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

 



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 **Size:** 5.43 MB 

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 **Date:** 07/24/2024 

 

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This report presents the first comprehensive district-level analysis of academic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, examining changes in math and reading achievement from Spring 2022 to Spring 2023 across roughly 8,000 school districts in 30 states. Using state assessment data linked to the NAEP scale, the authors find that students made historically large gains during the first year of recovery—recouping about one-third of pandemic losses in math and one-quarter in reading—equivalent to learning more than a typical year’s worth of content in a single school year. Despite this progress, average achievement in most states remained below 2019 levels, and achievement gaps between high- and low-poverty districts continued to widen. Recovery patterns varied widely by state: in some, higher-poverty districts led the rebound, while in others, wealthier districts recovered faster, further exacerbating inequities. The report emphasizes that although federal ESSER funding supported recovery, gains were unevenly distributed and insufficient to close gaps, underscoring the need for expanded instructional time, targeted summer learning, tutoring, and coordinated efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism to complete the recovery.

Read the press release [here](https://educationrecoveryscorecard.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/ERS-National-Press-Release-2024013001.pdf).



 

 

 See also:- [ Researcher ](/audience/researcher)
- [ COVID-19 Impact ](/focus-areas/covid-19-impact)
- [ Education Recovery Scorecard ](/projects/education-recovery-scorecard)
- [ Research and Reports ](/resource-type/research-report)
- [ 2024 ](/year/2024)
- [ K12 ](/sector/k12)