Compared to a normal year, students learned less in 2020, were more likely to fail their classes and were less likely to be in school at all. Is this all just temporary? As we move into 2021, will everything start returning back to normal?

Based on the research on past educational disruptions, the answers are sobering: We should expect large learning losses that will affect the current generation of students for the rest of their lives. Here are 10 key lessons from that body of research:

  1. Lost learning time will translate into lost learning.
  2. The losses are likely to be large.
  3. The full extent of the COVID learning losses may not show up immediately, but small losses can grow over time.
  4. Learning losses are likely to be larger in younger children.
  5. Math scores are likely to drop the most.
  6.  Beyond academic losses, students are at risk of disconnecting from education.
  7. Higher-income students may not suffer any noticeable effects.
  8. Low-income and disadvantaged students will suffer the biggest losses.
  9. The COVID-induced recession will affect children, families and schools in many ways.
  10. Without any action, the losses are likely to have long-term consequences.

Read the full article about COVID-19 learning loss by Chad Aldeman at The 74.