Will the last be the first? School closures and educational outcomes.
Michele Battisti1,2, Giuseppe Maggio3,2
1Department of Law, University of Palermo, Piazza Bologni 8, 90134 Palermo, Italy.
European Economic Review
|March 14, 2023
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic
Area of Science:
- Education Policy
- Epidemiology
- Economics
Background:
- School closures and online learning were key COVID-19 containment strategies.
- These policies may incur significant educational costs.
- The study quantifies these costs for Italian students.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and quantify the educational costs of COVID-19 school closures.
- To analyze the impact on test scores across different grade levels.
- To investigate factors influencing these educational outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Difference-in-difference model in relative time.
- Utilized data from Italian students in 5th, 8th, and 13th grades (2021/22 school year).
- Controlled for pre-pandemic cohorts.
Main Results:
- National average loss of 1.8-4.0% in Mathematics and Italian test scores.
- Each additional school closure day decreased test scores by 2.4% in Sicily.
- Parental education partially compensated for losses in lower grades.
Conclusions:
- COVID-19 school closures led to significant learning loss.
- Heterogeneous effects observed across class size, parental background, and job conditions.
- Potential for increased educational inequalities due to reduced in-person teaching.
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