7 in 10 SC students in middle grades may miss proficiency target due to ‘COVID slide’

Seven in 10 South Carolina students in grades 3 through 8 are projected to test below state proficiency in math and English Language Arts standards in spring 2021, according to a recently released study.

The study, commissioned by the SC Education Oversight Committee and Northwest Evaluation Association, aimed to measure and project the near-term future effects of the “COVID slide,” which is the learning deficit caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

That’s a stark increase from 2019, when between 49% and 59% of 3-8th graders tested below S.C. English standards and between 42% and 65% tested below math standards, according to S.C. Department of Education data.

Data used in the study included 222,000 S.C. students in grades 3-8 who took the SC READY tests in 2019 and 2020, according to the study.

The “COVID slide” is expected to be most pronounced among the math scores of students in grades 2-5, according to the study. There, 10%-16% fewer students were expected to meet grade-level proficiency standards, according to the study.

Projections are based, in part, on the difference in test scores in fall 2019 and fall 2020.

“The pandemic has presented an unprecedented upheaval to the education of students in every corner of the state,” said committee Executive Director Matthew Ferguson in a statement. “While the disruption has provided many challenges and, in some instances, opportunities for innovation and creativity, we cannot ignore that many students have and will continue to experience learning loss.”

Declines in English Language Arts scores are expected to be lower than declines in math, the study said. For example, 4% to 6% fewer students in grades 2-5 are projected to meet reading standards, according to the study.

Educators have known since the dawn of the pandemic that remote learning would set back all students, but especially those in rural areas, low-income communities, students with special needs and more. But this is the first study specific to South Carolina that aims to put a number on how thorough the learning loss would be.

While insightful, the report is just a snapshot. For one, the study admits vulnerable student populations are underrepresented in the report. The usefulness of standardized test scores to determine achievement — something many educators have criticized — is further in question as COVID-19 has forced schools to suspend several types of standardized testing.

The report isn’t all bad news, however. For example, while there continues to be an achievement gap between underprivileged students and their wealthier counterparts, researchers did not find that achievement gap to be growing, according to the study.

Another benefit: “While there is still a digital divide, the pandemic has certainly accelerated student access to technology across the state,” Ferguson said in the statement.

Going forward, schools need to provide more intervention for students, especially in math, who are underachieving, the report said. Students need more tutoring; teachers need more opportunities for professional learning and students need to get back to face-to-face classes as soon as it is safe, according to the report.

This story was originally published January 15, 2021 at 12:00 AM.