Fall 2020 math achievement was 5 to 10 percentile points lower than pre-COVID-19 performance by same-grade students¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2020 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · overdue for a recheck since 2025: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q3 i? In fall 2020, student math achievement in grades 3-8 was 5 to 10 percentile points lower than the pre-COVID-19 performance of same-grade students in fall 2019. → Megan Kuhfeld 2020

Evidence¶

Megan Kuhfeld 2020¶

Megan Kuhfeld, Beth Tarasawa, Angela Johnson, Erik Ruzek, Karyn Lewis. (2020). Learning during COVID-19: Initial findings on students' reading and math achievement and growth. NWEA Research brief. https://www.nwea.org/research/publication/learning-during-covid-19-initial-findings-on-students-reading-and-math-achievement-and-growth/

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Analysis of MAP Growth assessment data from nearly 4.4 million students in grades 3-8 tested in fall 2020, compared with fall 2019 same-grade performance. The brief reports "5 to 10 percentile points lower" math achievement relative to pre-COVID same-grade students; no standardized effect size is printed.

"in math: student achievement in fall 2020 was 5 to 10 percentile points lower than the pre-COVID-19 performance by same-grade students"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• BIPOC students' math achievement in fall 2020 dropped substantially relative to pre-pandemic national norms, with the largest declines in grades 4-6 — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Students showed lower math growth in fall 2020 across grades 3-8 relative to peers in the previous, more typical year — related
• Average fall 2021 math scores in Grades 3–8 were .20–.27 SD lower than same-grade peers' fall 2019 scores — related
• Black, AIAN, and Latinx students made 55-68% of typical math gains and 73-86% of typical reading gains during the pandemic, while Asian American students made 88-100% — related
• The visualizations address how students performed in fall 2020 compared to a typical school year — a broader claim this one bears on
• Students in The Netherlands lost on average 3.16 percentile points (0.08 SD) in achievement during the 8-week COVID-19 lockdown — related
• Students in grades 3-8 made reading and math gains in 2020-21 but ended the year with lower achievement than in a typical year, with larger declines in math than in reading — related
• Student achievement at the start of the 2021-22 school year lagged pre-pandemic norms, especially in math — related
• The visualizations compare observed fall 2020 student achievement to NWEA’s projections — related