WATCH — Special Report: How COVID’s K-Shaped Recession Could Widen Achievement Gaps and Spark a Classroom Crisis

The 74 has spent the last few months producing a series of stories that explore the ways in which the so-called K-shaped recession caused by COVID-19 is different from typical downturns, using a unique data tracker created by the economists behind Opportunity Insights as our jumping-off point. The researchers found that the pandemic has had a dramatic impact on income inequality, widening disparities everywhere — including in the classroom. And those effects may linger for long after COVID-19 is gone. 

The stories in our series examine the ways in which the crisis is showing up in schools in five communities: Wilmington, Delaware; Washington, D.C.; Reno, Nevada; Austin, Texas; and Colorado Springs. This video gives a quick overview of what we found. 

If this video isn’t playing, click here to see it.

—Edited by James Fields

Disclosure: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative provide financial support to Opportunity Insights and The 74.

Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter