Pandemic policies lead to dropping high school graduation rates, reversing decades-long trend

High school graduation rates for the class of 2021 dropped in 20 out of 26 states examined in a recent education

. The drop was due in part to pandemic policies such as school closures and remote learning.  The report claims this is the first time in nearly two decades that public schools are seeing fewer graduates year over year on a national scale. Of the reporting states, Illinois, North Dakota, and Oregon decreased by two full points from 2020 to 2021. A drop of 1.9% or less was reported by 17 other states. Only six saw an increase in graduation rates over the same span: Florida, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wyoming. However, even these increases reflected a much lower rate of growth than the previous year. Educators are concerned. Chris Reykdal, a superintendent in Washington state, which saw a half point drop, said, “It does concern me. I don’t ever want to see a decline. We’ve made such steady progress.” It has become clear that pandemic policies had a detrimental impact on students of all ages. But high school students were hit especially hard. Carly Lott, a school counselor in Reno, Nevada, saw this firsthand. “We have a significant group of kids on our campus who failed an entire year of high school,” Lott said.  Virtual learning also left the students feeling unmotivated and secluded. “It was a lot of self-teaching and self-motivation,” one high schooler said in the report. “I was just really alone with it all.” Evidence has shown that some students are

due to the limited social interaction with peers during the pandemic. Over 7,100 schools are temporarily closing

Their policies aren’t giving students the education they deserve.  Graduation rates are one more indication of a national educational shift that is beginning to feel seismic. School closures, mental health issues, and

have contributed to

from the public school system. It is no wonder that parents are increasingly in

and many are making the switch.