NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Education Research Alliance (TERA) at Vanderbilt University released new research that examines the impact the pandemic had on both teachers and students during the Fall 2020 semester.
Spanish Version: Vanderbilt publica investigación que examina el impacto de la pandemia en maestros y estudiantes
TERA worked closely with six school districts to analyze data such as enrollment, attendance, teacher retention, and experiences.
“The purpose of the project was to work directly with districts to help them understand patterns in data that districts always collect about students and their teachers. As well as collect additional data to really get a better sense of the experiences that students and teachers were having,” said Susan Patrick, with the Tennessee Education Research Alliance.
The research noted four key findings:
- Students felt supported by their teachers, but some students struggled with motivation
- More students were chronically absent this fall than in previous years, and absenteeism increased the most among English Learners
- Student enrollment decreased, and more students withdrew for homeschooling
- Retention rates for teachers and school leaders increased in all districts this fall, but many educators reported that they have had increased responsibilities
“This isn’t surprising…a high level of stress…a high level of really struggling this year. Districts can think maybe more intentionally about what additional support they can offer both students and teachers,” Patrick stated.
For more on the study, click here.
