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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 2 december 2020

Study: Students falling behind in math during pandemic

By CAROLYN THOMPSON before schools closed and
Associated Press those given this fall.
A disproportionately large Both measures indicated
number of poor and mi- that students are advanc-
nority students were not in ing in math, but not as
schools for assessments this rapidly as in a typical year.
fall, complicating efforts to The findings confirm expec-
measure the pandemic’s tations that students are
effects on some of the most losing ground during the
vulnerable students, a not- pandemic, but show those
for-profit company that ad- losses are not as great as
ministers standardized test- projections made in spring
ing said Tuesday. that were based in part
Overall, NWEA’s fall assess- on typical “summer slide”
ments showed elementary learning losses.
and middle school students A November report by Re-
have fallen measurably be- naissance Learning Inc.,
hind in math, while most based on its own standard-
appear to be progressing ized testing, similarly found
at a normal pace in read- troubling setbacks in math
ing since schools were and lesser reading losses.
forced to abruptly close in The Renaissance Learning
March and pickup online. analysis looked at results
The analysis of data from In this Nov. 14, 2020 file photo, students demonstrate during a rally to call on New York Mayor Bill from 5 million students in
nearly 4.4 million U.S. stu- de Blasio to keep schools open. Associated Press grades 1-8 who took Star
dents in grades 3-8 repre- Early Literacy reading or
sents one of the first signifi- but were missing from 2020 Kuhfeld said on a call with where one year’s skills — or math assessments in fall
cant measures of the pan- testing. reporters. deficits — carry over into 2019 and 2020. It found
demic’s impacts on learn- NWEA said they may have The NWEA findings show the next year. students of all grades were
ing. opted out of the assess- that, compared to last “The challenge around performing below expec-
But researchers at NWEA, ments, which were given year, students scored an mathematics is an acute tations in math at the be-
whose MAP Growth as- in-person and remotely, be- average of 5 to 10 percen- one, and it’s something ginning of the school year,
sessments are meant to cause they lacked reliable tile points lower in math, we’re going to be deal- with some grades 12 or
measure student profi- technology or stopped go- with students in grades ing with even after we get more weeks behind.
ciency, caution they may ing to school. three, four and five experi- back in school,” he said. Black, Hispanic, Ameri-
be underestimating the ef- “Given we’ve also seen encing the largest drops. NWEA compared grade- can Indian and students
fects on minority and eco- school district reports of English language arts level performance on the in schools serving largely
nomically disadvantaged higher levels of absentee- scores were largely the 2019 and 2020 tests. It also low-income families fared
groups. Those students ism in many different school same as last year. analyzed student growth worse but the pandemic so
made up a significant por- districts, this is something NWEA Chief Executive Chris over time, based on how far hasn’t widened existing
tion of the roughly 1 in 4 to really be concerned Minnich pointed to the se- individual students did on achievement gaps, the Re-
students who tested in 2019 about,” researcher Megan quential nature of math, assessments given shortly naissance report said.q

2017 ban on local LGBT ordinances ends in North Carolina

“bathroom bill” that Re- atorium had barred new server of Raleigh.
publicans had approved a local ordinances related to Although the legislature
year earlier. private employment, hotels that convenes in January
A key disputed section of and restaurants. will still be controlled by Re-
House Bill 2 directed trans- “We can finally begin writ- publicans, the party lacks
gender people to use pub- ing a new chapter for LG- a veto-proof majority and
lic bathrooms matching BTQ North Carolinians, one will have limited options to
their biological sex instead where no one is left vul- cancel any local ordinanc-
of the gender they identify nerable to discrimination es that might be passed.
with. It drew national con- based on who they are Cooper was reelected in
demnation and prompted or who they love,” Allison November. The GOP has
several large corporations Scott, policy director for shown little interest in pass-
and sports teams to relo- the Campaign for Southern ing statewide protections
cate events to other states Equality, said in a news re- for the LGBT community.q
or reconsider expanding in lease.
North Carolina. Beau Mills, executive direc-
In this May 12, 2016, file photo, gender free sign hangs outside a
restroom at 21c Museum Hotel in Durham, N.C. As the moratorium ended, tor of the North Carolina
Associated Press leaders of Equality North Metro Mayors Coalition,
Carolina and the Cam- said before the ban end-
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A 3 of such measures now. paign for Southern Equal- ed that he wasn’t aware
1/2-year ban on new local Democratic Gov. Roy Coo- ity on Tuesday urged North of any city planning to
ordinances aimed at pro- per agreed to the morato- Carolina residents to con- pass new ordinances right
tecting LGBT rights in North rium in March 2017 in ex- tact leaders of cities and away. “I am aware that
Carolina expired Tues- change for GOP lawmak- urge them to expand anti- cities, some municipalities,
day, prompting gay rights ers agreeing to do away discrimination laws for the are certainly looking at it,”
groups to urge the passage with several portions of a LGBT community. The mor- Mills told The News & Ob-