Combined Schools as a (Non) Protective Factor During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Exploring Middle School Transitions Under Typical versus Atypical School Conditions

Datos Bibliográficos

ID11670849
AutoresMelissa Kay Diliberti (0009-0002-6035-3097, RAND Corporation, autor de correspondencia), Jonathan D Schweig (RAND Corporation), Jonathan Schweig (0000-0003-1950-0358, RAND Corporation), Louis T Mariano (RAND Corporation), Megan Kuhfeld (0000-0002-2231-5228, NWEA), Andrew Mceachin (0000-0002-5113-6616, ETS Research Institute, Princeton, NJ)
Año2025
Volumen46
Número2
Páginas278-305
Fecha de publicación2025-02-02
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaThe Journal of Early Adolescence (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0272-4316 • E-ISSN: 1552-5449
EditorialSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/02724316251317596
OpenAlexW4407110528
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas32

Combined schools spanning the elementary and middle grades (like K–8 schools) can protect students from harms associated with structural transitions by offering a stable school environment at a time when youth are undergoing many physical, psychological, and social changes. Using math and reading MAP Growth assessment scores from 20,000 students in parallel prepandemic and pandemic event studies, we investigate the extent to which the protective benefits historically offered by combined schools prepandemic held during the COVID-19 pandemic—a period of prolong disruption to normal schooling conditions. We find sixth and seventh graders enrolled in combined schools before the pandemic had scores 0.12 to 0.16 standard deviation (SD) units higher than their peers in standalone middle schools. That advantage diminished during the pandemic; middle grade youth in combined schools in 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 had math and reading scores that were only 0.04 to 0.08 SDs higher than their transitional counterparts. During the pandemic, school configuration mattered more for students’ reading, but not their math, achievement if they were attending school in-person than if they were attending school remotely. Our findings raise questions about the mechanisms through which combined schools offer academic benefits under both typical and atypical schooling conditions

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Geography · Outbreak · Pandemic · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 · Early Childhood Education and Development · Medicine · School Choice and Performance · Youth Development and Social Support · Internal Medicine · Virology