Inequalities in Learning Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Chile: The Significance of School Effectiveness

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 9:00 am
  In Roundtable Session: School Effectiveness and School Improvement Round Table #1 (Table 15)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic-driven learning losses reflected the unequal capacities to substitute in-person teaching among subjects and sociodemographic groups. This study proposes that these losses also depend on the pre-pandemic effectiveness of schools. Through an indicator of schools' pre-pandemic effectiveness and a first-difference method, we compared learning losses among schools with different effectiveness between 2017-2018 and 2022 in Chile. More effective schools experienced greater learning losses. These losses were more moderate the more days of in-person classes schools had in 2021 and the higher the students' attendance in 2022. The school closures and the low post-pandemic attendance had a lesser impact on less effective schools, highlighting their pre-pandemic challenges in enhancing students' learning.

Authors

• Danilo Kuzmanic, University College London

• Juan Pablo Valenzuela, Universidad de Chile

• Francisco Meneses, Universidad de Chile