Research

The Shock That Stayed: The COVID Pandemic and Its Impact on Assessment

Zoe Bogan, Juntao Chi, Olivia Cutka, Gabe Codada, Janani Eswaran, Nathan Fang, Ralph David Fernando, Nick Foxworthy, Avalin Hess, Ranit Kar, Jennifer Karakash, Warren Kim, Violet Lamptey, Adam Longstreth, Sydney Machado, Riley Odier, Thomas Pigott, David Rasmussen, Sophia Richason, Faith Shands, David Tashjian, Ariana Wagner, Jianhan Yin, William Bianco

2026

Social Science Quarterly Volume 107, Issue 5

This study examines the sharp increase in average course grades at a large Midwestern state university during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using multivariate analysis with course–faculty matching and other controls, the study finds that grade increases were largest in courses with relatively low pre-pandemic average grades and that these courses retained a greater share of the increase over time. The results suggest that the pandemic contributed to compression at the upper end of the grade distribution, including fewer low grades in some STEM gatekeeper courses, although after four years the overall pattern is largely consistent with pre-existing secular trends.