Students have been forced to adapt to virtual learning, leaving low-income and minority students the most vulnerable to poor academic outcomes. Image Credit: https://www.iste.org/explore/learning-during-covid-19/7-ways-make-remote-learning-accessible-all-students
By Alyssa Schnoor, JHBL Staff Member
Long before the pandemic shut down, schools across the country were already experiencing an alarming achievement gap between poor students/students of color and wealthy/white students. A major reason for this gap is funding, with non-white school districts receiving an average of $23 billion less than predominantly white school districts, despite serving about the same number of students. It is important to note that not all low-income schools predominantly serve minority students, but minority students are overrepresented compared to white students in low-income, underperforming schools. Although inequitable funding for schools is one contributing factor, the achievement gap between white students and Black students is already present by the time children are four years old. Disparities in education outcomes are a result of larger social disparities. The COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote learning have revealed the severity of this national crisis.
Most school districts across the country reopened schools in Fall 2020 for “hybrid learning.” Hybrid learning is a mix of virual and in-person learning. However, even after schools have been gradually opened up, Black and Hispanic children are more likely to remain remote. This is because COVID cases tend to spike in low-income communities, where people do not have proper healthcare or the option to work from home. Another reason is the lack of resources. Schools serving low-income and minority students are less likely to have functioning ventilation systems or an adequate supply of cleaning supplies, masks, and other protective equipment necessary to reopen schools safely for in-person learning.
In order for these students to benefit from remote learning, they must have reliable internet access and a proper learning environment at home, as well as parents who can devote the time and energy to making sure students are staying on track. Data from the United States Education Department show that more than 9 million students between the ages of 3-18 do not have internet access at home, with some experts claiming that this number could be much higher. This “digital divide” has a disproportionate impact on minority children. Only 12 percent of white children lack internet access, compared to almost 20 percent of Black children and over 35 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native children. Minority students are more likely to have parents who are considered essential workers and unable to work from home. Therefore, minority students have less supervision and support to effectively engage in remote learning. The numbers show the disturbing differences. Only 60 percent of low-income students are regularly logging on for virtual learning, compared to 90 percent of high-income students. In schools with predominantly Black and Hispanic students, only 60-70 percent of students are regularly logging on for instruction. Compared to their white peers, minority students are more likely to experience learning loss during the pandemic, which could have long-lasting academic, social, and economic effects.
The racial disparities seen among students in schools during the pandemic result from larger disparities that exist in almost all aspects of life, including employment, housing, and healthcare. Since the pandemic hit the U.S., Black workers have faced an unemployment rate 14 percent higher than white workers. Black families are more likely to experience food and housing insecurity during this time, which leads to poor academic outcomes for children. Black children are also more likely to experience trauma from the death of a family member as a result of COVID. For people aged 45-54, COVID death rates are at least six times higher for Black and Hispanic people than for white people. While the pandemic has not created these inequities, it has exacerbated them and revealed that change is desperately needed to address them.
Disparities among students during the pandemic are causing education experts to panic. These outcomes will not be mitigated once schools are fully back to in-person learning, hopefully by the Fall of 2021. Rather, these effects will have lasting consequences for students if action is not taken. It is expected that there will be an increase in high-school dropout rates, which are already higher among minority and low-income students. The move to remote learning has disrupted the services and support systems in place to encourage students to stay in school and do well, including cultivating relationships with teachers and engaging in after-school sports.
In order to prevent these negative consequences, legislators first need to make sure education funding is not reduced in the most vulnerable communities. While wealthy school districts have a steady source of revenue coming from property taxes, lower-income districts rely on state income and sales tax, causing instability during times of economic downturn. In response to the loss of state revenues, states will likely be forced to make cuts to education. Faced with this crisis, Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio took a unique approach in making a $300 million budget cut for public schools in the state. Cleveland’s school district, which serves predominantly low-income students, lost only one percent of its main funding source, while an affluent Cleveland suburb lost 40 percent of its state funding. These wealthy suburban school districts are in a better position to make up for this loss through property taxes.
In addition to preventing budget cuts that hurt the most vulnerable students, school districts must provide students with adequate resources to make up for lost opportunities over the last year. Tennessee has developed a partnership allowing over 1,000 college students to provide one-on-one tutoring to children who need additional support. Outside the classroom, there should be a greater push towards providing social services and healthcare through schools by partnering with community organizations. No amount of academic support will be successful without ensuring students are taken care of physically, mentally, and emotionally. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided the country with an opportunity to work towards eradicating disparities that have plagued the education system for far too long.
Alyssa is a second-year law student at Suffolk University Law School interested in Education law. She graduated from Tulane University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are the views of the author alone and do not represent the views of JHBL or Suffolk University Law School.
Sources:
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/146/3/e20201440#ref-2
https://www.naacp.org/coronavirus/coronavirus-impact-on-students-and-education-systems/
https://www.weareteachers.com/stop-calling-it-an-achievement-gap/
https://www.chalkbeat.org/2020/5/26/21271188/ohio-new-york-schools-budget-cuts