Learning Loss
Third-grade reading scores in fall 2021 were lower than pre-pandemic levels, especially for Black students and Hispanic students.
Third-grade reading achievement by race/ethnicity, U.S.
Median percentile rank, fall 2019 and fall 2021
Source: NWEA Center for School and Student Progress. Notes: Based on data from over 1 million students who took MAP® Growth™ assessments in third grade during fall 2021 and fall 2019.
Substantial research points to the importance of learning to read by third grade, after which students primarily learn other subjects through reading about them. When students don’t achieve reading proficiency by third grade, they struggle thereafter to keep up and are more likely to drop out of high school, have lower earnings as an adult, and may be more likely to depend on social safety nets.1,2,3,4
When K-12 schools abruptly closed in March 2020, teachers and students alike struggled with the sudden transition to remote learning. While federally mandated standardized tests were canceled, making it difficult to measure nationwide impact, we do know that many students lacked the computers and internet needed to keep up at home.5,6 Although many schools have reopened for in-person instruction, some of the most vulnerable students were not able to return to school nor take standardized tests.7,8,9 Of third graders who did take reading assessments, learning loss is evident. Third-grade reading scores in fall 2021 were lower than in fall 2019 by 7 percentile points on average. Declines were most severe for Black third graders who experienced a 10 percentile point drop and Hispanic third graders who experienced a 9 percentile point drop. Declines in math achievement were even more severe.10 With substantial federal resources available to address learning needs, experts recommend that local leaders examine their own data to understand the needs of their students, and select evidence-based interventions that meet those needs. But there are no silver bullets, and pilot programs that address this moment’s unique circumstances may be needed. Data collection systems that assess the effectiveness of these efforts will be essential. Spent thoughtfully, the $190 billion going to K-12 education from the three Covid stimulus packages could help to address long-standing disparities in educational achievement.10,11,12,13
“Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation”. Hernandez. Annie E. Casey Foundation. April, 2011. https://www.fcd-us.org/double-jeopardy-how-third-grade-reading-skills-and-poverty-influence-high-school-graduation/
“Should 3rd Grade Be the Pivot Point for Early Reading?” Sparks. EducationWeek. February, 2019. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/should-3rd-grade-be-the-pivot-point-for-early-reading/2015/05
“In Many Districts, a Child’s Academic Trajectory Is Set by 3rd Grade”. Sparks. EducationWeek. February, 2020. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/in-many-districts-a-childs-academic-trajectory-is-set-by-3rd-grade/2020/02
“Learning to Ready, Reading to Learn. Why third-grade is a pivotal year for mastering literacy”. Center for Public Education. March, 2015. https://www.nsba.org/-/media/NSBA/File/cpe-learning-to-read-reading-to-learn-white-paper-2015.pdf?la=en&hash=8E0E470C3E263C66E4491EC035224DC9018C6D5F
“Relief Offered From Testing and Student Loans as Virus Roils Education”. Green. The New York Times. March, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/us/politics/coronavirus-student-loans-education-testing.html
“A year into the pandemic, thousands of students still can’t get reliable WiFi for school. The digital divide remains worse than ever”. Richards, Aspegren, and Mansfield. USA Today. February, 2021. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2021/02/04/covid-online-school-broadband-internet-laptops/3930744001/
“Pandemic to Prosperity: South”. Ross, Plyer, Ortiz, and Coates. National Conference on Citizenship. April, 2021. https://www.ncoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/210413-P2PSouth-3.pdf
“To test or not to test? Educators weigh the value of standardized testing during a pandemic”. Field. The Hechinger Report. February, 2021. https://hechingerreport.org/to-test-or-not-to-test-educators-weigh-the-value-of-standardized-testing-during-a-pandemic/
“Schools are back in person, but quarantines, health concerns have students missing more class”. Barnum. Chalkbeat. December, 2021. https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/12/1/22811872/school-attendance-covid-quarantines
“Learning during COVID-19: An update on student achievement and growth at the start of the 2021-22 school year”. Lewis, Kuhfeld. Center for School and Student Progress. December, 2021. https://www.nwea.org/content/uploads/2021/12/Learning-during-COVID19-An-update-on-student-achivement-and-growth-at-the-start-of-the-2021-2022-school-year-Research-Brief.pdf
“Early reading tests can aid educational recovery after the pandemic”. McGinty, Partee, Gray, Herring, and Soland. Brookings. July, 2021. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2021/07/19/early-reading-tests-can-aid-educational-recovery-after-the-pandemic/
“Pressure to spend federal funds fast is not what states and districts need right now”. Dworkin, Lewis. The Hill. January, 2022. https://thehill.com/opinion/education/588269-pressure-to-spend-federal-funds-fast-is-not-what-states-and-districts-need
“Everything You Need to Know About Schools and COVID Relief Funds”. Lieberman, Ujifusa. EducationWeek. September, 2021. https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/everything-you-need-to-know-about-schools-and-covid-relief-funds/2021/09#:~:text=By%20contrast%2C%20K%2D12%20education,and%20other%20smaller%20grant%20programs.