Student scores in math and reading declined across the country, and state-by-state data indicate that not even states that quickly reopened their schools were spared.
The biggest single grade decline was in eighth grade math scores, which declined nationally by 8 points. Not a single state was spared from lower scores, although Utah had the smallest decline of any state, only losing 3 points from the state’s 2019 scores.
NATION’S REPORT CARD SHOWS LARGEST-EVER DROP IN MATH SCORES
The data from the “nation’s report card” showed that California, which kept schools closed for months longer than other states, didn’t fare much differently than Florida, which mandated all schools be open for the entire 2020-2021 school year.
Eighth grade math scores in Florida declined by 7 points, while scores in California declined by 6 points. Similarly, Illinois, which kept schools closed, saw a 7-point decline, which was no different than Texas, where most schools were opened fairly early on.
Oklahoma saw the largest decline among eighth graders in math, losing 13 points from 2019, but was followed closely by Delaware and West Virginia, which declined 12 points. Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania all declined by 11 points.
But while the declines affected red and blue states alike, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was quick to tout his state’s results, which placed Florida as one of the top-performing states despite the overall decline.
“We insisted on keeping schools open and guaranteed in-person learning in 2020 because we knew there would be widespread harm to our students if students were locked out. Today’s results once again prove that we made the right decision,” DeSantis said in a press release. “We also knew that younger and at-risk students would be the most impacted if schools were closed, and the results speak for themselves. In Florida our fourth grade students rank #3 in Reading and #4 in Math, achieving top four in both English and Math for the first time in state history, while lockdown California and New York aren’t even in the top 30.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom likewise touted his state’s results, noting that the Golden State had measured lower declines than others.
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“While California’s students experienced less learning loss than those in most other states during the pandemic, these results are not a celebration but a call to action — students are struggling academically and we need to keep getting them the resources they need to thrive,” Newsom said. “That’s why we’ve made record investments in education, created a new pre-K grade, implemented universal free meals, expanded before and after school programs, bolstered mental health, and more.”
