Post-pandemic learning gaps persist
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Five years after the pandemic upended education, Pittsburgh students remain behind by about half a grade level in reading and nearly a full grade level in math.
Why it matters: Learning recovery is sluggish across Pennsylvania, with lower-income districts and students of color hit hardest.
- Nearly two-thirds of Pittsburgh Public Schools students are considered economically disadvantaged, and more than half are students of color.
State of play: The Education Recovery Scorecard, which combines results from the Nation's Report Card and state test scores, shows students in Pittsburgh have seen slight improvements in math proficiency in the past two years, but reading hasn't seen improvement.
- The trend largely mirrors the rest of Pennsylvania, where students trail by over half a grade in both subjects.
- Students in some wealthier districts, like North Allegheny, are nearly recovered in math.
Zoom in: Chronic absenteeism, or students missing more than 10% of a school year, is slowing recovery in many Pennsylvania districts, the report found. Research shows excessive absences hurt grades and test scores, increasing dropout risks.
- Pittsburgh's student absenteeism has improved since 2022 but remains above pre-pandemic levels. In 2023-24, 32% of students were chronically absent, down from 34% the previous year. In the 2019-20 school year, 27% of students were chronically absent. Efforts like text reminders have helped boost attendance in recent years.
- Meanwhile, the district may shut down more than a dozen of its 54 schools as enrollment drops (26% in a decade), budget deficits grow and buildings sit underused. The school district did not respond to requests for comment.
The big picture: Despite a bump in math scores, reading achievement in Pennsylvania keeps falling, even after $7.7 billion in federal pandemic aid for K-12 schools. That's about $4,500 per student, well above the $3,700 national average.
- Pennsylvania ranked 38th among states in terms of recovery in math and 31st in reading between 2019 and 2024.
- No state showed improvements in both math and reading during that period, according to the Nation's Report Card. Nationally, learning loss recovery has been slow and uneven, especially among students of color, Axios' Russell Contreras reported.
What's next: Researchers urged policymakers to boost funding for learning loss interventions now that federal pandemic relief has ended. They also recommended mayors, employers and other leaders help address chronic absenteeism to prevent schools from bearing the full burden.
- "The rescue phase is over," Tom Kane, one of the scorecard's project leaders, said. "The federal relief dollars are gone. It is time to pivot from short-term recovery to longer-term challenges such as reducing absenteeism and addressing the slide in literacy."