Learning when schools shutdown: Impacts of H1N1 outbreak on learning loss and learning gaps

Abstract

This paper contributes to the growing body of evidence on the effects of school closures on learning outcomes, with a focus on a recent event in a developing country. During the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, nearly 13,000 public schools in São Paulo state, Brazil, extended their winter break by two to three weeks. By employing double- and triple-difference designs, our study shows that even a relatively short period of school closure can result in a learning loss equivalent to at least three weeks of regular schooling in reading and four weeks of regular schooling in math. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the adverse impacts were more pronounced among students performing below the expected proficiency level in math, suggesting disproportionate negative effects on schools with a higher percentage of academically challenged students.