COVID Learning Loss Is Real

Plus: Big Confirmation Votes This Week

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In Today’s BRIGHT

COVID Learning Loss Is Real
Big Confirmation Votes This Week
Kevin Costner Says Movies Should Focus on Audience, Not Politics
Mangia! Italian Food May Fight Depression
On Wednesdays We Wear Pink

COVID Learning Loss Is Real

A recent Education Recovery Scorecard report revealed that U.S. students are, on average, half a grade level behind pre-pandemic achievement in math and reading. You can check how your state is doing here. Axios reported that no state showed improvement from 2019 to 2024. Wealthy districts have recovered faster, while middle- and low-income areas continue to struggle. Axios noted the report also showed that Louisiana is the only state with slight gains. Chronic absenteeism, worsened during the pandemic, remains a significant issue, slowing academic recovery, especially in high-poverty areas.

Back in September, Axios also reported that parents are largely in the dark when it comes to learning loss and school performance. From Axios:

The study by Arizona State's Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) released Thursday found that most states make it hard to find pre-COVID data to compare how far behind students are today.

• CRPE developed a grading system to judge state websites and found that 35 states earned a "C" or worse on making data available.

• 13 states received "F" ratings, with Maine, New Mexico, and North Dakota earning zero points out of the 21 possible under the grading system.

• Just seven states got "A" grades.

RELATED: Why College Students Have Trouble Reading (The Daily Signal)