookings report released in March found that students are underachieving in both math and reading across the board. “Average fall 2021 math test scores in grades 3-8 were 0.20-0.27 standard deviations (SDs) lower relative to same-grade peers in fall 2019 while reading test scores were 0.09-0.18 SDs lower”.[3] The possibility for long-term effects well past the learning curves we saw in 2020 is incredibly concerning. High school students became more likely to drop out and high school seniors, particularly from lower socioeconomic statuses, are now less likely to go to college.[4]

These have been unprecedented times and addressing these growing challenges will require new and creative solutions. In their piece for The National Academy of Sciences Engineering and Medicine, Erdal Tekin, Jaqueline Jones, and Sharon L. Kagan suggest five overarching strategies for curbing the many issues that became heightened by the pandemic. Their suggestions include: using available recovery funds to reduce the rate of closures and assist the providers that were forced to close during the pandemic, assisting the ECE workforce by increasing pay, opportunities, and benefits for staff, modifying subsidy reimbursement and payment policies, coordinating funding and services across the ECE sector, integrating data systems at the state and local levels to facilitate rapid-response planning, allow for real-time access to data, and track outcomes.[5]

As data continues to emerge on the educational disparities caused by the pandemic, policymakers and leaders in education in the state of Texas must seek solutions to keep our students on track.

[1] https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/26463/chapter/1#2

[2]https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2022/03/03/the-pandemic-has-had-devastating-impacts-on-learning-what-will-it-take-to-help-students-catch-up/

[3]https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2022/03/03/the-pandemic-has-had-devastating-impacts-on-learning-what-will-it-take-to-help-students-catch-up/

[4]https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/education/our-insights/covid-19-and-education-the-lingering-effects-of-unfinished-learning

[5] https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/26463/chapter/1#2