Today, the National Center for Education Statics (NCES) released results for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card. The report is yet one more piece of evidence of the tremendous and unequal impact of the pandemic on students.

We continue to dig deeper into the full effects of the pandemic disruptions to learning, with a special eye to understanding how inequalities in the education system have been exacerbated. At the same time, we are focused on the path forward and how best to support our partners on the road to recovery. Early signs from the end of the 2021-22 school year are showing that academic gains are rebounding in some areas. To continue and even accelerate that momentum, more data, more resources, and more attention is needed.

As we add this latest report to what we know about the impact of the pandemic on academic achievement, we must ensure that the needs of our students stay a top priority. This includes continuing  to allocate the $190 billion investment in our schools through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) to those young people who have been the most impacted while also considering the need for sustained support for effective programs in the long term. As we continue to navigate recovery, data will be essential to helping educators and decision-makers ensure interventions are evidence-based and result in better outcomes for students so resources can be targeted at replicating and scaling those efforts.

NWEA is committed to providing insights to the education community on how students are recovering academically, what the data tells us about which interventions are helping and which may not be effective to address academic recovery – especially tackling the inequities amplified by the pandemic, and ways we, together, can help all kids learn.