The Grade Depression: more students failing due to virtual learning

Due to restrictions on social distancing, remote or online learning in the U.S. became the logical alternative for many schools. But as the new school year began in August, it became apparent that this new platform was having a negative impact on student’s grades. Randolph County Schools has seen a marked increase in the number of students from third grade through high school and early college who have failed at least one course in the first nine weeks. The district reported 37.2 percent of the student population between third and 12th grade failed at least one course in the first nine weeks of the 2020-2021 school year, compared to 11.1 percent in the same time period the previous year.