Students' progress in reading, math stalls over pandemic: study

Students did not make the academic gains hoped for last school year, with test scores in key subjects showing lagging progress and in some cases further backsliding since the pandemic, according to a new study released Tuesday by NWEA, a nonprofit research organization. 

The group analyzed data from 6.7 million public school students from third to eighth grade and found most grades had slower growth in reading and math compared to pre-pandemic data. 

The only group to make above-average gains were third graders, who were in kindergarten when the pandemic first hit, forcing most students in the U.S. to go to virtual classrooms. 

“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,” said Karyn Lewis, co-author of the study and director of the Center for School and Student Progress at NWEA. 

In order for students to recover, NWEA says they would need 4.5 extra months in math instruction and 4.1 in reading instruction. The road to recovery would be even longer for traditionally marginalized students such as Black and Hispanic children, who are further behind in the process. 

The findings echo National Assessment of Educational Progress scores that have throughout the pandemic shown decades of learning loss in reading and math. 

The results come after two full years of in-person instruction and more than $100 billion in federal money given to schools to help address educational issues that arose during COVID-19, such as academic recovery and mental health concerns. 

“One year from the expiration of the federal education relief funds, which have supported so much of their vital efforts thus far, policymakers and leaders throughout the education ecosystem must renew their commitment to recovery. Our students deserve the sustained resources and urgency necessary to ensure they have the opportunity to reach their full potential,” said Lindsay Dworkin of NWEA.

NWEA released a policy brief with the new data to offer recommendations on how to help the lagging academic recovery. It says schools need to use local data to guide their recovery, expand instructional time and support based on individual students' needs and make sure families understand the importance of academic recovery at home.