Technical brief
Fall 2019 to fall 2020 MAP Growth attrition analysis
November 2020
Description
This study examined patterns of MAP Growth assessment attrition by schools and students from fall 2019 to fall 2020. Using data for 5.2 million students who tested in fall 2019, we compared the characteristics of students tested in fall 2020 (“stayers”) and students not tested in fall 2020 (“attriters”). The results of this study showed systematic demographic differences across subjects and grades: a larger fraction of attriters were minoritized students, students with lower achievement in fall 2019, and students in schools with higher concentrations of racial/ethnic minorities and socioeconomically-disadvantaged students. These findings suggest that considerable caution is warranted when interpreting fall 2020 assessment results, especially in relationship to previous, typical academic years that may include a substantively different group of students. The systematic differences between attriters and students who were tested in fall 2020 mean that the impacts of COVID-19 on student achievement are likely underestimated. Educational leaders should carefully consider demographic shifts in the students who tested as they make decisions on how to best support their students’ growth and recovery.
See MoreTopics: Equity, COVID-19 & schools
Associated Research
Related Topics
COVID’s impact on science achievement: Trends from 2019 through 2024
This new report examines the pandemic’s impacts on academic achievement and gain in Science and continues ongoing research by NWEA® analyzing the degree to which the COVID-19 pandemic, and its associated school closures, influenced student learning.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, Equity, Growth
Technical Brief – COVID’s impact on science achievement: Trends from 2019 through 2024
This is the accompanying technical brief to the new report (Covid’s impact on science achievement: Trends from 2019 through 2024) that examines the pandemic’s impacts on academic achievement and gain in Science and continues ongoing research by NWEA® analyzing the degree to which the COVID-19 pandemic, and its associated school closures, influenced student learning.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, Equity, Growth
Reconciling Recent Evidence on Academic Recovery in the US from 2022 to 2023
A new analysis comparing latest NWEA and the Education Recovery Scorecard results to understand pandemic recovery, so far, and look at differences and similarities in those results.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, Equity, Growth
NWEA research report examining the impacts of the pandemic’s disruptions to learning and the status of academic recovery. This report features data from the 2023-24 academic year and underscores that unfinished learning continues to be a challenge due to lower achievement gains compared to pre-pandemic trends. This report is part of series tracking the on-going impacts.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, Equity, Growth
NWEA research report examining the impacts of the pandemic’s disruptions to learning and the status of academic recovery. This report features data from the 2023-24 academic year and underscores that unfinished learning continues to be a challenge due to lower achievement gains compared to pre-pandemic trends. This report is part of series tracking the on-going impacts.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, Equity, Growth
Effective summer programs: Practical guidance for district leaders
This report dives into the research on summer programs, their implementation and design, as well as the efficacy of those programs for literacy, math, and social-emotional learning (SEL) outcomes. It also provides recommendations for district leaders to use as a framework for planning and implementing effective summer programming.
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, Growth, Guidance, Seasonal learning patterns & summer loss
High dosage tutoring for academically at-risk students
This brief provides a review of the research on high dosage tutoring as an intervention strategy for supporting at-risk students. It highlights the benefits and the non-negotiable factors for effective implementation and usage.
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, Equity, Growth, Informing instruction
