BALTIMORE — During the pandemic, many students were forced to learn virtually and at home, causing a huge setback in the classroom.
National test results that were released today show this.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress have released new data that shows decline in student test scores. It’s a downward trend that Maryland has been seeing since 2013 according to the State Superintendent of Schools and has gotten worse with the pandemic.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress is known as the nation's report card, usually given every two years to assess fourth and eighth graders in reading and math.
However, this hasn't happened since 2019 due to the pandemic, now giving new results in 2022, Maryland is seeing a large decline.
"This test was administered in January at the height of omicron, which I’m sure folks remember. So, we had a lot of intermittent attendance, both from school staff, as well as from students,” said Dr. Sonja Santelises Baltimore City Schools CEO.
Santelises says city schools scores reflect national trends.
Results show 75 percent of eighth grade students in Maryland are at or below basic achievement in math and at 67 percent in reading.
While 69 percent of fourth graders are at or below basic achievement in math and reading in the state.
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She says she's not surprised by these results.
"While the NAEP scores are disappointing, they're really not surprising. We knew when young people have disruptive learning, and are out of school for two plus years. We knew that there was going to be some impact,” said Santelises.
The results give a look at just how bad the effect of Covid-19 had on the students and learning from home, where at times parents had to become the teachers.
"My thoughts are that the pandemic did that because most of the kids are at home and their parents are at work and so they're not there to you know help them, to get all the work into their brains to help them,” said Maria Macgrath, whose grandchild in eighth grade.
Jarreau Harris has a child in first grade and says it’s important for the school and parents to work together, especially during these times.
"If you see your son or daughter struggling in anything in the school, call the school, be an active parent, but we can't sit there and point the finger at the teachers. They are doing the best that they can do with what they have. Teacher shortages all across the state of Maryland, all across the city of Baltimore," said Harris.
Santelises says they will be offering enrollment for summer learning programs a lot earlier this year and increasing the number of students that can enroll, which last year was at 22,000.
