Stats Produce Unclear Picture of Distance Learning Impact

A research study released last month concluded that nationally students are beginning to make up recent learning loss attributed to COVID-19 restrictions, but it is unclear whether that is the case in the Virgin Islands.

The research comes from the Northwest Evaluation Association, an organization of educators in Oregon and Washington State that monitors standardized testing and advocates for educational assessment reform.

The group found “some encouraging early signs of academic rebounding” in the 2021-22 school year.

The Northwest Evaluation Association study used data from 8.3 million students in grades 3-8 who took assessment tests between 2018-19 and 2021-22, and a “similarly sized” group who tested between 2015-26 and 2018-19.

“There was evidence of rebounding across all school-poverty levels,” the Northwest Evaluation Association report said. But it warned that achievement disparities along racial and ethnic lines remain wide and that unless the rate of recovery speeds up, federal recovery funds will run out before success is complete.

On the local scene, the impact of recent instruction interruptions is difficult to determine.

That is partly because it is hard to isolate one factor from so many others that affect testing outcomes. Also, it will be October before the Department of Education releases the proficiency assessments of the 2021-22 school year.