A newly released national survey from the Institute of Education Sciences found that 8 in 10 public schools have seen stunted behavioral and socioemotional development in their students because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public schools taking part in the survey say they’ve seen a greater number of classroom disruptions and an increase in tardiness.
The school pulse survey also found that the rates of student and teacher absenteeism have risen in comparison to prior school years. During the 2021-2022 school year, 7 out of 10 schools surveyed reported a rise in student and teacher absences. In the South, 68% percent of schools noticed higher chronic teacher absenteeism and 69% saw an increase in student absences.
Other key findings showed that nearly three-quarters of public schools have to frequently rely on school administrators, non-teaching staff, and teachers during their free periods to cover classes. 87% of schools in the South reported using non-teaching staff to cover classes when substitute teachers were unavailable.
The School Pulse Panel is a study collecting information on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic from a national sample of elementary, middle, high, and combined-grade public schools.
