Pandemic Learning Loss: Slow Recovery and Persistent Gaps in US Education
As of March 9, 2026, data indicates a slow pace of recovery from pandemic-related learning loss in US schools. While some districts demonstrate progress, national and state assessments reveal that most students have not yet returned to pre-COVID achievement levels, and significant disparities persist.
Grim Reading Scores and a Long Road to Recovery
The Pennsylvania Department of Education released reading scores in December 2025, revealing performance still below pre-COVID levels, with the percentage of students meeting expectations declining for the fourth consecutive year. This mirrors a national trend highlighted in a recent report from NWEA, which found that approximately one-third of schools have reached pre-COVID performance levels in reading or math, with only 14% recovering in both subjects.
Pockets of Progress and Varying State Results
Despite the overall discouraging results, some districts are showing positive trends. Rachael Garnick, head of the Pennsylvania Literacy Coalition, points to districts like Scranton and Mohawk Area in Pennsylvania as examples of urgency, and improvement. Nationally, Louisiana has shown strong progress in reading, while Alabama has seen gains in math, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
A Decade of Slowing Achievement
Experts caution that the pandemic exacerbated existing issues. Dan Goldhaber, director of the Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research, notes that a slow degradation of academic achievement was already occurring in the decade prior to the pandemic. Researchers at McKinsey & Company predicted in 2023 that, following historical trends, it could grab decades for students to fully catch up.
“Resister” and “Rebounder” Schools
NWEA’s data identifies two categories of schools: “resisters,” which avoided significant declines during the pandemic and are now back on track, and “rebounders,” which experienced substantial drops but have since made impressive gains. The Compton Unified School District in California is an example of a “resister,” having maintained steady reading scores and recovered in math through consistent academic routines, including daily math problems, weekly quizzes, and challenging writing assignments.
Success in Charleston County, South Carolina
Charleston County schools in South Carolina have seen significant gains, with 54% of students in grades three through eight meeting or exceeding expectations in math in 2025, up from 48% in 2019. This success is attributed to a swift return to in-person instruction, high-dosage tutoring, and a funding formula that provided extra resources to high-poverty schools.
Persistent Achievement Gaps
Despite overall gains, significant achievement gaps remain. In Charleston County, a more than 50 percentage point gap exists between white and Black students in fourth-grade math, and students from wealthier families outperform those in poverty by 39 percentage points. These disparities highlight the need for continued and targeted interventions.
State-Level Recovery Varies
An analysis of 2025 state test scores by the Education Data Center revealed that only three states – Colorado, Georgia, and Iowa – have fully recovered in both math and reading since 2019. Mississippi, Missouri, Rhode Island, and Tennessee have also met or exceeded 2019 proficiency rates in math. While Pennsylvania’s reading scores have declined, its math performance is nearly at the 2019 level.
The Role of Grades and Parental Perception
Researchers suggest that a lack of improvement on standardized tests may be due to parents placing more trust in grades than test scores. A University of Chicago study found that nearly three-quarters of parents rely on grades when making decisions about their children’s learning, and are less likely to seek help when grades are excellent. This is concerning, as grade inflation may provide a less accurate picture of student performance.
The Importance of Accurate Data
Bibb Hubbard, founder and CEO of Learning Heroes, emphasizes the need for parents to understand achievement data, stating, “Good grades do not equal grade level.” Accurate data is crucial for identifying students who need support and ensuring they receive the necessary interventions.