Three years into the COVID-19 pandemic era, concerns about teacher turnover and teacher shortages remain at the top of the education agenda. But contrary to media reports about a "wave of resignations and retirements" (e.g., Heller, 2021), early evidence from state databases showed a more nuanced picture: teacher attrition was actually…

We use student-level data on elementary special education identification from Washington state to explore student identification rates in the months immediately after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and over 2 subsequent years. Special education identification rates dropped dramatically in March 2020 through the end of the 2019-20 school year…

We analyze student-level data on elementary special education identification in Washington state to explore how identification rates changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that special education identification rates dropped dramatically in March 2020 through the end of the 2019-20 school year and remained below historical norms throughout…

The Recreation Management and Leadership (RML) program at Western Washington University utilizes a cohort-based model in which sequenced courses and overnight retreats work in tandem to cultivate an inclusive learning community. COVID-19 necessitated not only that we quickly move all of our courses online, but it challenged us to transition our…

There is widespread speculation (e.g., Johnson, 2021; Klinger et al., 2022; Mathews, 2022; Walker, 2021) and some evidence (e.g., Sanchez & Moore, 2022, Sanchez, 2023) that grading standards have changed over the course of the pandemic, making higher grades relatively easier to achieve and less reflective of objective measures of learning. It…

The COVID-19 pandemic forced widespread school closures and a shift to remote learning. A growing body of research has examined the effects of remote learning on student outcomes. But the accuracy of the school modality measures used in these studies is questionable. The most common measures--based on self-reports or district website…

Background: Important tools in preventing the spread of COVID-19 include contract tracing and adherence to isolation guidelines after a positive diagnosis of COVID-19. This is especially relevant among college students who are often away from support systems at home, living in high-density housing, and may not experience serious symptoms from…

Washington's high school graduation rate has increased over the past decade. In 2022, 82 percent of high school students in the state graduated in four years, a six-percentage point increase over the 2013 graduation rate. This report looks at postsecondary enrollment trends for Washington high school graduates in the classes of 2020 and 2021…

We contextualize the magnitude of teacher attrition during the pandemic, including from the 2020-2021 school year to the 2021-2022 school year, using longitudinal data on teachers in Washington since the 1984-1985 school year. The teacher attrition rate after the 2020-2021 school year (7.3%) increased by almost one percentage point from the…

Unintentional injuries are a leading cause of child death. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a behavioral injury prevention program for children aged 3-18 years and their caregivers. To accommodate families during the Coronavirus-19 pandemic, training was modified to be delivered virtually. Forty-one children aged 3-18 years and 14…

As the transition point between middle and high school, ninth grade can either set a student up for long-term success or diminish a student's likelihood of graduating high school altogether. The Ninth Grade Success Initiative is a dropout prevention program, piloted in five Washington State high schools in 2019-2020. We evaluated the effects on…

Background: The US government allocated over $2.5 billion in "Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER)" funds to Washington State for COVID-19 response and ventilation improvements. Despite available funding, gaps persist in supporting schools to successfully use portable air cleaners (PACs). We evaluated PAC needs within…

During the shift to online learning in 2020, the disruption to students and families was nearly universal, but the causes--and effects--varied. In this time, a shocking number of students did not attend school regularly, or at all. The work of the intervening years has been largely twofold: ensure that students reengage with learning and help them…

Arts-integrated STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education has long debated the role of the arts within this interdisciplinary approach: does arts-integration solely serve STEM outcomes, or can it also benefit the arts? This study explored one approach -- "photography-integrated STEM" -- that equally balances art…

Everett Community College (EvCC) made numerous changes to retain and support students enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education during the coronavirus pandemic. Drawing on insights from EvCC faculty and staff affiliated with a National Science Foundation (NSF) S-STEM scholarship grant called the "EvCC STEM…