Page 2 - aruba-today-20221025

A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 25 OcTOber 2022
Test scores show historic COVID setbacks for kids across U.S.

Continued from Front “long-standing and sys-
temic shortcomings of our
Those are the findings from education system,” said
the National Assessment Alberto Carvalho, super-
of Educational Progress — intendent of Los Angeles
known as the “nation’s re- schools and a member of
port card” — which tested the National Assessment
hundreds of thousands of Governing Board, which
fourth and eighth grad- sets the policies for the test.
ers across the country this “While the pandemic was
year. It was the first time the a blow to schools and com-
test had been given since munities, we cannot use
2019, and it’s seen as the it as an excuse,” he said.
first nationally representa- “We have to stay commit-
tive study of the pandem- ted to high standards and
ic’s impact on learning. expectations and help
“It is a serious wakeup call every child succeed.”
for us all,” Peggy Carr, com- Other recent studies have
missioner of the National found that students who
Center for Education Sta- spent longer periods learn-
tistics, a branch of the Edu- ing online suffered greater
cation Department, said setbacks. But the NAEP re-
in an interview. “In NAEP, sults show no clear connec-
when we experience a 1- tion. Areas that returned to
or 2-point decline, we’re the classroom quickly still
talking about it as a signifi- saw significant declines,
cant impact on a student’s and cities — which were
achievement. In math, we more likely to stay remote
experienced an 8-point longer — actually saw mild-
decline — historic for this er decreases than subur-
assessment.” ban districts, according to
Researchers usually think the results.
of a 10-point gain or drop Peggy Carr, Commissioner of the National Center for Education, speaks during an interview with Los Angeles can claim one
as equivalent to roughly a The Associated Press about the National Assessment of Education Process, Friday, Oct. 21, 2022, of the few bright spots in
year of learning. in Washington. Associated Press the results. The nation’s sec-
It’s no surprise that children ond-largest school district
are behind. The pandemic meted by the largest mar- School District. To help stu- Most concerning, however, saw eighth-grade reading
upended every facet of life gins in the history of the dents recover, the school are the gaps between stu- scores increase by 9 points,
and left millions learning NAEP test, which began in system has beefed up sum- dents. the only significant uptick
from home for months or 1969. mer school and added af- Confirming what many had in any district. For other dis-
more. The results released Math scores were worst ter-school tutoring. feared, racial inequities ap- tricts, it was a feat just to
Monday reveal the depth among eighth graders, “I’m not concerned that pear to have widened dur- hold even, as achieved by
of those setbacks, and the with 38% earning scores they can’t or won’t recov- ing the pandemic. In fourth Dallas and Florida’s Hillsbor-
size of the challenge fac- deemed “below basic” — er,” Gordon said. “I’m con- grade, Black and Hispanic ough County.
ing schools as they help stu- a cutoff that measures, for cerned that the country students saw bigger de- Testing critics caution
dents catch up. example, whether students won’t stay focused on get- creases than white stu- against putting too much
Education Secretary can find the third angle of ting kids caught up.” dents, widening gaps that stock in exams like NAEP,
Miguel Cardona said it’s a a triangle if they’re given Baltimore has added small- have persisted for dec- but there’s no doubt that
sign that schools need to the other two. That’s worse group tutoring and ex- ades. the skills it aims to meas-
redouble their efforts, using than 2019, when 31% of panded summer learning Inequities were also re- ure are critical. Students
billions of dollars that Con- eighth graders scored be- programs to help students flected in a growing gap who take longer to mas-
gress gave schools to help low that level. catch up, said Sonja San- between higher and low- ter reading are more likely
students recover. No part of the country was telises, chief executive of- er performing students. In to drop out and end up in
“Let me be very clear: exempt. Every region saw ficer of Baltimore City Pub- math and reading, scores the criminal justice system,
these results are not ac- test scores slide, and eve- lic Schools. Classrooms in fell most sharply among the research has found. And
ceptable,” Cardona said. ry state saw declines in at the district were shuttered lowest performing students, eighth grade is seen as a
The NAEP test is typically least one subject. much of the 2020-2021 creating a widening chasm pivotal time to develop
given every two years. It Several major districts saw school year. between struggling stu- skills for math, science and
was taken between Janu- test scores fall by more “School does matter,” dents and the rest of their technology careers.
ary and March by a sam- than 10 points. Cleveland Santelises said. “You can’t peers. For Carr, the results raise
ple of students in every saw the largest single drop, keep kids out of schools for Surveys done as part of this new questions about what
state, along with 26 of the falling 16 points in fourth- two years and not see an year’s test illustrate the di- will happen to students
nation’s largest school dis- grade reading, along with impact.” vide. who appear to be far be-
tricts. Scores had been a 15-point decline in fourth- The results show a reversal When schools shifted to re- hind in attaining those skills.
stalling even before the grade math. Baltimore and of progress on math scores, mote learning, higher per- “We want our students to
pandemic, but the new re- Tennessee’s Shelby County which had made big gains forming students were far be prepared globally for
sults show decreases on a also saw precipitous de- since the 1990s. Reading, more likely to have reliable STEM careers, science and
scale not seen before. clines. by contrast, had changed access to quiet spaces, technology and engineer-
In both math and read- “This is more confirmation little in recent decades, so computers and help from ing,” she said. “This puts all
ing, students scored lower that the pandemic hit us even this year’s relatively their teachers, the survey of that at risk. We have to
than those tested in 2019. really hard,” said Eric Gor- small decreases put the av- found. do a reset. This is a very seri-
But while reading scores don, chief executive for the erages back to where they The results make clear that ous issue, and it’s not going
dipped, math scores plum- Cleveland Metropolitan were in 1992. schools must address the to go away on its own.”q