U.S. Students Struggle with Academic Recovery Post-Pandemic
Despite efforts to bridge the educational gap left by the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. students remain nearly half a grade level behind in both math and reading as of spring 2024. This data is part of the latest findings from the Education Recovery Scorecard, a detailed analysis of student learning across the nation.
The recent data release coincides with The Nation’s Report Card, which similarly highlighted the ongoing struggle for students to catch up academically. While this report offered a broad overview, the Education Recovery Scorecard provides a district-level view, examining student learning in approximately 8,700 school districts.
The Scorecard is a collaborative project between Harvard University’s Center for Education Policy Research and Stanford University’s Educational Opportunity Project.
U.S. Students Still Behind in Academics
Even as schools approach five years since the initial pandemic closures, students continue to lag behind academically. The Scorecard reveals a further decline in reading proficiency from 2022 to 2024. “It’s not just that students are failing to catch up, but that students are continuing to fall behind,” states Tom Kane of Harvard, one of the report’s authors.
The delay in improvement raises questions about the effectiveness of recent legislative efforts to enhance literacy instruction, as highlighted in an NPR report.
Notable District Achievements
Over 100 school districts have managed to surpass pre-pandemic levels in both math and reading, according to the Scorecard. Louisiana, for instance, reports significant advancements in districts such as Lafayette Parish and Terrebonne Parish, where reading levels exceed 2019 benchmarks by three-quarters of a grade level or more. More details can be found in the full list of districts.
Widening Achievement Gaps
The Scorecard indicates a growing disparity in educational recovery between affluent and low-income districts. Wealthier districts were nearly four times more likely to recover in math and reading than their lower-income counterparts. Sean Reardon from Stanford describes this as evidence of “a pernicious inequality.”
Impact of Federal Relief Funds
The federal government allocated $190 billion to schools in response to the pandemic, as detailed in an NPR article. While these funds helped mitigate larger educational losses, their effectiveness varied based on expenditure. Districts investing heavily in academic interventions, like tutoring, saw greater student achievement growth.
Chronic Absenteeism as a Barrier
Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing over 10% of the school year, has increased since the pandemic, according to the Scorecard. This trend continues to hinder learning progress, with absenteeism levels still higher than in 2019. Research underscores the negative impact of absenteeism on both individual and peer academic performance.
Recommendations from the Scorecard
- States and schools should prioritize funding for academic recovery.
- Communities must emphasize the importance of daily school attendance.
- Teachers should communicate directly with families to inform them if a student is below grade level.
Tom Kane notes, “Parents need to know if their child is below grade level so they can sign up for summer learning, or ask for a tutor.” Additionally, further research is needed to evaluate ongoing educational reforms and their impact on learning.
