Post-COVID Education Crisis: Students' Academic Progress Remains Slow

A recent report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, paints a troubling picture of student achievement in the U.S. following the pandemic. The data highlights continued declines, particularly in reading, with eighth-grade scores reaching record lows. While fourth-grade math scores showed a slight improvement, eighth-grade math performance remained unchanged compared to 2022. The findings indicate that the path to recovery remains challenging, especially for students who were already struggling before the pandemic.

Reading scores have steadily declined since 2019, with significant drops between 2019 and 2022. The 2024 data shows that these declines have continued, especially for lower-performing students. In fact, the proportion of eighth-graders scoring in the lowest proficiency category is the highest in the history of the testing program. The average reading score for fourth-graders, which was 220 in 2019, fell to 217 in 2022 and further dropped to 215 in 2024. Despite efforts in some districts to adjust reading instruction, including a focus on phonics and the science of reading, the national trend remains concerning.

Math performance, on the other hand, showed some improvement in fourth grade, where scores increased by two points, marking the only positive shift in the data. In 14 states and jurisdictions, fourth-grade math scores improved compared to 2022, though eighth-grade math scores remained flat. Nationally, the proportion of students considered proficient in math increased slightly, from 36% to 39% for fourth-graders, and from 26% to 28% for eighth-graders.

The widening achievement gap between high- and low-performing students is a central concern. While top students are recovering the progress lost during the pandemic, struggling students continue to fall further behind, especially those in the bottom 25% of scores. This disparity is evident in both reading and math, where the highest-performing students in fourth grade have returned to pre-pandemic levels, while those at the bottom show little improvement.

Experts also point to the impact of chronic absenteeism, which remains elevated after the pandemic and is strongly correlated with poor academic performance. Missing school regularly hinders learning, especially for students who are already at a disadvantage. The findings have sparked political debates, with public school advocates calling for more support, while some conservatives argue that existing funding has not yielded enough results.

Overall, the NAEP results underscore the urgent need for action to address the widening achievement gap and support students who have been most affected by the disruptions of the past few years.

Source: Washington Post