The First Year of Pandemic Recovery: A District-Level Analysis

Despite the lack of improvement during 2022-23 on assessments provided by NWEA and Curriculum Associates, we find that student achievement did improve between Spring 2022 and Spring 2023: in fact, students recovered approximately one-third of the original loss in math (0.17 grade levels out of the 0.53 grade levels decline from 2019-2022) and one quarter of the loss in reading (0.08 grade levels out of the 0.31 grade level decline from 2019-2022). Such improvements in grade levels in a single school year mean that students learned 117 percent in math and 108 percent in reading of what they would typically have learned in a pre-pandemic school year. These gains are large relative to historical changes in math and reading achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. 

To complete the catch up and to prevent the widened achievement gaps from becoming permanent, the remaining federal funds should be used to replace what students lost during the pandemic—which was time engaging with teachers. Once the federal dollars are depleted, however, state and local leaders may need to complete the final leg of the recovery with their own resources.