Hawaii education affected by COVID
Early in the pandemic, major concerns were expressed over how its many disruptions might hurt education. Shuttered schools, remote learning, canceled sports and activities, experts warned there could be a lost generation of American students.
A study released this week by the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows those worries were well founded. Average math scores on the “nation’s report card” plunged eight points, the biggest decline ever. Reading scores regressed to 1992 levels. The numbers say kids are about a year behind where they should be.
The good news on the study is Hawaii students fared pretty well. Island fourth graders scored above the national average once again. Our eighth graders reached the national level in reading for the first time and were just slightly below average in math.
Hats off to Hawaii students, teachers, parents and caregivers. We saw what you went through these past few years. We heard your tales of homeschooling, making ends meet and struggling to secure childcare. The pandemic kept throwing curveballs and you kept swinging.
That said, it would be naive to think Hawaii education came through unscathed. It will be decades before the pandemic’s full impact is known, but there are sure to be a zillion studies and doctoral theses delving into its effect on everything from math comprehension to the price of soy sauce packets.
Complicating those studies will be a slew of differing conditions. Our students not only lived through the isolation and uncertainty of a pandemic, they did so in an increasingly unsettled and divided world. They had to wrap their heads around an insurrection, impeachment, global supply-chain breakdowns, a war in Europe and, now, saber rattling with nuclear weapons by Russia and North Korea.
How many Maui students had family incomes diminished by the economic downturn? How many had to find work? How many lost family members to COVID-19, or saw them move away in search of opportunity?
Speaking with an educator last week, we heard how some students have changed. These kids returned to school difficult to motivate, to hold to standards. They would like good grades, but can’t be bothered to do the work to earn those A’s and B’s. And then there is the joy of angry parents charging into the office to demand that exceptions be made for their child.
The educator said a sense of entitlement and disrespect for authority has led to an increase in behavior challenges in the classroom and on campus. This longtime teacher and administrator said they spend more time tending to discipline issues than ever before.
A bumpy road was expected for Hawaii education. The adaptability of our educators and resiliency of our students are to be commended. Here’s hoping the hard portion of their test is over.