2 Years To Recover From COVID Learning Gap

Alex Torres-Perez takes a look at how big a learning gap due to the pandemic is and its impact on students.

Covid learning gap educators tell us it could take up to 2 years for students to recover!

Waay 31's alex torres-perez joins us live with a look at how big that gap is right now and the impact it's having on students and their parents.

It's been a unique school year to say the least.

I spoke to one parent whose son started high school virtually this year!

She says it's been hard on her and her son -- and now he has concerns he'll be behind next school year.

It's been challenging.

Linda ashby and her son tristan are both asthmatic -- so she chose to keep him virtual for the rest of the school year.

I didn't want him to go to school get something there and bring it home and give it to me.

It's just easier for us to stay in our bubble this year.

However -- ashby quickly noticed the impact virtual classes had on her son's grades.

He had fs all across the board.

He wasn't getting it.

The examples he wasn't understanding.

Thankfully- her job offered a tutoring service to help.

Within 2 weeks with his tutor at sylvan learning, he was at an a.

A low a, but still an a.

Tristan wasn't the only one who faced this issue.

Around 2 thousand students across the state are using the same tutoring company to help with their online classes.

John mcauliffe-everyone was so new to virtual or hybrid learning that i think it was natural that there was going to be this process and this time gap where students weren't going to learn as effectively as they would in a classroom.

John mcauliffe is the ceo for sylvan learning.

He says they've noticed a loss in learning during the pandemic.

Their assesment showed an average learning loss of about 3 months in both reading and math across grades 3 through 8.

While it may not seem like much -- mcauliffe says... kids virtually loss a year of school.

This is going to be a year and a half to 2 year impact moving forward to try and get kids to the point they would have normally been had they been attending school.

Several school districts have announced their plans to try and close the covid learning gap by offering summer classes or even starting the school year early.

But -- ashby says she doesn't think she'll be able to put her son through summer school.

He needs that little break.

He might be burnt out by the time he gets into 10th grade.

Plus -- she needs a little break herself.

I was overwhelmed with working from home, the pandemic, and the kids here 24/7 the ceo of sylvan learning says parents should not worry because he expects students to catch up once everything returns to normal.

Reporting live in madison co.

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