New research shows slight rebound in post-pandemic learning

“These signs of rebounding are especially heartening during another challenging school year of more variants, staff shortages, and a host of uncertainties. We think that speaks volumes to the tremendous effort put forth by our schools to support students,” said Dr. Karyn Lewis, Director of the Center for School and Student Progress at NWEA, and the co-author with Dr. Megan Kuhfeld on this research study. “Any signs of hope are reasons to celebrate, and we must take that moment to do so, and then push forward with renewed energy and a sense of urgency because we’re just at the initial steps of addressing the tremendous impact of this pandemic on our students.”

NWEA’s researchers point out that this data is a national view of the continued impacts of the pandemic, which provides a broad “where are trends heading” perspective. But they urge that local context is just as, if not more, important. They note that even within districts, impacts are not equal between schools. That level of nuance should be evaluated when looking at recovery efforts and long-term planning so that schools can “right-size” their efforts to most effectively help all students move toward better outcomes.

While schools work tirelessly to support the growth of students, they cannot do this alone. Over the past two years, NWEA has collaborated with colleagues from across the policy and civil rights community to offer recommendations to support pandemic recovery, and we continue that push going into the next school year.

“We urge policymakers and education leaders to use data and have strong data systems that provide continuous feedback on interventions to inform recovery,” said Lindsay Dworkin, SVP of Policy and Communications at NWEA. “Beyond investing in research-based interventions that are targeted at students most impacted by the pandemic, education leaders will need the resources, support, and flexibility necessary to expand instructional time for students as well as provide more professional learning opportunities to their teachers.”