Fifth-grade teacher Amanda Cardona speaks with Ray Urias, 9, about Tuesday, August 25, 2020. This was in her classroom at St. John's Episcopal school in Odessa Texas. Some states have begun to release new standardized scores, which offer a glimpse into how students are doing in the wake of the pandemic. Credit: Ben Powell/Odessa American via APThe first U.S. standard tests were taken during the pandemic. These scores give a glimpse at how far students have fallen behind. Some states report that this year has seen academic progress reversed.On Monday, Texas education officials gave a sad report after the state released the full results of its spring exams. Students reading at grade level dropped to the lowest levels in 2017 and math scores fell to their lowest point since 2013. The state stated that approximately 800,000 more students are now below their grade level in math.Mike Morath (the state's education commissioner) stated that the coronavirus had had a profound impact on school meanings and school beings. It will take many years of support and change to get kids caught up.Others have also shared glimpses of alarming results.Officials in Florida reported that reading scores fell by 4 percentage points when compared to the 2019 statewide tests. Officials in Indiana warn of a decline in reading scores as well as a "significant decrease" in math.Experts warn that low participation rates could lead to unreliable data in entire states. There are also pockets within the states where families may have opted out. The average Texas student participation rate was 96%, but 86% took the Texas tests this spring.The early results still provide the most reliable data on the effects of March 2020 school closures, virtual learning, and other disruptions. These results also match trends observed in national studies over this past year: Students are further behind in math and reading.Students of color and students from low-income backgrounds are most vulnerable to setbacks. All student groups found that those who studied in-person scored higher on exams.Robin Lake, the director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education (University of Washington), said that it was a bit sickening to see so many children drop out of school. "Clearly, remote learning has been affecting the most vulnerable children the hardest. Although it is what we expected, it is still difficult to see.Morath stated that the results highlight the importance of a strong return for in-person learning this autumn. The percentage of students who fail to meet math standards increased 32 percent in districts where many students are learning online. The failure rate rose by 9 points in districts that have more in-person learning.This divide was larger than the ones between students based upon race or income. However, the data showed that white students scored higher than their Black and Hispanic peers and that students from wealthy families had higher scores than students from poverty.Morath stated, "These aren't numbers, these children are children, and this is how well we have supported their academic growth."Fifth graders in face masks sit at social distancing in this file photo from May 18, 2021. This is a class at Milton Elementary School, Rye, N.Y., as the nation closes its school year. Some states have begun to release new standardized scores, which offer a glimpse into how far students have fallen behind. In some cases, states report that years of academic progress have been reversed by the year. New York, Georgia, and other states demanded that testing be canceled for the second year in order to allow schools to focus on classroom learning. Credit: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer. FileHe called out El Paso school districts that took longer to return to in-person learning. According to state data, 64% of El Paso Independent School District eighth-graders failed to meet math standards in spring 2019, compared with 20% in 2019.Norma De La Rosa is the president of El Paso Teachers Association. She stated that teachers tried to do the best with virtual instruction, but the model made it impossible for them to give extra attention and help children who may have needed it.The district of El Paso kept online instruction until January when the state threatened with pulling funding from schools that didn't offer in-person learning. Some families were able to learn remotely while others had to travel long distances to Mexico. De La Rosa stated that the test results were not surprising given these challenges.Clay Robison, spokesperson of the Texas State Teachers Association said that data shows there is no substitute for in-person learning. He also stated that providing families with the opportunity to learn remotely could have prevented more COVID-19 deaths.Robison stated, "We were in the midst of a deadly pandemic, and we are certain it saved some students' lives, it saved some school employees' lives, it saved some family members' lives, and it was necessary." "Fortunately, most Texas teachers and students survived to learn the next day.Texas' annual school tests are used to evaluate schools and decide whether students can be promoted to the next grade. However, state officials decided to suspend those tests during the pandemic. Instead, they suggested that students should be tested in order to determine who needs the most assistance. New legislation last month will grant intensive tutoring to all students who fail to meet the testing requirements.Indiana lawmakers have passed a "hold harmless bill" to ensure that test results are not used against teachers and schools. The state also allocated $150 million to combat learning loss. Much of this money is used to fund summer learning programs.After the Trump administration had suspended exams last year, students across the U.S. were granted a year of exemption from federally mandated tests. The Biden administration gave states new flexibility and ordered them to resume exams. States were instructed not to require students to attend school to take exams, and the Education Department gave some states more leeway to modify exams to test fewer students.Some states pushed for the complete cancellation of all tests, including those in New York, Michigan, and Georgia. Although the Education Department refused to grant their requests, Washington, D.C. was allowed to skip exams since 88% of students were still learning remotely.Testing advocates criticized the uneven flexibility, saying it led to a patchwork state testing plans. They claim that it will be difficult for the nation to see the full extent of the pandemic's effects because there is so much variation.Experts in education are particularly concerned about students who will not appear in the new results. Researchers say those who opt out of exams are more likely have been studying remotely and could be among the students most in need.Lake from the University of Washington said that she is concerned about students who are homeless, as well as students who are learning English or have special needs. They could be one of the "missing children" who didn’t complete tests, she fears.Lake stated, "This is just the tip of an iceberg." These numbers are just the beginning of what we are beginning to understand. These kids could continue to fall if we don't make quick interventions.Continue reading2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Without permission, this material may not be broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
