The pandemic learning loss was deep
National test scores reveal a sharp falloff in school progress.
The latest national study revealed some more dismal numbers for the state of post-pandemic education in America, indicating that progress in reading and math have stalled for elementary and middle school students despite billions in federal spending funneled into efforts to change the trajectory.
In a Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) brief released this month, key findings indicated that, across nearly all grades, achievement gains "fell short" of pre-COVID pandemic trends and "significant achievement gaps" indicated students would need several months of additional instruction to "catch up" in key subject areas.
"The average student will need the equivalent of 4.1 additional months of schooling to catch up in reading and 4.5 months in math," to catch up to pre-pandemic student levels, the brief read.
A student boards a school bus outside of Washington-Liberty High School in Arlington County. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
The numbers are the latest to indicate a sluggish academic recovery for American students in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted traditional learning methods through extended school closures and transitions to online learning.
Additional findings noted that students suffering them most from the post-pandemic effects are middle grade (older) who already experienced smaller learning gains due to more challenging material and students belonging to marginalized groups.
"We are actually seeing evidence of backsliding," Dr. Karyn Lewis, one of the study's lead researchers said, according to The New York Times.
Per a press release issued by NWEA on Monday, Lewis acknowledged that the findings are indicative of pandemic fallout, adding that academic recovery cannot be expected to be linear.
US MATH, READING TEST SCORES PLUNGE FOR STUDENTS ACROSS COUNTRY FOLLOWING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Findings published by NWEA reveal that progress in reading and math have stagnated despite efforts to close post-pandemic achievement gaps. (Photo by Gabe Souza/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
"COVID-19 may no longer be an emergency, but we are very much still dealing with the fallout from the crisis. These data reiterate that recovery will not be linear, easy, or quick and we cannot take our foot off the gas pedal," she said, adding, "Disappointing as these results may be, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that things would likely be so much worse without the enduring work of educators and schools to support students in this moment."
Though students are expected to need over four months of additional instruction to recover from the pandemic malaise, NWEA's brief asserts the push cannot be "compressed" into one school year or through "short-term intervention," but should instead be spread across several years.
"This longterm perspective emphasizes the importance of continuity, consistent investment, and comprehensive strategies that extend beyond immediate recovery initiatives," it reads.
TEST SCORES IN CIVICS, HISTORY DECLINE FOR STUDENTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES FOLLOWING THE PANDEMIC
Though the state of learning recovery is disappointing, the published findings predict they could be much worse in the absence of "significant" federal funding and "commendable efforts" made by public schools that have sought to change direction on the crisis.
The findings come on the heels of statistics released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, indicating that test results in reading and math for 13-year-olds (middle grade students) reached the lowest in decades.
As The New York Times' report noted, the last round of federal COVID relief funds amoung to $122 billion aimed at helping alleviate some of the disparities that emerged in consequence of the pandemic, "must be spent or committed by September 2024," with the Biden administration requiring districts to allocate at least 20% of their funds toward academic recovery.
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