#  Relief funds eased COVID learning loss but could have done more  

 





August 12, 2024

 

 

 Pandemic K-12 public school closings disrupted learning nationwide, with the [average student](https://educationrecoveryscorecard.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/ERS-Report-Final-1.31.pdf) in grades 3 through 8 losing the equivalent of half a grade level in math achievement and a third of a grade level in reading achievement.

 The federal government’s response was a K-12 financial relief package of [three bills](https://www.solutiontree.com/knowledge-base/esser#:~:text=This%20support%20is%20called%20ESSER,and%20Secondary%20School%20Emergency%20Relief.) for states and districts totaling $190 billion. The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief package was the largest one-time federal investment in K-12 schools, with a Sept. 30 deadline to commit funds for specific uses.

 Are the relief dollars making a difference in the learning loss recovery effort? There is good and bad news as students and teachers return to school.

 The good news is that these funds are having a positive effect on helping students catch up. The bad news is they are insufficient to return all students to pre-pandemic learning levels. Additionally, we don’t know which newly funded programs helped students catch up.

 Two independent reports, the Harvard and Stanford-led [Education Recovery Scorecard](https://educationrecoveryscorecard.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/June2024ERS-Report.pdf) and a report by the Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research, examine the relationship between learning loss recovery and the relief packages.

 Both reports use the [Stanford University Education Data Archive](https://edopportunity.org/) to analyze 2022-2023 math and reading test scores for grades 3 to 8 students from more than 5,000 districts in 30 states.

 Using different research methods, they reached a similar conclusion: Federal dollars did accelerate academic recovery.

 According to the Scorecard, every $1,000 received for a student typically added about six days of learning progress in math and three days in reading. These academic gains per dollar are akin to what other [researchers](https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/app.20220279) have found for the effects of general revenue increases in school spending for improving test scores.

 Continue reading at [thehill.com.](https://thehill-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/thehill.com/opinion/education/4818888-federal-funds-learning-loss-recovery/amp/)



 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ COVID-19 Impact ](/focus-areas/covid-19-impact)
- [ In the News ](/cepr-in-the-news)
- [ Education Recovery Scorecard ](/projects/education-recovery-scorecard)
- [ 2024 ](/year/2024)
 
 

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