by Dr. Joseph Mercola, Childrens Health Defense:
The results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, often referred to as the “nation’s report card,” show the largest drop in mathematics scores seen since the initial assessments were given in 1990.
Story at a glance:
- The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often referred to as the “nation’s report card,” tests fourth and eighth graders across the U.S. to measure student achievement.
- The results are in from the 2022 NAEP Mathematics Assessment, which was last given in 2019, before the pandemic.
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- The results show a staggering decline in test scores — the largest drop in mathematics scores seen since the initial assessments were given in 1990.
- Among eighth graders, the average math score decreased by eight points since 2019 and was lower than all previous assessments dating back to 2003; a 10-point decrease is considered equivalent to about a year of learning.
- Average reading scores for fourth graders declined by five points in the Northeast region, three points in the Midwest and South and two points in the West.
- In the U.K., the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists has also warned about declines in speech and motor skills in children since the pandemic.
Detriments to children’s social, mental and emotional health weren’t considered as the U.S. and other parts of the world plunged into lockdown mode in early 2020. Only now, years later, are we beginning to see the negative effects play out in the form of historic learning setbacks, falling test scores and developmental delays.
Keeping millions of children away from school and isolated from normal social interactions for periods of weeks, months and years was an unprecedented experiment.
As were mask mandates that forced children to cover their faces for entire schooldays — during a time in their lives when observing facial expressions is key to social and emotional development.
In December 2021, a systematic review of peer-reviewed journal articles revealed one precise reason why COVID-19 measures like mask mandates shouldn’t have happened — no one knows how they affect crucial elements of childhood, including psychological development, language development, emotional development, social behavior and school success.
The data that are coming in, however, are alarming.
‘Nation’s Report Card’ reveals historic learning setbacks
The NAEP, often referred to as the “nation’s report card,” tests fourth and eighth graders across the U.S. to measure student achievement. It’s usually given every two years between January and March, and tests students in all 50 states as well as 26 of the largest U.S. school districts.
The results are in from the 2022 NAEP Mathematics Assessment, which was last given in 2019, before the pandemic. The results show a staggering decline in test scores — the largest drop in mathematics scores seen since the initial assessments were given in 1990.
Mathematics scores declined for fourth and eighth graders in nearly all the states and jurisdictions tested. For fourth graders, the average math score declined by five points and was lower than all assessment years since 2005.
Among eighth graders, the average math score decreased by eight points since 2019 and was lower than all previous assessments dating back to 2003.
To put this into perspective, a 10-point increase or decrease is considered equivalent to about a year of learning. Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, told news outlet Breitbart:
“It is a serious wakeup call for us all. In NAEP, when we experience a 1- or 2-point decline, we’re talking about it as a significant impact on a student’s achievement. In math, we experienced an 8-point decline — historic for this assessment.”
Some areas, such as Cleveland, had even greater declines, with fourth-grade reading dropping 16 points and fourth-grade math falling 15. Across the U.S., only 26% of eighth graders were proficient in math, a decline from 34% in 2019.
Reading scores dropped from 2019 to 2022
Average reading scores also dropped since pre-pandemic times. Average reading scores for fourth graders declined by five points in the Northeast region, three points in the Midwest and South and two points in the West.
Average reading scores in fourth grade declined in 30 states/jurisdictions compared to 2019, which was the largest number of states with score declines in this age group since the assessment began in 1992.
Further, 37% of fourth graders performed below the NAEP Basic level, a cutoff that measures knowledge of fundamental skills. Eighth graders also suffered from declining performance in reading, with scores going down in three of four U.S. regions and in 33 states/jurisdictions.
According to NAEP:
“In 2022, the average reading score at both fourth and eighth grade decreased by 3 points compared to 2019. At fourth grade, the average reading score was lower than all previous assessment years going back to 2005 and was not significantly different in comparison to 1992.
“At eighth grade, the average reading score was lower compared to all previous assessment years going back to 1998 and was not significantly different compared to 1992.”
Speaking with The New York Times, Miguel Cardona, the U.S. secretary of education, stated:
“I want to be very clear: The results in … [the] nation’s report card are appalling and unacceptable. This is a moment of truth for education. How we respond to this will determine not only our recovery, but our nation’s standing in the world.”
Inequities highlighted, gaps widen
Differences were highlighted not only among regions but also across races and performance levels. Black and Hispanic fourth graders had greater declines than white students, while test scores fell the most among lower-performing students, compared to higher-performing students.
The effects are being felt not only in the U.S. but worldwide. Prior to the pandemic, 57% of 10-year-olds in low and middle-income countries could not read properly, but this has increased to an estimated 70%.
In Latin America, 10-year-olds unable to read rose from 50% to 80% during that time. The effects could be lifelong, leading to $21 trillion lost due to lower lifetime earnings.
Around the world, schools closed for an average of 95 school days from March 2020 to February 2021, but while many schools in western countries continued to teach remotely, those in lower-income countries often did not.
There were also significant differences in how long full and partial shutdowns persisted. Schools in sub-Saharan Africa were closed for 32 weeks, compared to 73 weeks in South Asia.
In short, existing education inequalities have only worsened due to the closures.
Lower-educated parents in the Netherlands reported they felt less able to help children with schoolwork during the closures, for instance, while middle-class parents in the United Kingdom spent more time homeschooling their children than parents from the working class.
Further, Breitbart reported, surveys conducted as part of NAEP’s 2022 test highlighted the divide between struggling students and higher achievers:
“When schools shifted to remote learning, higher performing students were far more likely to have reliable access to quiet spaces, computers and help from their teachers, the survey found.”
“If this is the case, and these learning losses persist, they can be detrimental for development of skills in the long run, and in turn lead to an increase of the existing inequalities in opportunities in education and on the labor market,” researchers wrote in PLOS One.
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