CBS News: Math and Reading Test Scores Decline After Pandemic Disruptions

In an assessment put forth by the National Center for Education Statistics between 2020 and 2022, average test scores for students fell by five points in reading, the first decline since 1990, while test scores for math fell by seven points, the first-ever decline in math.

This assessment was discussed in a CBS News interview with Sylvan Learning’s Vice President of Education, Emily Levitt, who revealed that “students are, on average, five months behind in math and three months behind in reading.”

The study serves as a call to action for those who were previously unaware of the setbacks students were experiencing; Levitt notes that students can recover the lost knowledge, but it comes down to the school district’s plan to recover as well as the resources and hours available.

Levitt states that there was an equity gap for students even before the pandemic started but that going forward, we “need to focus on students who need us [the] most, as they are falling further behind.”