New data shows how far students have fallen behind in COVID-19 pandemic

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- After two years of online learning, education experts believe going back to pre-COVID status quo isn't going to be enough to course correct.

For more than two years, students, parents and teachers have endured shutdown schools and online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

New data released by the National Assessment of Education Progress, also know as the nation's report card, shows that the results may be even worse than predicted.

In the first national sample of students comparing achievement from before the pandemic to now, 9 years old across the country showed major declines between 2020 and early 2022.

Student performance fell five points in reading — the largest drop in 30 years. A seven-point drop in math was also recorded, the first drop ever recorded by the report card.

The declines are even worse for minorities — math scores are down eight points for Hispanic students, and an average of 13 points for Black students.

"A lot of folks knew going into this score release that we were going to see drops I don't know if folks were ready for the substantial drops we did see," Alex Spurrier, with Bellwether Education Partners, said.

Spurrier is an associate partner at Bellwether Education Partners, a national nonprofit that focuses on improving education outcomes for underserved students.

He said he's fearful for what the public will see when state-by-state numbers are released each month.

"I'm worried that we're going to see some pretty negative results for Kentucky kids," he said. "I hope I'm wrong but I'm certainly concerned about that."

Just as the pandemic created uncharted waters, the solution will also mean new territory for many Kentucky families, which could mean extra help at school or pivoting in a new direction.

"Sometimes kids learning needs aren't going to be met by a public school, sometimes that means parents seeking out tutoring or participating in a learning pod for other families," he said. "That might mean enrolling in a private school or switching to home schooling."

Spurrier called the "return to normal" not good enough to address the loss of learning.

"Its a call for urgency in working to address the needs of kids in Kentucky," Spurrier said.

To read the full NAEP report, click here.