STEELTON, Pa. — It’s official: summer break is over and school is back in session. Across Pennsylvania, students are beginning school fully in person for the first time since 2019 today.
Finding a “new normal” is expected to be the biggest hurdle getting into the school year, according to educators. Students had to adjust to a series of changes during the pandemic. When schools shut down, they had to adapt to remote learning. When schools slowly began opening back up, students juggled rolling closures and hybrid learning with new restrictions in school, like social distancing and mask wearing.
Those factors have affected students socially, emotionally, and academically, and the deficits are starting to show.
Nationally, standardized test scores dropped significantly from 2019 to 2021, according to a Brookings Institution study, with an even larger drop at high-poverty schools.
In Pennsylvania, test scores in English fell between 3.5% and 7%, depending on grade level. Math scores dropped between 7% and 11%, though the Pennsylvania Department of Education pointed out in its data that fewer students took the PSSA in 2019, so comparison may be less accurate.
Educators said they’re ready to tackle and correct pandemic learning loss, despite concerns that coronavirus restrictions could force schools to return to remote learning.
“I get the vibe here that everyone is ready to step away from those computers, both students and staff,” Eleni Cordero, principal of Steelton-Highspire Jr./Sr. High School told FOX43. "They’re very hesitant though. The kids know how to do it, they just don’t want to do it. So we have it on the backburner. Let’s really focus on instructional practices that really engage our kids.”
Steelton-Highspire held a community rally to welcome students as they got off the bus for their first day of school. Cordero said students were especially excited this year to see their friends back in person.
Another big change for students is coming in the lunchroom. During the pandemic, a federal program provided free and reduced lunch to all students, regardless of family income eligibility requirements. This year, the program has ended, so eligible families will need to apply for free or reduced lunch benefits.