Longitudinal Data Show Academic Recovery Is
Occurring at an Uneven Pace for Different Student Populations
NORTH
BILLERICA, Mass., July 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Curriculum Associates released a report today
unveiling new national data on the pandemic's impact on academic
growth and recovery for elementary school students.
Student Growth in the Post-COVID Era offers a
groundbreaking assessment of student performance, tracking growth
year over year and comparing it to historical trends. The
report—leveraging three years of longitudinal data—is the first of
its kind to look at impacts on younger learners who were not yet in
formal schooling at the start of the pandemic. This research is not
an evaluation of specific instructional programs or interventions,
but rather it provides a temperature check on students' academic
growth, parsing aggregate data to determine where—and for
whom—recovery may be occurring.
Key findings:
- Young students require more support to keep pace
with historical growth trends.
- Older students (i.e., those in Grade 4 in 2021) demonstrate
signs of recovery in both reading and mathematics that in
some cases align with their pre-pandemic growth trajectories.
- Students who were well below grade level in both
reading and mathematics at the beginning of the 2021–2022 school
year are not keeping pace with pre-pandemic growth
trends.
- Some students who were at or near grade level are exceeding
historical growth trends.
- Students from schools in lower-income or minoritized
communities demonstrate continued disparities in academic
growth relative to pre-pandemic trends.
"We know the pandemic placed an enormous strain on our educators
and school districts," said Dr. Kristen
Huff, vice president of research and assessment at
Curriculum Associates. "The varied data and analytic approaches
make it more challenging to assess the post-COVID recovery
landscape. This research offers new insights into varying patterns
of recovery, identifying where recovery is happening and where more
support is needed."
Uneven recovery trends indicate that in some instances,
post-pandemic interventions were likely effective.
"While most young people who fall behind stay behind, there are
diverse schools across the nation where students who started behind
grade level are consistently catching up," said Dr. Tequilla Brownie, CEO of TNTP. "The first common
factor is the intentional creation of environments where students
feel a sense of belonging. The other two priorities that matter
most are consistent access to grade-level instruction and the
presence of a unified, coherent instructional program that gives
both students and educators a clear path to success."
These data underscore the need for educators, district leaders,
and other stakeholders to carefully assess which interventions are
most effective and how we can work together to change the course of
learning outcomes for students who need support now.
"Even before the pandemic, many students in our district were
not performing at their highest level of potential," said Dr.
Mark Sullivan, superintendent of
Birmingham City Schools. "We were not pleased with the number of
third graders reading on grade level, so we had to become
intentional in everything we do. This included training our
teachers on the Science of Reading, setting high expectations for
educators and students, and actively involving families in their
children's learning." This year, the district saw a 75-
percent increase in the number of students reading at or above
grade level.
The urgency of finding and implementing the right interventions
is clear, especially when looking at this year's Grade 2 students,
who were not yet in school during the pandemic. If applied
nationally, these data suggest more than 1.3 million Grade 2
students (out of the nation's 3.5 million) are behind in reading
compared to 1.1 million in 2019. More than half a million more
Grade 2 students (up from 1.2 million to 1.7 million) are behind in
mathematics. Gaps in learning may be compounding for this group of
students over time as they work to catch up on foundational skills
while learning new content.
For Grade 2 students and all whose learning is not keeping pace
with historical trends, this report will shape the conversation on
how educators can help every student succeed.
About Curriculum Associates
Founded in 1969, Curriculum Associates, LLC designs research-based
print and online instructional materials, screens and assessments,
and data management tools. The company's products and outstanding
customer service provide teachers and administrators with the
resources necessary for teaching diverse student populations and
fostering learning for all students.
Media contact: press@cainc.com
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SOURCE Curriculum Associates, LLC