Created: May 18, 2021 05:10 PM (ABC 6 News) - New research from a national non-profit organization claims students are falling behind after a year of virtual learning, but it's not just a national problem. Plenty of students in our area have fallen behind this school year, and education experts say summer school this year may be more important than ever. "Some students have done well, but there are definitely more students who need summer programming or need this opportunity," Johanna Thomas, the Albert Lea Area Learning Center principal, said. Students' test scores and grades suffered while trying to tackle school from home last year.