Big drop in D.C. student test scores during pandemic
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D.C. public school students’ scores in math and reading dropped significantly between 2019 and 2022, with the learning losses most pronounced among Black, Hispanic and at-risk students.
Why it matters: The scores — which mirror a national trend — show the negative impact the pandemic has had on student achievement.
The big picture: The assessments in math and reading/writing were taken by students in grades 3-12. Reading/writing proficiency dropped across all grades, but it was math proficiency that took the biggest hit.
By the numbers:
- Only 19% of kids were proficient in math this year, down from 31% in 2019.
- Thirty-one percent were proficient in reading/writing, down from 37% in 2019.
Zoom in: Disparities were particularly pronounced among students of color and at-risk students.
- Black and Hispanic/Latino students saw the largest declines in reading/writing proficiency.
- Math proficiency dropped by more than 10 percentage points across most race/ethnicity groups.
- At-risk students’ reading/writing scores declined by 6 percentage points, compared with a drop of 4.2 percentage points for non-at-risk students. In math, the drop for at-risk students was 10.2 percentage points and 9.8 percentage points for non-at-risk students.
Zoom out: Nationally, elementary test scores in reading and math among public and private school students plummeted during the pandemic.
What’s next: D.C.’s state superintendent has launched an effort to reverse the trend, using $1 billion in federal stimulus funds.
- As part of the effort, a tutoring program that served nearly 2,200 students last school year is expected to be offered to 4,000 this year.
- Officials are also planning to launch a Family Resource Center for students with disabilities.
