Absence of a COVID-induced academic drop in high-school physics learning

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of secondary instruction in the United States transitioned to an online environment. In many parts of the country, online schooling continued for upwards of two years. Many experts have hypothesized an “academic slide”—a reduction in student learning—following this period of online instruction. We investigated the change in student preparation for introductory college physics in incoming Stanford University students between the fall term of 2019 to the fall term of 2021. We did this by looking at the performance on a validated physics diagnostic exam that all Stanford students intending to take a physics course took before enrolling in an introductory physics course. We found no statistically or educationally significant change in scores. Despite many anecdotal faculty reports, at least for this population, the level of student preparation in physics and related math appears to be unchanged.

Figure 1

Score distribution in 2019 (top) and 2021 (bottom) for students intending to enroll in algebra-based physics.

Figure 2

Score distribution in 2019 (top) and 2021 (bottom) for students intending to enroll in calculus-based physics.