US test scores fall to lowest level in decades
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Reading and math scores among US fourth-grade students fell to their lowest levels in at least two decades during the pandemic, per test results published yesterday by the National Center for Education Statistics.
🔢 By the numbers: Every two years since the 1980s, the federal government has tested thousands of fourth-graders across the country on their reading and math skills.
While the results have generally ticked upwards over time, average scores this year fell by 5 points in reading and 7 in math compared to 2020 (pre-pandemic), out of a possible 500 points. This represents the largest dip in reading since 1990, and the first-ever drop in math.
- Declines were seen across nearly all races and income levels, and were worse for lower-performing students. Kids in the top 90th percentile dropped an average of two and three points in reading and math, respectively, while students in the bottom 10th percentile fell by 10 and 12 points.
- 70% of all fourth graders who took the government’s standardized test in 2022 said they learned remotely at some point during last school year.
👀 Looking ahead… ​​The federal gov’t will release a more complete set of national test results in the fall, including those from grades 8 and 12.
📊 Flash poll: The DONUT is being used across more than 20,000 classrooms on a consistent basis, so we wanted to take a different approach with today’s question. Instead of presenting options multiple choice-style, we’re switching to short answer:
What do YOU think is needed to get America’s children back on track in the classroom?
To respond, just reply to this email or click here. Please include your first name, last initial, and city + state with your submission.
See a 360° view of what the media is saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that the evidence is clear: widespread school closures due to Covid have resulted in widespread and extensive learning loss among students, particularly in low-income areas.
- Others contend that online schooling, while perhaps necessary during the worst days of the pandemic, consistently results in worse educational outcomes than traditional, in-person schools.
- “​​Students are struggling and lashing out. Schools must respond.” –WaPo Editorial Board
- “Online Schooling Is the Bad Idea That Refuses to Die” –Andrea Gabor, Bloomberg
- “These 12 Teachers Don’t See Themselves as Superheroes” –Margie Omero, New York Times
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that, with a clear and growing learning gap due to Covid, schools need to implement reforms that reward the most effective educators in order to get students back on track.
- Others contend that the stay-at-home policies championed by Democratic lawmakers and teachers’ unions are responsible for the steep decline in American students’ test scores.
- “Finding the Best Teachers for Post-Pandemic Schools” –Eric Hanushek, Hoover Institution
- “Remote Learning: Nobody Thought of the Children” –Judson Berger, National Review
- “Unscientific policies still driving COVID response as schools reopen” –Doug Badger & Jonathan Butcher, Washington Examiner
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