Research Shows School Closures Will Set Students Back

PORTLAND, Ore. — It could take years for Oregon’s children to catch up on their education, according to new research. The COVID-19 induced school shutdown will make it tougher to make the grade.

Governor Kate Brown said it was the best decision she could make for the safety of students and staff, when she announced that she would close in person classes for the remainder of the school year.

But the Portland based Northwest Evaluation Association now says students will suffer major educational losses. The researchers used millions of test scores to estimate that elementary and middle school students are likely to start the fall with 50 percent of or less of the math skills they need, and 70 percent of the needed reading and writing skills.

A former school board member, and current Oregon City Mayor Dan Holiday, says though leaders made the decision to close schools based on the information they had at the time, he believes it’s safe to go back to school. “The virus doesn’t hit kids, especially, the way it does older adults,” he said. “I’m looking internationally at Denmark and Sweden and they’re both putting their kids back in school in a modified fashion.”

He says the sooner schools, and everything else can open up, the better, especially in smaller cities like his.