Kids Under Pressure

STUDENT STRESS IS UP & ENGAGEMENT WITH LEARNING IS DOWN DURING THE PANDEMIC,
ACCORDING TO A NEW RESEARCH STUDY BY NBC NEWS & CHALLENGE SUCCESS 

A groundbreaking study by NBC News and Challenge Success, a non-profit affiliated with the Stanford Graduate School of Education, reveals the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on student well-being and academic engagement, with students reporting their stress levels are rising and they feel less engaged.

Based on surveys of over 10,000 students across a range of high schools throughout the country in Fall 2020, “Kids Under Pressure” is one of the largest national research studies shedding light on the impacts on student connection, engagement, and mental health when schools and society were disrupted by the pandemic.

KEY FINDINGS

1. Students, especially females and students of color, continue to experience high levels of stress and pressure. 
2. Students’ engagement with learning, which is always a challenge, is especially low now. 
3. Students’ relationships with adults and peers are strong, yet appear strained in recent times.

TUNE IN TO NBC

NBC News aired several stories the week of February 15 – 20, 2021 based on this joint study as well as follow-up interviews with students, families, and educators that shed a light on the stresses they are experiencing this school year. 

• Read this piece on NBCNews.com about the impact remote versus in-person learning has on students.
• Watch this 30-minute compilation of all the NBC segments, Kids Under Pressure: Covid-19’s toll on learning, or check out the clips below to learn more about the findings from our research team and listen to students share their experiences:
  • Pandemic wraps up pressure on college-bound students (TODAY, March 30, 2021)
  • Students say they’re sleeping less during pandemic (NBC Nightly News, Feb 20, 2021)
  • Study shows pandemic’s effect on students in marginalized communities (NBC Nightly News, Feb 19, 2021)
  • Kids under pressure: The stress disconnect between parents and students (TODAY, Feb 18, 2021)
  • Students struggling with workload and stress amid pandemic (NBC Nightly News, Feb 17, 2021
  • Students More Stressed Amid Pandemic, Study Shows (NBC Nightly News, Feb 16, 2021)
  • Pandemic has kids more stressed, less engaged with school, study shows (TODAY, Feb 16, 2021)
  • Remote students are more stressed than their peers in the classroom, study shows (NBCNews.com, Feb 15, 20201)