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A good deal of research exists on the relationship between student use of video games outside the classroom and academic achievement. Our systematic review aims to identify what patterns exist across research conducted in the last 20 years. We examined 62 research studies that dealt with academic achievement and extracurricular video game use and found that most studies identify a negative association between the two. However, this isn’t the case for all students. We identified three important variables (the amount of time spent playing video games, the time of day or week spent playing, and the age of the students) that provide a clearer picture of the impact of gaming on academic achievement. Overall, the research we reviewed shows that the more students play, the greater the negative impact; students who play before or after school on weekdays tend to perform worse, and that these effects are greater on adolescent students than adult students. We also identified areas where more research is needed, and provide suggestions for future quantitative research studies.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the schooling processes in K-12 systems. Principals navigated many challenges both during remote online learning and after returning to in-person education. This study explored the processes that 11 charter high school principals experienced during the pandemic. Using thematic analysis of interview data from 11 school principals, researchers aimed to understand how urban school principals’ perceptions towards online education practices in underprivileged communities have changed towards both online learning and schooling in general during the covid-19 pandemic. The goal of this examination is to then make recommendations for systemic reform. Five themes emerged: 1) school principals’ differing experiences with online learning during the pandemic, 2) challenges and opportunities in transitioning to online learning during the pandemic, 3) equity problems, 4) perspectives of school principals on online learning during the pandemic, and 5) shifts in school principals’ perceptions of online learning. Findings suggest important implications for principals, district leaders, policymakers, and researchers.