Achievement disparities remained wider in spring 2022 than before the pandemic, and constant-gain trends imply recovery timelines extending past federal recovery-fund spending deadlines¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2022 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2027: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Achievement disparities remained wider in spring 2022 than prior to the pandemic, and if trends in gains remain constant, recovery timelines extend past spending deadlines for federal recovery funds. → Kuhfeld 2022

Evidence¶

Kuhfeld 2022¶

Kuhfeld, M., & Lewis, K. (2022). Student achievement in 2021-22: Cause for hope and continued urgency. NWEA Research brief. https://www.nwea.org/research/publication/student-achievement-in-2021-22-cause-for-hope-and-continued-urgency/

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Projection analysis within the MAP Growth observational study: the brief projects recovery timelines under the assumption that gain trends remain constant, finding they "extend past spending deadlines for federal recovery funds," while disparities stayed wider than pre-pandemic levels.

"achievement disparities remain wider in spring 2022 than prior to the start of the pandemic, and notably, if trends in gains remain constant, recovery timelines extend past spending deadlines for federal recovery funds."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Pennsylvania 2022 proficiency rates remained below pre-pandemic levels despite evidence that student learning had begun to recover — related
• By spring 2022, Pennsylvania grades 5–8 English language arts proficiency had regained 6 points of a 10-point pandemic-era drop relative to rates predicted for 2021 — related
• By spring 2021 students remained behind typical prepandemic achievement averages in both math and reading — related
• Growth for all race/ethnicity groups lagged pre-pandemic trends in 2023-24, with marginalized students furthest from recovery — related
• Student growth during 2023-24 fell short of pre-pandemic trends in nearly all grades, continuing stalled pandemic recovery — related
• Students lost less ground over summer 2022 compared to pre-pandemic summer-loss trends — related
• In spring 2025, math recovery continued while reading remained stalled — related
• Reading and math achievement gains in 2021-22 paralleled pre-pandemic trends in many grades, with stronger rebounding in math and among younger students — related
• The 2021-22 study investigated whether achievement gains across the 2021-22 school year compared to pre-pandemic trends and whether there were initial signs of rebounding or recovery. — related
• By spring 2022, Pennsylvania grades 5–8 math proficiency had regained nearly 5 points of a 13-point drop relative to rates predicted for 2021 — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Student achievement remained below typical-year levels in fall 2022, with full recovery projected several years away — related
• Students showed a wider range of achievement levels in spring 2022 than would be expected in a typical school year — related