The Impact of COVID-19 on Schools
About the Project
2020 was an unprecedented year in history. The COVID-19 pandemic began and rapidly escalated during a tumultuous social and political landscape. The abrupt closure of public schools in March 2020–Spring of 2021 forced a radical shift to remote learning for over 50 million U.S. students, including close to 6 million California youth. The pandemic disproportionately affected low-income and communities of color and exacerbated existing educational disparities. More than five years later, students have been severely impacted. Students’ learning and academic growth as well as their social- and emotional development have declined.
We produced two research publications that spotlight the effects of COVID-19 on California’s schools and students through educator interviews and surveys, and statewide post-COVID data analysis.
In September 2025, CTS leadership co-edited and co-authored a Teachers College Record special issue on COVID, “The COVID Effect: Unlocking the Education Potential for a Generation of Learners,” bringing together scholars from across the U.S. and U.K. to examine how the pandemic reshaped education systems, worsened inequities, and revealed opportunities for schools to better support diverse student needs. This work examines both California’s experience and the broader national and global context.
CTS Publications
When the Lights are Turned On: Documenting the Impact of COVID-19 on California’s Education Landscape
Joseph Bishop, Ph.D., Tyrone Howard, Ph.D.
UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools
Rebuilding More Humane Schools Post-COVID-19: Prioritizing Student Engagement, Social-Emotional Learning and Well-Being
Lucrecia Santibañez, Ph.D.
UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools
Teachers College Record COVID Special Issue
Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education published a special issue, “The COVID Effect: Unlocking the Education Potential for a Generation of Learners,” edited by CTS Executive Director Joseph P. Bishop and CTS Faculty Co-Director Tyrone C. Howard.
This collection of eight articles brings together leading education scholars to examine how the pandemic reshaped education systems in the U.S. and abroad, worsening inequities for historically marginalized students while revealing opportunities for systems change. With topics spanning multilingual learner access, student wellbeing, test score declines, and policy responses, this issue provides evidence-based insights for educators, education leaders, and policymakers navigating the pandemic’s long-term impact.
UCLA CTS leadership contributed articles on educational equity and the experiences of English Learners:
The COVID Effect: Unlocking the Education Potential for a Generation of Learners
Open Access
Joseph P. Bishop, Ph.D., UCLA
Tyrone C. Howard, Ph.D. UCLA
Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on District Spending for English Learners
Open Access
Lucrecia Santibañez, Ph.D., UCLA
Marlene Saint Martin Guerra, UCLA
“Together, these papers offer new insights and frameworks for understanding the impact of the pandemic and advancing targeted, equity-driven responses as we move forward to support students, educators and schools. Our hope that this special issue will spark new conversations, scholarly endeavors, and courageous policy actions from lawmakers committed to addressing the cumulative, negative effects of the pandemic on young people.”
-Joseph P. Bishop, Ph.D., UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools Executive Director
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