Study shows elementary students most affected by 'COVID slide'

Most officials think student achievement levels will fall nationwide and in South Carolina in the spring because of remote learning in the pandemic, and a recently released study provides insight into projections for the state.

The study, commissioned by the S.C. Education Oversight Committee and Northwest Evaluation Association, aimed to measure and project short-term future effects of the "COVID slide," which is the learning deficit caused by the pandemic.

The scores are partially based on benchmark tests given to students throughout the school year called Measures of Academic Progress, or MAP, tests. The purpose of these tests is to gauge student progress in core subject areas and project their performance on end-of-grade standardized tests.

Projections are based on the difference in MAP test scores in the fall of 2019 and 2020 for about 222,000 state public school students in grades 3-8.

The COVID slide is expected to be steeper in math among elementary students and for students who are often identified as vulnerable, such as those living in high-poverty households or who do not have access to reliable internet access, according to a news release from the state committee.

When comparing the two years' results in math achievement, the slide was most dramatic in grades 2 through 5, with between 10-16% fewer South Carolina students expected to meet grade-level proficiency.

In grades 6-8, about 5% fewer students are projected to be proficient on grade-level standards in math.

In English language arts (reading) achievement, state students showed smaller declines than in math, with between 4-6% fewer students expected to meet grade-level proficiency in grades 2 through 5 this spring.

In grades 6 and 7, there was no change in projected proficiency and only a 1% decrease in grade 8.

Matthew Ferguson, executive director of the Education Oversight Committee, said the pandemic has hurt K-12 education in many ways all across the state.

"While the disruption has provided many challenges and in some instances opportunities for innovation and creativity," Ferguson said, "we cannot ignore that many students have and will continue to experience learning loss. Student success - from cradle to career - must remain our collective goal."

The committee's report also provides a list of recommendations for districts, including providing tutoring services and extra interventions for students identified as at risk and prioritizing the return to face-to-face classroom instruction as soon as safely possible.

Sumter School District has tentatively set its return to hybrid/blending learning for students for Monday after delaying it from mid-January.