Falling state and national school test scores in ‘The Nation’s Report Card’ show impact of pandemic – Orange County Register

An overall decline in state and national scores showing the number of students meeting grade-level criteria in English arts and math, announced Monday, Oct. 24, reflects the negative impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on student achievement. We further proved that we gave

According to the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly referred to as the National Report Card, the majority of states experienced declines in 4th and 8th grade reading and mathematics scores between 2019 and 2022, with improvements in mathematics expected. No states were seen.

Nationally, the average score in mathematics dropped by 5 points in the 4th grade and by 8 points in the 8th grade. In both grades, his average reading score dropped three points. And mathematics took a big hit.

“The results show that student learning has taken a severe toll during the pandemic, as the magnitude and extent of the decline was the largest ever in mathematics,” said Peggy, National Education Statistics Commissioner. G. Carr said in a statement. NCES is part of the US Department of Education.

“It is clear that policymakers and community leaders at all levels need to come together as partners in helping educators, children and families succeed,” Carr added.

Balance smarter

On the same day that The Nation’s Report Card was issued, the California Department of Education announced the results of the Smarter Balanced assessments students received last spring. About evaluation.

Across the state, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding the criteria for Smarter Balanced assessments has dropped 4 percentage points (up to 47%) in English and 7 percentage points (up to 33%) in math compared to three years ago before the pandemic. %) decreased. , depending on the state.

However, in a news release, the California Department of Education said the recovery may already be underway, with students at most grade levels between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years expected to see more students than usual. also noted a significant increase. We tested both years.

“These basic data underscore what many of us know: the road to recovery is long and students need sustained support over the years.” Tony Thurmond, Superintendent of Public Education, said in a release.

He noted that states have allocated more than $12 billion to help students recover from the pandemic.

But his opponents in the Nov. 8 state regulator election criticized Thurmond’s leadership, saying prolonged school closures related to the pandemic were hurting students.

“Superintendent Tony Thurmond has betrayed students, parents and teachers in every way,” Lance Christensen, who spoke out against Thurmond, said in a statement. “These test scores show what we knew from the beginning. rice field.”

“bright place”

Despite the overall sobering results, some state and local education officials pointed to what they saw as bright spots, or encouraging signs, in the data released Monday.

For example, despite a 6-point decline in 8th grade NAEP math scores, California’s decline was smaller than the national average of 8 points. Also, the California Department of Education noted that her 8th grade reading score in the state has remained stable, even though the national average score in 8th grade has fallen three points.

Officials at Los Angeles Unified said the district has seen the most improvement of any major US city based on NAEP results.

“The Los Angeles Unified community has worked tirelessly over the past few years and endured incredible hardships during the pandemic, so this news is truly good news after dark times.” said director Alberto Carvalho.

“The strategies we have put in place to address learning losses and achievement gaps are working,” says Carvalho. “Is there more work to be done? No doubt. But these are early signs that our deliberate and strategic initiatives are keeping our students on track after the adversity of the past few years. “

Although the decline in LAUSD scores was not as great as the average decline in the 26 largest cities in the country, LAUSD scores declined by 4 points in fourth grade math, while the 26 largest cities averaged 8 points down. For example, its overall score remained below state and national scores.

That said, LAUSD’s 8th grade reading scores rose by 9 points, while national scores fell by 3 points, and average metropolitan scores remained the same. In math, LAUSD’s 8th grader rose her by 1 point, but scores dropped him by 8 points, both nationally and in large school districts.

Similarly, when it comes to reading scores for fourth graders, LAUSD recorded a 2-point increase, while the national and largest school district experienced a 3-point drop in scores.

Austin Beutner, who was superintendent of LA Unified when the pandemic first hit, said the district’s ability to outperform other large school systems in the NAEP assessment was a testament to the school closures. We believe this is due to the steps the school district has taken to ensure that all families are fed during this time. There was access to a computer and internet connection, and the facility had an upgraded air filtration system.

Extensive training for staff on how to use new technology and mental health resources during this period, as well as the rollout of comprehensive school-based COVID-19 testing and vaccination programs, will help keep students and staff focused on learning. says Beutner.

“It’s great to see the efforts of so many people at school paying off,” said Beutner.

“There is no ‘magic formula’ for improving literacy and math,” added Beutner. “Students at LA schools have made great strides as they have done their best to keep their school communities safe and made sure teachers and staff have everything they need to help their students. Our teachers and staff have also worked tirelessly to keep our students engaged and learning.”

In terms of performance on state Smarter Balanced assessments, 41.7% of LAUSD students who took the test met or exceeded the standard in English arts. This is about 5 percent lower in English and 4.5 percent lower in math than the state average for this year.

By comparison, three years ago, 44.1% of LAUSD students met or exceeded the standard in English arts. In mathematics he was 33.5% of the students.

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

Results of other districts

Results were mixed in other parts of Southern California.

According to the Orange County Department of Education, Orange County students consistently score higher than their peers statewide.

According to the department, 57% of students scored above proficiency in English arts and 45% scored above proficiency in math. Pre-pandemic, he dropped 2 percentage points in English and 5 percentage points in math compared to 2019.

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

Many educators attribute the low numbers to the ongoing epidemic and learning losses suffered during previous school closures. Since then, new state and federal funding has helped expedite learning, add counselors, and create more after-school and summer enrichment programs.

“This year’s student assessment scores were widely expected to reflect the global upheaval of the COVID-19 era,” said Orange County Superintendent Al Mijares. “Faced with extraordinary challenges, Orange County educators have swiftly embraced targeted interventions, accelerated learning, and other supports essential to their students’ long-term success.”

At the Newport Mesa Unified School District, students continue to perform “above state and county averages” on the Smarter Balanced assessment “even during the pandemic downturn,” officials said.

The district reported a 3.5% decrease in the number of students meeting or exceeding the math standard and a 2.4% decrease in the number of students meeting or exceeding the English arts standard compared to 2019.

Newport Mesa spokesperson Annette Franco said: “While student success is measured by scores on multiple tests, the data show that student performance has consistently improved from his 2015 to his 2019. Unfortunately, predictably, The numbers have declined in recent years due to the pandemic.”