Connect with us

Accountability

New stats show U.S. students had lowest test scores in three decades after COVID-19 pandemic

Published

on

The first national report showing the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on United States students’ test scores was published this week, showing the largest dip in test scores in thirty years.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress released its findings on Thursday, revealing a sharp decline in national test scores for students aged 9 in mathematics and reading between 2020 and 2022.

“Average scores for age 9 students in 2022 declined 5 points in reading and 7 points in mathematics compared to 2020. This is the largest average score decline in reading since 1990, and the first ever score decline in mathematics,” the report reads.

Mathematics test scores dropped an average of 7 points, according to NEAP, and reading scores plummeted 5 points. The report also showed the pandemic took a higher toll on the test scores of students who generally performed at a lower level than students who were typically high-scorers, but even students who were high performers showed lower test scores after the COVID-19 crisis. Scores for lower performers declined the most.

“These results are sobering,” said Peggy G. Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, to the Washington Post. “It’s clear that COVID-19 shocked American education and stunted the academic growth of this age group.” 

Advertisement

Carr told the Post that research has also shown a national rise in behavioral problems in schools, violence, staff shortages and other factors since the onset of the pandemic  that may have had an overall effect on test scores. “There are a lot of factors that contextualize these data that we’re looking at,” Carr said.

+ posts

Terry A. Hurlbut has been a student of politics, philosophy, and science for more than 35 years. He is a graduate of Yale College and has served as a physician-level laboratory administrator in a 250-bed community hospital. He also is a serious student of the Bible, is conversant in its two primary original languages, and has followed the creation-science movement closely since 1993.

Advertisement
1 Comment
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

1 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Donald R. Laster, Jr

An educated population has to be convinced while an indoctrinated population can be told. The “scamdemic” was about destroying freedom, prosperity, and people ability to make choices.

Trending

1
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x