Poor and minority students have had a more difficult time navigating the pandemic, according to new information released by NWEA.
Elementary and middle school students have fallen measurably behind in math, while most appear to be progressing at a normal pace in reading since schools were forced to close or go remote.
The analysis covers data from 4.4 million students in grades 3-8.
Researchers said that the data may not be a full-scale assessment of the damage brought on by the pandemic.
“Given we’ve also seen school district reports of higher levels of absenteeism in many different school districts, this is something to really be concerned about,” researcher Megan Kuhfeld said.
The outcome showed that students scored an average of 5-10 points lower in math between last year and 2020.
NWEA Chief Executive Chris Minnich said math is tricky because of the sequential nature of learning in this category. Skills and deficits carry over between academic years. “The challenge around mathematics is an acute one, and it’s something we’re going to be dealing with even after we get back in school,” he told the Associated Press.
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