The achievement gap is expected to get wider in the coming years. Due to Covid-19, engagement in online learning among low income and black students are between 60-70%. This number may even be lower in immigrant communities that are low income. How is this going to impact success of our young people?
The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to— not just the health disparities in America—but also the widening educational gap between Black & Hispanic students and White & Asian American students. The sudden closure of middle and high school campuses during spring of 2020 meant, for many, having to borrow computers, use cellular data for internet connection, and more. It also meant that these students would not have the support of their teachers, advisors, and mentors with them in-person as they’re learning. A story I read recently from a government tech website talked about a young student named Huliser who missed 6 weeks of online school because he didn’t have access to a computer and broadband internet. You might wonder why it took so long for Huliser to gain access to a laptop. This is because his parents didn’t have any means of transportation and because his school shipped his Chromebook late. Even after he received the Chromebook, it took a couple more weeks for the internet to work. He had no choice but to skip classes during those weeks.
Like Huliser, there are many other students across the country who have to jump through multiple obstacles before they can partake in online learning along with their classmates.
High schoolers who provide essential services (i.e. healthcare workers, Target/Walmart employees, etc.) face additional problems since they spend long hours at work and often come home fatigued. As a result, they are less likely to log on to classroom websites and participate in activities compared to their unemployed peers.
"Lower-income students are less likely to have access to high-quality remote learning or to a conducive learning environment, such as a quiet space with minimal distractions, devices they do not need to share, high-speed internet, and parental academic supervision." (McKinsey and Company)
Recently, McKinsey and Company completed an analysis on the impacts of Covid-19 and online learning on students of different demographics. According to the study:
“Learning loss will probably be greatest among low-income, black, and Hispanic students. Lower-income students are less likely to have access to high-quality remote learning or to a conducive learning environment, such as a quiet space with minimal distractions, devices they do not need to share, high-speed internet, and parental academic supervision. Data from Curriculum Associates, creators of the i-Ready digital-instruction and -assessment software, suggest that only 60 percent of low-income students are regularly logging into online instruction; 90 percent of high-income students do. Engagement rates are also lagging behind in schools serving predominantly black and Hispanic students; just 60 to 70 percent are logging in regularly.”
(Exhibit 3 From McKinsey Study - See reference below)
Unfortunately, this has a much longer term in pack in our community. Many Ethiopian immigrant families are struggling with remote learning. From the youngest of ages in preschool to the ones pursuing undergraduate careers, our community of students are finding this new norm very challenging. According to the McKinsey study, “The average loss in our middle epidemiological scenario is seven months. But black students may fall behind by 10.3 months, Hispanic students by 9.2 months, and low-income students by more than a year. We estimate that this would exacerbate existing achievement gaps by 15 to 20 percent.” The long-term impact of this current challenge can last a lifetime for a student.
Such unprecedented times like these call for creative solutions from our communities, school board chairs and directors. What can we do to ensure struggling students in our community have a fair chance at a successful school year for 2020-2021?
- Written by Bethel Tadesse
Sophomore at University of Minnesota Studying Neuroscience
References
Dorn, E., Hancock, B., Sarakatsannis, J., & Viruleg, E. (2020, August 07). COVID-19 and student learning in the United States: The hurt could last a lifetime. Retrieved September 22, 2020, from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/covid-19-and-student-learning-in-the-united-states-the-hurt-could-last-a-lifetime
King, D. (2020, May 18). Immigrant Students Face Barriers With Online Education. Retrieved