Student Progress Stalled in the 2022-23 School Year, New Data Analysis Shows
New data analysis from Portland-based test developer NWEA reveals that student progress in the 2022-23 school year has stalled, pointing to a lasting crisis in student achievement. According to national education researchers, students are taking longer than expected to recover from the pandemic, highlighting the need for school leaders to allocate more resources to support student learning.
The latest report from NWEA, titled Education’s long COVID: 2022-2023 achievement data reveal stalled progress toward pandemic recovery, paints a concerning picture. Despite students being back in the classroom, academic progress for millions of students in grades three through eight has slowed down. While students are making academic gains, they are not closing the achievement gaps consistently compared to pre-pandemic levels. Certain student groups, particularly Black and Latino students, are experiencing widening disparities.
NWEA researchers have been closely monitoring the pandemic’s impact on academic progress since 2020. This ninth report compares the progress of 6.7 million students who have taken NWEA tests since the pandemic began with the results of 11 million students who took the tests before the pandemic.
Karyn Lewis, director of NWEA’s Center for School and Student Progress and co-author of the report, expressed surprise at the findings. Lewis stated that while it was expected that students would be recovering from the disruptions caused by the pandemic, the data showed that progress actually lagged slightly behind pre-pandemic trends. The effects of the pandemic are compounding, with last year’s student progress falling behind both pre-pandemic levels and the progress made in the 2021-2022 school year.
The findings align with other test score data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which reported lower scores in math and reading compared to pre-pandemic levels. The NWEA report goes further by calculating the additional schooling required for students to catch up with their pre-pandemic counterparts. On average, students would need 4.5 months of math and 4.1 months of reading instruction. Black and Latino students, especially those in middle school, would require even more time, with Latino middle school students needing 6.7 months of reading instruction to catch up.
Education leaders at the local, state, and federal levels were aware that students would need to catch up when returning to in-person full-time schooling. Thus, school districts received millions of dollars in pandemic relief funding, with a requirement to allocate at least 20% of those funds to academic recovery efforts. However, Lewis stresses that students need more sustained support, as the scale of the response does not match the magnitude of the crisis.
While schools have invested in tutoring, summer programming, and additional staff with federal dollars, it remains unclear whether these efforts have been effective. Lewis emphasizes that the data indicate the need for additional help for schools and students. A comprehensive and sustained approach to recovery is required, one that encompasses multiple interventions and resources over several years.
Furthermore, schools are not only grappling with academic challenges but also with students’ mental health. Some students are struggling to attend school regularly, further exacerbating the difficulties in progressing at the same rate as pre-pandemic students.
The data serve as a reminder of the extent of students’ experiences and the importance of monitoring their progress. Without accelerated student progress, academic gaps will continue to widen.
The lingering effects of the pandemic highlight the need for an enhanced and holistic approach to recovery. As education leaders work to address these challenges, they must also prioritize students’ mental well-being and ensure that appropriate resources and support are available. The road to recovery may be longer than initially anticipated, but providing comprehensive and sustained assistance is vital for the future success of students.
