Diagnostic testing conducted through Curriculum Associates, whose assessments are used by nearly 30 percent of K-8 students, were compared to results dating back to 2017. A brief released by the company on Monday reported the following:

More students returned to school not prepared for grade-level work due to last spring’s shutdowns.
Students in grades 2 through 4 fell the farthest behind.
Students fell farther behind in math than in reading.
30% of second graders started the year two grade levels below in math, a rate that’s 10% above the historical average.
25% of second graders were two grade levels behind in reading, six points above the historical average of 19%.
Students in grades 1-5 who sat took math and reading assessments at home this fall outscored students who were tested at school.

"The shift to remote learning has magnified already pervasive inequities for millions of school children," said Kristen Huff, vice president of assessment and research at Curriculum Associates, who conducted the analysis. "But it has also created an opportunity to explore a range of important research questions. COVID-19 has had far-reaching—and in many ways poorly understood—implications for our students.”

Instant Insights /

6 facts paint fuller picture of 'COVID slide' learning loss

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