Prior to the upcoming release of the Nation’s Report Card next year, state assessment reports and researchers are indicating disappointment.
Recent state assessment results show that math and reading scores nationwide are either declining or remaining stagnant almost five years after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted classroom learning.
The New York Department of Education defines proficiency as competency over challenging subject matter. Although the recent report card does not include data on chronic absenteeism and high school graduation rates, last year’s report listed these rates as 26.4 percent and 88.3 percent, respectively.
JP O’Hare, representing New York’s Department of Education, mentioned that the state report card is just one of many measures of learning and cannot provide a complete picture of student proficiency.
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Math and reading/ELA scores for elementary and middle school students are the most common indicators of academic growth, while science and social studies test scores for middle and high school students are also included. Some states provide summaries of Regents exams, as well as SAT and ACT scores.
Among the four largest states, Texas is the only one that has not yet released an updated state report card.
The state’s high school graduation rate reached nearly 87 percent, the highest in six years, and chronic absenteeism has decreased since 2021.
The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a nonprofit organization specializing in K–12 assessments and research, collaborates with state education departments and school districts to develop state tests, conduct additional tests to measure progress within a school year, and identify areas where teachers can enhance instruction. NWEA’s analysis suggests that public education has not significantly improved since the pandemic.
“We have not been able to catch up,” stated Karyn Lewis, NWEA’s vice president of research and policy partnerships, to The Epoch Times. “We are facing a compounding educational deficit.”
The report from NWEA highlights that during the 2023–2024 school year, average reading scores decreased by 36 percent and math scores by 18 percent. The most significant decline in math scores was observed at the fifth-grade level, and middle school ELA scores indicate that most students lack the necessary vocabulary and decoding skills to read proficiently upon completing elementary school.
“Throughout the pandemic, there has been a belief that we have overcome COVID before it has finished with us, and this is another example of that.
Pandemic fatigue is a real issue, but the report emphasizes that accepting a new normal of decreased achievement and increased inequities is not an acceptable option.
Lewis suggested that high-dosage tutoring and summer school programs could be effective strategies for learning recovery. However, this can only work if teachers are open about informing parents of their children’s academic setbacks and if parents are willing to ensure their kids complete the necessary extra work during school breaks.
“They must clearly communicate the level of need,” she added.
