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Math And Reading Scores Have Dropped Since 2020

A recent study shows the COVID-19 pandemic could have caused low scores
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Iana Alter | Shutterstock

The COVID-19 pandemic hit schools hard, and online learning became the new normal. But as we approach a world after COVID, evidence shows that math and reading scores have fallen since 2020.

CBSDFW recently reported the National Center for Education Statistics, a branch of the U.S. Education Department reported decreased math scores for the first time in the history of the testing regimen and reading scores saw the largest decrease in 30 years. The effects were seen throughout all of the U.S. and more data is set to be released later this year.

These declines in scores are some of the steepest in 50 years recorded by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation's Report Card. Math scores for the average 9-year-old student dropped 7% and reading dropped 5% since 2020. 

Scores for students of color also dropped and created a more drastic gap between them and their white peers. White students reported a 5 point drop, while black students had a 13 point average drop and Hispanic students fell 8 points. During the pandemic the gap between white and black students widened by 8 percentage points. 

But research also found Asian American students and Native American students did not have the same score decline as other students. In fact, there was little change in scores from 2020 to 2022. 

A collaboration between Learner and Scholarship.org  found in a study that Texas was well below average in SAT testing. The state placed 38th in the U.S. and had an average score of 1,003 in 2022. The minimum SAT score is 400 and the highest is 1600. The national average currently sits at 1,060. The highest ranked states are currently Minnesota (1263), North Dakota (1258) and Nebraska (1246). 

Local Profile reached out to several ISDs in Collin County for comment. This story will be updated pending response.