Pandemic learning loss deepens
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Graduating high school seniors are less adept at reading and math than before the pandemic, according to a new national education report.
Why it matters: The data is the latest evidence students are still struggling to recover from COVID-era learning loss and comes as the Trump administration wants to dismantle the Education Department.
- These are the first post-pandemic National Assessment of Educational Progress scores for each category. The exams were administered between January and March 2024.
- Declines in academic performance began before the COVID-19 pandemic.
What they found: About 35% of twelfth graders were academically prepared for college reading in 2024, down from 37% in 2019.
Behind the scenes: 31% of twelfth graders reported missing three or more days of school in the month before taking the assessment in 2024, compared to 25% in 2019.
Threat level: Average eighth grade science scores also fell in 2024 for the first time since the assessment started in 2009.
Zoom in: In a move to address Oregon's near-bottom-of-the-barrel test scores, Gov. Tina Kotek signed a law in June tying new accountability metrics — like proficiency, attendance and graduation rates — to school district funding.