The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student social-emotional learning (SEL) and mental health was a top concern of California voters in May 2021. Key state officials acknowledged early on in the pandemic that SEL and student well-being would be a great challenge for students and schools. These concerns were warranted. Countless people continue to suffer the physical, emotional, and economic effects of the virus and our students have been severely impacted in their academic and social-emotional development. Research shows that the pandemic has had a negative impact on student mental health and social-emotional health and has increased rates of anxiety and attempted suicides. Self-efficacy has worsened in elementary schools, particularly for low-income students. With existing gaps in SEL before the pandemic by race/ethnicity and how the pandemic disproportionately affected low-income and students of color, it is highly likely that inequities persisted or even broadened since then. This brief analyzes new statewide post-COVID data on chronic absenteeism, academic motivation, student SEL and well-being, and school support staff shortages. It urges CA to focus its pandemic recovery efforts on improving student engagement, SEL, and well-being, with a targeted focus on vulnerable student groups such as low-income, English Learners, foster youth, and racial/ethnic minorities. The brief suggests efforts the state can lead and coordinate to ensure that LEAs can best utilize pandemic relief funding to make our school systems stronger during pandemic recovery. Learn more on the CTS website.
The abrupt closure of public schools in March 2020 forced a radical shift to remote learning for close to 6 million California students. The shift to digital platforms between the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years highlighted and exacerbated pre-existing educational inequities. In CA, there were an estimated 1.8 million students, most of which were Latinx and Black, without digital access at home (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2020). The pandemic’s impact extended beyond academics, affecting students’ social-emotional learning and mental health. Teachers had to navigate unfamiliar computer platforms and faced difficulties with student engagement. As the pandemic unfolded, the threat of COVID-19 compounded uncertainties. This brief intends to elevate new research by suggesting recommendations for strategic action based on the perspectives of educators across CA who participated in interviews and online surveys. Our hope in sharing this brief widely is that we’ll be able to turn the lights on, to see clearly the deep and profound effects of the virus on our education landscape. Learn more on the CTS website.
This policy brief identifies unique challenges and opportunities for CA’s rural schools and communities. Rural schools and communities face a unique set of chronic challenges including high levels of poverty and fewer job opportunities relative to urban areas, less access to healthcare, more significant teacher shortages, and heightened vulnerability to labor market shocks. Because school enrollment drives public school funding, rural schools have been historically underfunded, contributing to underinvestment in physical and educational infrastructure. The impact of these historic trends has been compounded by two distinctly modern challenges: COVID-19 and rampant annual wildfires. These challenges demand urgent action, and recent federal and state dollars represent an important investment to fund such action. If properly leveraged and made accessible to rural communities, federal and state resources can support rural districts in harnessing their unique assets and mitigating their distinct challenges. This policy brief explores current state and federal resources available to support evidence based solutions to the most pressing challenges facing rural California schools. These resources include funds from the American Rescue Plan, the American Families Plan, and the 2022-2023 California state budget. Learn more on the CTS website.
