Report: D.C. public schools math scores slump

D.C. public school students, as well as public charter students, saw some of the nation's biggest declines in math scores in 2022, per a national report out today.

Why it matters: The scores further highlight the negative impact the pandemic has had on student achievement.

What they did: The National Center for Education Statistics tested fourth and eighth graders across the country on reading and math in order to compare the 2022 results with those from 2019.

State of play: D.C.’s math saw the most significant declines, with fourth graders taking the biggest brunt.

• From 2019 to 2022, D.C. fourth-grade math scores dropped an average of 12 points, compared to the national average of five points. For D.C. eighth graders, reading scores dropped an average of 10 points, compared to the national average of eight points.

Overall, of the 26 total school districts surveyed, D.C. public schools saw the third-worst drop in math scores for eighth graders, next to Chicago and Shelby County in Tennessee.

• For fourth graders, D.C. was the sixth-worst district for math score declines.

D.C.’s reading scores saw less drastic declines than the national average. D.C. eighth graders saw no decline in reading at all.

• From 2019 to 2022, D.C.'s fourth-grade reading scores dropped an average of 8 points, compared to the national average of three points.

Flashback: This isn’t the first sign that the pandemic has negatively impacted D.C. students. District-wide test scores released last month for grades 3-12 showed significant learning losses in English and math from 2019 to 2022.

What they’re saying: D.C. school officials noted in a call with reporters Friday that the test scores weren’t unexpected and these trends are consistent with other large urban school districts.

• Black and Hispanic students in particular, who faced the brunt of learning losses in the District-wide assessments, still saw declines but were on par with their peers in other large urban districts, officials said.

What’s next: D.C.’s state superintendent has an effort to reverse the trend, using $1 billion in federal stimulus funds.

• Thirty-nine million will go towards a tutoring program expected to be offered to 4,000 students this school year.