Post-pandemic growth is limited, but some populations are making progress

Key points:

New data reveals limited progress toward pre-pandemic learning achievement levels nationwide, though specific student populations are defying these trends, according to Report on the state of student learning from Curriculum Associates.

The report, which offers an in-depth analysis of student performance during the 2023-2024 school year, compares student placement by grade to the previous school years of 2022-2023, 2021-2022, and 2018-2019 (the last full academic year before the pandemic), offering a comprehensive view of academic performance trends in reading and math across the United States.

Nationally representative data were obtained from Curriculum Associates. I'm ready® Diagnosiswhich is administered to more than 13 million students in kindergarten through eighth grade in the United States.

“As students and educators return to school for the 2024-2025 school year, our annual report offers a detailed look at the state of student learning across the country,” said Dr. Kristen Huff, vice president of research and evaluation at Curriculum Associates. “The data show that students across the country need ongoing support to reach grade-level placement. However, the data also show reasons for hope. We are seeing small pockets of improvement in certain student populations, a testament to the tireless work of educators and evidence that targeted interventions work.”

Key findings:

Fewer students are achieving grade level than before the pandemic. Growth rates are similar to pre-pandemic levels, but because students start further back, they lag behind their pre-pandemic cohorts.

• Overall, grade-level student ratios are very similar between Spring 2023 and Spring 2024 across grades and subjects, indicating limited recovery.
• Differences between pre- and post-pandemic achievement appear largest for students who began the year well below grade level. This indicates a divergent pattern in learning recovery as achievement gaps widen.
• Spring scores also show greater variability following the pandemic, potentially indicating a larger gap between grade-level students and lower-level students.

The data show some promising trends in K-grade phonics and in schools serving majority-black populations.

• Grade K: Since in-person classes resumed, the percentage of kindergarten students achieving grade level in phonics has increased each year. This improvement from last year to this year, if applied nationally, could mean that nearly 75,000 more kindergarten students would achieve grade-level phonics skills. Phonics is a strong predictor of later reading ability.
• Majority black student populations: While these schools still face significant challenges and continued disparities, there are encouraging increases in the proportion of students on grade level in grades 3 and above.

“The impacts of the pandemic are still evident in student performance, but moments of recovery offer small signs of hopeful trends,” Huff said. “We know that all students have the potential to reach grade-level proficiency with high-quality instruction tailored to their individual needs. These data are a call to action to do just that — target the most effective interventions where they are most needed.”

This press release Originally appeared online.

Laura Ascione is the editorial director of eSchool Media. She holds a degree from the prestigious Philip Merrill School of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

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