New Analysis Focused On Learning Recovery Since COVID-19 Pandemic

During the pandemic, academic achievement fell across the board, including foundational skills like reading and math. The Education Recovery Scorecard, a collaboration between education researchers at Harvard and Stanford, has been reporting on where students are now as recovery efforts continue nationwide.

Their latest report released Tuesday shows West Virginia ranked 22nd in math recovery and 42nd in reading between 2019 and 2024

However, the state saw a stronger recovery effort from 2022 onwards as it ranked 6th in growth for math and 11th in growth for reading from 2022-2024. West Virginia educational leaders hope that the full implementation of House Bill 3035, more commonly known as the Third Grade Success Act, later this year will help a strong recovery continue. 

Recovery rates vary from district to district. Students in counties like Raleigh and Ohio, on average, have surpassed 2019 levels in math, while the average student in some districts, such as Logan, remains more than a full grade equivalent or more below their 2019 levels in math.

A nine percent rise in chronic absenteeism – students missing more than 10% of a school year – from 2019 to 2022 is slowing recovery efforts in West Virginia according to the analysis. Twenty percent of students in 2019 before the pandemic were considered to be chronically absent, compared to 29% in 2022. However, that number has trended down in the past two years, down to 24% in 2024. The report highlights reducing absenteeism as one of the most immediate and effective actions any district can take to improve educational outcomes.

The scorecard estimates West Virginia received roughly $4,400 per student in federal pandemic relief for K-12 schools, more than the national average of $3,700 per student. Nationally, the analysis suggests that educational relief dollars did contribute to the academic recovery, especially when targeted at academic catch-up efforts such as summer learning and tutoring, and urges local leaders to continue similar efforts.