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The Academic Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on America’s Most-Exceptional Learners — Scott J. Peters

Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 10:45 am – 12:15 pm, Lawrence D. McHugh Hall, Room MCHU 302

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in substantial unfinished learning for U.S. students, but to differing degrees for various subgroups. For example, students of color, those from low-income families, or those who attended high-poverty schools experienced greater unfinished learning. In this study, we examined the degree of unfinished learning for students who went into the pandemic scoring at the highest and lowest levels. Our results show that students who scored at or below the 10th percentile grew less during the pandemic than their similarly-scoring pre-COVID peers and, as of the end of the 2021–2022 school year, had yet to rebound toward pre-COVID levels of growth or achievement. Conversely, students who scored at or above the 90th percentile grew at rates closer to their pre-COVID peers. These students were harmed less academically and have recovered more quickly than their peers scoring at or below the 10th percentile. In this session, we share the findings and implications of our present study as well as those from other research that is relevant to the question of how the COVID-19 pandemic, and its related school closures, influenced the achievement and growth of advanced learners.