NEPC Review: Public Education at a Crossroads: A Comprehensive Look at K-12 Resources and

One possibility is that the pandemic was a one-time shock to the system and that its consequences will fade over time.1 The other possibility is that the pandemic permanently altered the education system; and policymakers and parents will have to adjust to a “new normal.” Education research plays an important role in describing what the U. [...] education system in the two decades before the pandemic.2 The report contends that, in order to move forward in the aftermath of the pandemic, it is important to understand key trends before it started. [...] The Report’s Rationale for Its Findings and Conclusions The report relies on national datasets from the Census and the National Center for Educa- tional Statistics. [...] Review of the Validity of the Findings and Conclusions Most of the findings of the report are based on tabulations from other sources. [...] The report offers an anecdotal depiction of the impact of the pandemic and an insubstantial treatment of the education system post-pandemic.