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Average test scores for 13-year-old students in both mathematics and reading have declined several points since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, building on a decline that’s been trending over the last decade, according to a new report released from the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
The report underscores what US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said are expected impacts of the pandemic on student learning.
Assessments taken from students from October to December of the 2022-23 school year and compared to assessments administered during the 2019-20 school year show test scores declined 4 points in reading and 9 points in mathematics.
Figures taken from long-term trend assessments show average test scores have declined 7 points in reading and 14 points in mathematics in the last decade, according to the report summary.
The declines in reading scores “ranged from 3 to 4 points for middle- and higher-performing students to 6 to 7 points for lower-performing students, though the score declines of lower performers were not significantly different from those of their middle- and higher-performing peers,” the report said.
