Postsecondary Attainment Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Persistent Effects of the Social Determinants of Learning

Abstract

Guided by the Social Determinants of Learning framework, we hypothesized that students from low-resourced communities had lower graduation rate and college enrollment rate than their peers before and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With data from NC DPI, the University of North Carolina System, CDC, and NC DHHS, we conducted beta regression analyses to predict postsecondary attainment with county-level COVID-19 case rate and socioeconomic characteristics, while controlling for postsecondary attainment levels in 2019. Findings supported the hypothesis that it is the social determinants of learning, rather than COVID-19 cases per se, that explained the county-level disparities in postsecondary outcomes.

Keywords

achievement higher education human development policy social justice

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