Federal Pandemic Relief and Academic Recovery

This report analyzes the impact of federal pandemic relief funding (ESSER II and ARP) on academic recovery during the 2022–23 school year, using district-level data from nearly 5,800 school districts across 29 states serving more than 26 million students in grades 3–8. By linking state test results to the NAEP scale and combining them with detailed data on relief allocations, spending timing, district demographics, and instructional mode during 2020–21, the authors estimate how additional funding translated into gains in math and reading achievement. The findings show that districts that spent more ESSER funds during 2022–23 experienced faster academic recovery, with gains of approximately 0.008–0.009 standard deviations per $1,000 spent in math and 0.004–0.005 in reading, estimates that align closely with prior research on the effects of general education spending. Using multiple identification strategies—including state Title I formula variation, instrumental variables, and synthetic control comparisons among high-poverty districts—the report finds consistent evidence that relief funds contributed meaningfully to recovery, particularly in high-poverty districts, though the magnitude was insufficient to fully offset pandemic learning losses. The report concludes that while ESSER funds helped narrow gaps, future investments could yield greater returns if more tightly targeted toward high-impact academic interventions such as tutoring, summer learning, and extended instructional time. 

Read the press release here.