In 2021, 38% of high school students who graduated took the ACT college readiness exam, a decline from 52% in 2019 before the Covid pandemic. Among this select group of students, 25% met the exam's college readiness benchmarks in all four subjects (English, reading, math, and science). By racial group, the portion of ACT test-takers who met the benchmarks in at least three subjects ranged from 52% for Asians (down from 62% in 2019) to 6% for African Americans (down from 11% in 2019). Other evidence indicates that government reactions to Covid-19 have caused major declines in educational attainment. For example, a study published in 2020 by the journal JAMA Network Open estimated that decisions to close U.S. elementary schools will ultimately shorten the lives of children aged 5-11 by 2.5-42.1 million years due to the effects of "decreased educational attainment."