Distance education and online delivery of course materials are not new in the United States. However, the sudden mass movement of entire universities online is new. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many universities to move their instruction online, over a weekend in some cases. This article explores the effects on student achievement by estimating a Poisson model of course grade outcomes to find that Spring 2020 term was not statistically significant in its effects on students completing the course, passing the course, and earning an “A” in the course. Graphically analyzed, the data show a possibility of different types of effects for different students, courses, and professors. Further research with more data is needed to understand the effect entirely.

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