Duval schools' math, reading levels fall
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Duval County students’ fourth-grade test scores fell for both math and reading as part of a national slide blamed on interruptions of in-person schooling.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Duval County students’ fourth-grade test scores fell for both math and reading as part of a national slide blamed on interruptions of in-person schooling caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, data released Monday by the U.S. Education Department showed.

Eighth-grade math performance also dropped while reading improved minutely, essentially holding steady, said data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a standardized measurement sometimes called the nation’s report card.

The losses reflect harm to schooling that has been felt in many corners, but Duval officials took encouragement in noting that local scores fell less than at most large urban school districts.

“We can’t wish away the impact of the pandemic on the learning experience of this generation,” schools Superintendent Diana Greene said in a release the district posted online.

“We can take pride in the fact that our schools weathered it better than most, but as a nation and a community, we must continue efforts to enhance and accelerate learning for students who experienced school in the COVID era,” Greene said.

Duval County’s results received praise from the Council of Great City Schools, an organization of 77 of the country’s largest public school systems.

“In all subject and grade combinations, Duval County remained on par or higher than the majority of peer … districts across the country, despite the pandemic,” said Ray Hart, the group’s executive director.

“… Sustaining achievement in any grade or subject in the face of a global crisis is no easy feat and is a testament to Duval’s initiatives during and after the pandemic,” Hart said.

The figures from the Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics, usually released every two years, were the first scores since 2019.

The testing scored Duval County’s average fourth-grade math results at  236.83 points, a 7.32 point drop from the last measurement, and average reading scores down  7.31 points to 214.61. For eighth graders, average math scores were down 4.92 points to 269.2 and reading averages improved by 0.16 point to  257.94

Nationally, results showed average math scores falling by the largest measurements yet recorded.

“The results show the profound toll on student learning during the pandemic, as the size and scope of the declines are the largest ever in mathematics,” National Center Commissioner Peggy G. Carr said.

Carr said the results “underscore the importance of instruction and the role of schools in both students’ academic growth and their overall wellbeing,” and highlight a need for policymakers and community members to work together to bolster young people’s education.

Average math scores didn’t improve in any state or large urban school district, the report’s authors said.

There was particular concern expressed about performance of eighth-grade math students, whose scores fell in 51 state-level jurisdictions while holding steady in just two others.

“Eighth grade is a pivotal moment in students’ mathematics education, as they develop key mathematics skills for further learning and potential careers in mathematics and science,” said Daniel J. McGrath, acting as the national center’s associate commissioner for assessment.

“If left unaddressed,” McGrath said, “this could alter the trajectories and life opportunities of a whole cohort of young people, potentially reducing their abilities to pursue rewarding and productive careers in mathematics, science, and technology.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis’s office touted the state’s stronger results relative to most of the country, linking that to DeSantis’s emphasis on getting in-person schooling on track fast during the pandemic. 

“We insisted on keeping schools open and guaranteed in-person learning in 2020 because we knew there would be widespread harm to our students if students were locked out. Today’s results once again prove that we made the right decision,” DeSantis said.

“We also knew that younger and at-risk students would be the most impacted if schools were closed, and the results speak for themselves. In Florida our fourth-grade students rank #3 in reading and #4 in math, achieving top 4 in both English and math for the first time in state history.”

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