Nov 2, 2022 - COVID

Charted: COVID-19 learning loss

Data: The Nation's Report Card; Chart: Axios Visuals

Nearly every state and public school district have seen math and reading scores among fourth and eighth graders decline since 2019, according to new national test scores.

Why it matters: The results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, dubbed the Nation's Report Card, are yet another illustration of the historic learning setbacks the pandemic caused, Axios' Noah Bressner reports.

  • This year's scores showed the largest math declines ever recorded.

Zoom in: In Ohio, eighth grade math dropped the most, though all scores declined.

  • Interestingly, fourth grade reading began falling before the pandemic, in 2018.

Yes, but: Our 2022 scores were still three points higher than the national average in all four categories.

What we're watching: Ohio students' scores on state end-of-course assessments in math and English language arts improved between 2021 and 2022 among grades three through eight, we reported in September.

  • Though the scores still haven't rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, that suggests things are at least headed in the right direction overall.
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