The University of Mississippi (UM) received a grant from the Governor’s Emergency
Education Relief (GEER) fund to study virtual, hybrid, and in-person
instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic and initial and longer-term student
engagement and academic outcomes in Mississippi. This included an examination of
quantitative data from the 2018-2019 school year through the 2021-2022 school year, as
well as qualitative research in three Mississippi school districts to explore the impact of the
pandemic on student learning in Spring 2020 and in the 2020-2021 school year. An interim
report was completed in April 2022, focusing on the qualitative findings and available
quantitative data through the 2020-2021 school year. Additional data are included in this
final report regarding the Mississippi Connects Digital Learning Coaching initiative as well as
follow-up with district leaders at two of our case study district sites. The goal of this project
is to identify what Mississippi leaders can learn from this experience to inform future
education delivery policies and programs and related supports for students, families, and
educators.