Did Remote Learning Lead to Different Education and Health Outcomes in Pennsylvania?
Download
Key Findings
- Vulnerable groups of students were more likely than students overall to attend local education agencies (LEAs) where the predominant instructional modes included remote learning.
- The same groups of students were also more likely to be in LEAs where larger shares of the student population had trouble accessing reliable internet.
- More remote learning was associated with lower assessment performance in grades 5–8, especially in schools with higher levels of economic disadvantage. It was also associated with lower suspension rates in grades 6–12 and did not appear to harm or help graduation rates.
- Remote learning in high school was associated with lower subsequent COVID-19 rates within an LEA’s boundary, suggesting it had an important public health benefit.
This brief examines remote learning in Pennsylvania and its role in shaping education and community health outcomes during the 2020–2021 school year. The findings contribute to a growing evidence base on the effects of remote learning during the pandemic that has predominantly focused on assessment outcomes. This brief also explores suspension, high school graduation, and high school dropout outcomes, as well as whether remote learning helped reduce COVID-19 case rates in local communities.
More like this from Mathematica
How do you apply evidence?
Take our quick four-question survey to help us curate evidence and insights that serve you.
Take our survey