Samuel Case, FISM News
A new study by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that students are still feeling the negative effects of COVID-19 lockdowns and remote learning.
According to the NCES, 72% of public schools have seen an increase in chronic absenteeism, which is typically defined as a student missing 15 or more days of school or 10% of the school year.
Earlier this year, FISM News reported that chronic absenteeism has risen to 40% in New York City public schools, roughly translating to 375,000 students out of the 938,000 enrolled in NYC’s schools.
Likewise, NCES found that 83% of public schools “agreed or strongly agreed that students’ behavioral development has also been negatively impacted,” in the 21-22 school year, Market Insider reports.
According to the data, 56% of public schools have seen an increase in classroom disruptions from unruly students and 48% reported an increase in disrespect from students.
Meanwhile, 87% of public schools said that COVID-19 has negatively affected the socio-emotional development of students. As a result, 79% of public schools said they required additional help with student and /or staff mental health.
In April, a CDC report outlined the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns on teen mental health, showing that “over a third of students reported stress, anxiety, and depression during the pandemic,” while “ 44% of students said that in the previous year they had felt so persistently sad and hopeless.”