How to Help a Teen Out of a Homework Hole The more students fall behind in the pandemic, the less likely they are to feel that they can catch up. Credit...Marta Monteiro Published Feb. 26, 2021Updated March 2, 2021 Pandemic school is taking its toll on students, especially teens. A recent study, conducted by NBC News and Challenge Success, a nonprofit affiliated with the Stanford Graduate School of Education, found that 50 percent more kids in high school report feeling disengaged from school this year than last. In December, Education Week reported that schools were seeing “dramatic increases in the number of failing or near-failing grades” on report cards.