Math and reading test scores drop nationwide for fourth- and eighth-graders. Here's why
Reading and Math test scores for fourth- and eighth-graders plummeted throughout the United States between 2019 and 2022 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and Mississippi's results were no exception.
That is according to the latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation's Report Card, released Monday by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics.
The national average score declines in mathematics for fourth- and eighth-graders were the largest ever recorded in that subject, officials said.
"The results show the profound toll on student learning during the pandemic, as the size and scope of the declines are the largest ever in mathematics," said NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr. "The results also underscore the importance of instruction and the role of schools in both students' academic growth and their overall wellbeing. It's clear we all need to come together — policymakers and community leaders at every level — as partners in helping our educators, children, and families succeed."
No improvements in mathematics were made in any state or large urban district, and eighth-grade mathematics scores declined in 51 participating states and jurisdictions since the assessment was last given in 2019, a press release from NAEP states.
"The year prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Eighth-grade mathematics scores did not change in Utah or the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity schools," according to the press release.
"Eighth grade is a pivotal moment in students' mathematics education, as they develop key mathematics skills for further learning and potential careers in mathematics and science," said Daniel J. McGrath, acting as NCES associate commissioner for assessment. "If left unaddressed, this could alter the trajectories and life opportunities of a whole cohort of young people, potentially reducing their abilities to pursue rewarding and productive careers in mathematics, science, and technology."
Carr said the center also saw improvements in the test results.
"Despite the countless obstacles that students faced over the course of the pandemic — including instability at home, decreased access to resources, teacher shortages, cyberbullying, and an uptick in violence once schools reopened — we also see pockets of remarkable resilience across the country, particularly in the country's urban districts," Carr said. "But Academic recovery cannot simply be about returning to what was ‘normal’ before the pandemic, as the pandemic laid bare an ‘opportunity gap’ that has long existed. It also showed how every student was vulnerable to the pandemic’s disruptions. We do not have a moment to waste."
The Mississippi Association of Educators said the NAEP test is typically given every two years between January and March to a sample of students in every state, along with 26 of the nation’s largest school districts.
In 2022, the average scores for math in the fourth and eighth grades decreased tremendously by 5 or more points. The average scores for reading in the fourth- and eighth-grades decreased by 3 or more points compared to 2019.
The last report card was released in 2019, before the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the U.S, when schools were shut down and teachers and students moved to virtual learning, an MAE official said.
As students struggled to make the adjustment to virtual learning, no state saw improvement in their average test scores in mathematics, officials said.
Erica Jones, president of the Mississippi Association of Educators said the recent test scores are a minor snapshot of Mississippi students' learning today.
"We are working to bridge the gap in learning due to the pandemic impact," Jones said. "Being that the state of Mississippi has a teacher shortage, we are doing what we can to better the learning process for our students."
Jones said that making sure students attend school is one of the first steps in the process.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi test scores: National reading, math results have dropped
