NWEA Report: First- and Second‑Grade Reading Scores Still Below Pre‑COVID Levels as Math Slowly Recovers
NWEA assessments administered during the 2024–25 school year show first‑ and second‑grade reading scores remain below pre‑COVID levels while math is slowly recovering and kindergarten math and science have stayed roughly the same. Researchers, including Megan Kuhfeld, say reading has plateaued since spring 2021 and reflects systemic causes inside and outside schools — with emerging evidence of less frequent parental reading — and some districts, like Minnetonka, report gains after shifting to phonics and more frequent literacy assessments but note lost early‑childhood experiences continue to hamper language development for low‑income students.
📌 Key Facts
- NWEA's findings are based on assessments administered during the 2024–25 school year, clarifying the time frame of the data.
- NWEA data show first- and second-grade reading scores remain below pre‑COVID levels; reading scores have been roughly unchanged since spring 2021, and researcher Megan Kuhfeld says the causes appear systemic both inside and outside schools rather than solely due to instructional disruption.
- Math performance is showing a slow recovery overall, but early‑grade (first- and second‑grade) math declined during the pandemic and gains have been gradual.
- Kindergarten math and science scores stayed roughly the same throughout the pandemic, contrasting with the declines seen in first‑ and second‑grade reading and math.
- Emerging evidence points to declines in at‑home early literacy activities: a 2024 U.K. survey found fewer than half of children under 5 are regularly read to, a drop of about 20 percentage points from 12 years earlier.
- A district example from Minnetonka Public Schools (near Minneapolis) reports early‑grade reading scores have rebounded after a shift toward more phonics instruction and frequent literacy assessments, but lost early‑childhood experiences during the pandemic continue to hinder language development—especially for low‑income students.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2019, 75% of Black children aged 3 to 5 not yet in kindergarten were read to by a family member three or more times in the past week, compared to 91% of White children, 81% of Asian children, 77% of Hispanic children, and 89% of children of two or more races.
Home Literacy Activities With Young Children — National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
In 2019, 33% of Black children aged 3 to 5 not yet in kindergarten visited a library at least once in the past month, compared to 40% of White children, 54% of Asian children, 32% of Hispanic children, and 40% of children of two or more races.
Home Literacy Activities With Young Children — National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
In 2022, the average NAEP reading score for 4th-grade Black students was 199, compared to 227 for White students (a 28-point gap), 241 for Asian students, and 205 for Hispanic students; the White-Black gap was larger than in 2011 but stable compared to 2019.
Reading Performance — National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
The gap between pre- and post-COVID test score averages widened by an average of 36% in reading in 2023-24, with slower recovery particularly for low-income students, and chronic absenteeism rose to 26% in 2022-23 from 13% in 2019-20, acting as a major obstacle to academic recovery.
The scary truth about how far behind American kids have fallen — Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms that the NWEA findings are based on assessments administered during the 2024‑25 school year, clarifying the time frame of the data.
- Adds that kindergarten math and science scores remained roughly the same throughout the pandemic, contrasting with declines in first- and second‑grade reading and math.
- Includes researcher Megan Kuhfeld’s explanation that reading scores have remained roughly the same since spring 2021 and that the causes appear 'systemic' both inside and outside schools, not solely instructional disruption.
- Introduces emerging evidence that fewer parents are reading regularly to young children, citing a 2024 U.K. survey showing less than half of under‑5s are regularly read to, down about 20 percentage points from 12 years earlier.
- Provides a concrete district‑level example from Minnetonka Public Schools near Minneapolis, where leaders say early‑grade reading scores have rebounded after a shift toward more phonics and frequent literacy assessments, but note that lost early‑childhood experiences during the pandemic continue to hamper language development, especially for low‑income students.