The
analysis by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA)
highlights the continuing toll on education from the COVID-19
pandemic, which led to prolonged school closures and remote
learning for millions of school children.
Nearly $200 billion in federal money has been allocated to
address pandemic-related learning loss. Schools have used the
funds to bolster tutoring programs and summer school options, in
addition to other recovery efforts.
But an evaluation of test scores from 6.7 million public school
students in third through eighth grades showed they had not made
the same progress during the 2022-2023 school year as their
pre-pandemic counterparts, according to NWEA, a national
education research organization.
"Even though this is disheartening, we can't look away and we
can't just accept that this is our new reality," Karyn Lewis, a
co-author of the study, said.
Third graders proved to be an exception, with above-average
growth in both math and English, but it was unclear why, Lewis
said.
Students from high poverty areas and traditionally marginalized
groups such as Black and Hispanic children were the most harmed
academically by the pandemic, the study found.
The extended loss of education could cost students $70,000 in
potential earnings throughout their lifetime, according to a
December 2022 study by Stanford University.
The NWEA study found that across the U.S., students on average
would need more than an additional four months of instruction in
math and reading to catch up to pre-pandemic levels.
The organization said the extra schooling would require a
sustained effort over several years, and even longer for
marginalized students.
"Schools and school districts are doing the right things, just
not enough of the right things," Lewis said.
(Reporting by Rachel Nostrant; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and
Sandra Maler)
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