CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The pandemic stood as a barrier for many North Carolina students trying to excel academically.
The report shows most students continued to progress, but the progress was at a slower pace than they would have done otherwise.
Along with students struggling to keep up in the classrooms, the report also details the struggle to hire employees, and the challenges educators face in getting students back to grade-level expectations.
The State Department of Public Instruction's report details students who spent more days learning in person performed closer to expectations than those who spent more days in a virtual classroom, but reality versus expectation was far worse depending on factors like race, gender, and disability status.
They say growth dropped for students of color, students who lacked internet access and economically disadvantaged students, and the report revealed the need to close test score gaps.
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They say the gaps have become much wider during the 2020-2021 school year.
Some schools like CMS saw a big dip in numbers before the pandemic with graduation rates dropping by 5% from 2015 through last fall.
The department of instruction along with schools are coming up with different strategies to get kids back on track.
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