Average test scores for 13-year-old students in both mathematics and reading have declined several points since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, building on a decline that's been trending over the last decade, according to a new report released from the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
The report underscores what US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said are expected impacts of the pandemic on student learning.
Assessments taken from students from October to December of the 2022-23 school year and compared to assessments administered during the 2019-20 school year show test scores declined 4 points in reading and 9 points in mathematics.
Figures taken from long-term trend assessments show average test scores have declined 7 points in reading and 14 points in mathematics in the last decade, according to the report summary.
The declines in reading scores "ranged from 3 to 4 points for middle- and higher-performing students to 6 to 7 points for lower-performing students, though the score declines of lower performers were not significantly different from those of their middle- and higher-performing peers," the report said.
In particular, the report notes larger declines since 2020 among lower-performing students in mathematics. "The declines ranged from 6 to 8 points for middle- and higher-performing students to 12 to 14 points for lower-performing students, with larger declines for lower performers in comparison to their higher-performing peers," the report states.
The report also reflects a widening of the gap between White and Black students' test scores, particularly in mathematics.
"The 13-point score decrease among Black students compared to the 6-point decrease among White students resulted in a widening of the White−Black score gap from 35 points in 2020 to 42 points in 2023," the report said.
Also notable is the widening gap between male and female students in mathematics since 2020. There was an 11-point score decrease for female students compared to a 7-point decrease for male students.
The report also states the percentage of students "missing 5 or more days of school monthly has doubled since 2020."
"The latest data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress is further evidence of what the Biden-Harris administration recognized from Day One: that the pandemic would have a devastating impact on students' learning across the country and that it would take years of effort and investment to reverse the damage as well as address the 11-year decline that preceded it," Cardona said in a statement.
The administration "remains laser-focused on our plan to Raise the Bar for the academic achievement of all students and maximize the American Rescue Plan's historic investments in recovery," he added, noting schools have committed nearly 60% of their Covid-19 recovery funds to address "lost learning time" and to "accelerate academic recovery."
The assessment tests were administered by the National Center for Education Statistics to a nationally representative sample of 8,700 13-year-olds in each subject, the report said.
