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'Nation's Report Card' Scores Fell After Remote Learning

The National Assessment of Educational Progress this year recorded the largest-ever declines in mathematics, with many school officials blaming learning loss on remote instruction and the upheaval of the pandemic.

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(TNS) — Overall dips in state and national scores showing how many students met grade-level standards in English language arts and mathematics, released Monday, Oct. 24, offered further proof that the coronavirus pandemic harmed student achievement.

The majority of states saw a decline in reading and math scores among fourth and eighth graders between 2019 and 2022, and no state saw improvements in mathematics, according to results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly referred to as The Nation's Report Card.

Nationally, the average math score fell five points for fourth graders and eight points among eighth graders. Both grade levels saw a three-point drop in average reading scores. And math took a major hit.

"The results show the profound toll on student learning during the pandemic, as the size and scope of the declines are the largest ever in mathematics," National Center for Education Statistics Commissioner Peggy G. Carr said in a statement. NCES is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.

"It's clear we all need to come together — policymakers and community leaders at every level — as partners in helping our educators, children, and families succeed," Carr added.

SMARTER BALANCED



On the same day that The Nation's Report Card was released, the California Department of Education released results from the Smarter Balanced assessments that students took last spring, which showed that students in grades 3-8 and 11 saw overall drops in reading and math proficiency based on the assessment.

Statewide, the percent of students meeting or exceeding standards on the Smarter Balanced assessment decreased by 4 percentage points (to 47 percent) in English language arts and by 7 percentage points (to 33 percent) in mathematics compared to three years ago, before the pandemic, according to the state.

But in a news release, California's education department said recovery may already be underway, noting that students posted larger-than-normal gains in most grade levels between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years, based on an analysis of students who were tested both years.

"These baseline data underscore what many of us know: that the road to recovery is long and our students will need sustained support over many years," State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said in the release.

He noted that the state has allocated more than $12 billion to help students recover from the pandemic, including funding for expanded learning opportunities and literacy coaches.

But his opponent in the Nov. 8 election for the state superintendent office criticized Thurmond's leadership, saying that prolonged pandemic-related school closures have hurt students.

"Superintendent Tony Thurmond has failed students, parents, and teachers on every measure," Lance Christensen, who is running against Thurmond, said in a statement. "These test scores indicate what we knew all along; school lockdowns have resulted in decades of learning loss, robbing students of their constitutional right of an education."

"A BRIGHT SPOT"



Despite overall sobering results, some state and local education officials pointed to what they considered bright spots, or encouraging signs, in Monday's data release.

For example, despite a six-point drop in its eighth-grade NAEP math score, California's decline was less than the eight-point average drop nationwide. And the California education department noted that the state's eighth-grade reading score held steady — even as the national average score among eighth graders dropped 3 points.

Officials in Los Angeles Unified said the district showed the most improvement of any large city in America, based on the NAEP results.

"The Los Angeles Unified community has worked tirelessly over the past few years and endured incredible challenges throughout the pandemic, so this news is truly a bright spot after a period of darkness," Superintendent Alberto Carvalho stated.

"The strategies we have implemented to address learning loss and achievement gaps are working," Carvalho said. "Is there more work to be done? No doubt. But these are early signs that our deliberate and strategic initiatives are getting students back on track after the past few years of adversity."

Although LAUSD's declines in scores weren't as great as the average declines among 26 of the nation's large cities — LAUSD's score declined by four points in fourth-grade math compared to an eight-point average loss among the 26 large districts, for example — its overall scores remained below the state and national scores.

That said, LAUSD's eighth-grade reading score jumped nine points while the national score fell by three points and the average score among large cities stayed the same. In math, LAUSD eighth graders posted a one-point gain while scores dipped eight points both nationally and among the large districts.

Likewise, in terms of reading scores among fourth graders, LAUSD posted a two-point gain while scores dropped three points nationally and among the largest districts.

Austin Beutner, who was superintendent of L.A. Unified when the pandemic first hit, attributed the district's ability to fare better than other large school systems on the NAEP assessments to measures the district took to ensure all families were fed during the school closures, that every student had access to a computer and internet connectivity, and that facilities had upgraded air-filtration systems.

Extensive training for staff on how to use new technologies during this period, as well as mental health resources, and the rollout of a comprehensive school-based COVID-19 testing and vaccination program also allowed students and staff to focus on learning, Beutner said.

"It's nice to see the efforts made by so many people in schools are bearing fruit," Beutner said.

"There's no 'magic formula' for gains in literacy and math," Beutner added. "Students in L.A. schools made great progress because we did our best to keep the school community safe and made sure teachers and staff had everything they needed to help their students. And teachers and staff worked tirelessly to keep students engaged and learning."

As for its performance on the state's Smarter Balanced assessment, 41.7 percent of LAUSD students who were tested met or exceeded standards in English language arts and 28.5 percent did so in math last spring. That's about 5 percentage points lower in English language arts and 4.5 percentage points lower in math than this year's state average.

By comparison, three years ago 44.1 percent of LAUSD students met or exceeded standards in English language arts, as did 33.5 percent of students in math.

Carvalho had said last month, when the district shared preliminary results of the Smarter Balanced data, that LAUSD students had lost about five years of progress.

HOW OTHER DISTRICTS FARED



Results were varied for districts elsewhere in Southern California.

Students in Orange County scored consistently higher than their peers across the state, according to the Orange County Department of Education.

Fifty-seven percent of students scored proficient or better in English language arts while 45 percent did so in math — a decrease of 2 percentage points in English and 5 percentage points in math compared to 2019, before the pandemic, according to the department.

Santa Ana Unified's administrators are reviewing the latest data and will have more to share later this week, district spokesman Fermin Leal said Monday.

Many educators attribute the lower numbers to the learning loss suffered during the ongoing epidemic and earlier school closures. Since then, new state and federal dollars have helped boost learning, added counselors and created more after-school and summer-enrichment programs.

"It's been widely anticipated that this year's student assessment scores would reflect the global upheaval of the COVID-19 era," Orange County Superintendent Al Mijares said. "In the face of extraordinary challenges, Orange County's educators swiftly embraced targeted interventions, accelerated learning and other supports that are essential to our students' long-term success."

In the Newport Mesa Unified School District, officials said students have continued to perform "above state and county averages" in the Smarter Balanced assessments, "even during the pandemic dip."

The district reported a 3.5 percent drop in the number of students who met or exceeded standards in math and a 2.4 percent drop in students meeting or exceeding the English language arts standards, compared to 2019.

"The disruptions in student learning the past 2 1/2 years have impacted student achievement in schools throughout the nation," said Annette Franco, spokesperson for Newport Mesa. "While student success is measured by more than a single test score, the data tells us that student achievement was consistently improving from 2015-2019. As unfortunately expected, the numbers declined in recent years due to the pandemic."

Since the pandemic, Franco said district officials have put a focus on early literacy and secondary math. They've done this by hiring, providing staff development and fostering cohesive instructional strategies.

In the Inland Empire, about 50 Corona-Norco Unified School District fourth graders took the NAEP assessments, though information about their performance was not available Monday, district spokesperson Brittany Foust said.

In the Riverside Unified School District, it wasn't clear Monday if students took the national test, but school board President Brent Lee acknowledged that some students fell behind during remote learning. However, he said, with students back learning in person, and with additional resources such as extra staff and tutors, the district believes it can get students back on track.

"I think we know that students learn best in person, inside of a classroom," Lee said. "Remote learning obviously put us behind."

SCNG reporters Roxana Kopetman, Erika I. Ritchie and Mark Acosta contributed reporting.

©2022 Daily Breeze, Torrance, Calif. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.