The greatest loss in math proficiency since 1990 is alarming, but the alarm has been going off since the early 2000s. That’s when the average fourth- and eighth-grade student began performing in the non-proficient range in math with no real improvement in two decades.

The harsh reality that educators are facing today is the realization that even if we’re able to rebound from the losses that occurred during the pandemic, our students are still not where they need to be. Here is how a return to data-driven math instruction can make the difference students desperately need.

Math proficiency depends on effective instruction

When student learning gains are not where school and district leadership expect them to be, many are quick to place blame on the learner when they should be taking a step back and examining the instruction. As an active researcher, policy adviser and developer of academic screening assessments for the last 20 years, I have found that the trend into stagnant, non-proficient performance coincides with the move away from evidence-based instruction and toward philosophically driven, constructivist-heavy tactics.

These tactics have mischaracterized explicit instruction, downplayed the need for fluency exercises, minimized the importance of standard algorithms and promoted the idea that timed tests cause math anxiety. To start improving math outcomes, teachers must turn to objective data from classroom research to guide their instruction and intervention techniques.

Effective instruction depends on rigorous data

Given that today’s students are performing in the non-proficient range, it’s not surprising that parents, teachers and education leaders are concerned. In order to support our students in an effective and measurable way, classes need to implement evidence-based support systems. This should be based on rigorous data collection that can help educators discern which students need intervention, the type of intervention they need, and the goals that need to be set to assess if the supports are working.

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Rigorous data collection can mean a lot of things but requires frequent and targeted assessment. Screenings should take minutes and focus on tasks closely aligned with expectations for learning at that stage of the instructional program. From there, teachers can determine if the entire class needs support to master essential skills, or if a few students need individual intervention.

Classwide intervention can be implemented quickly and then used to more accurately identify students who need individualized, higher-tier support. Classrooms that have used this method have seen moderate to strong effects on academic performance for all students resulting in fewer children needing more resource-intensive interventions.

Math is a highly cumulative endeavor

This means students cannot simply mature their way into skill proficiency. They need effective instruction rooted in data to build mastery from skill to skill, grade to grade, and year to year. Two crucial pieces to building these cumulative skills are teacher collaboration and concise school or districtwide systems of assessment.

Math learning is also hierarchical, where it progresses predictably from acquisition to fluency, and then to generalization. During daily core instruction, students should be experiencing:

• Instruction for new skill development
• Fluency-building instruction for skills students have acquired
• And generalization instruction for the skills they have mastered

When children reach 100% accuracy, gaining further proficiency is still meaningful. High-dosage practice with opportunities to respond embedded in games, flashcards, think-out-loud problem-solving and timed intervals makes math easier for students and is the path to developing flexible adaptable mathematical problem-solving.

With the right resources, intervention and assessment tools that are consistently applied and evaluated, our teachers and students will see success in the classroom.

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Districts across the country have set their sights on improving student achievement, particularly surrounding math. Summit School District in Colorado aims to close the gap between white and Hispanic students through an overhaul of its math curriculum materials by making them more accessible to traditionally underserved students. Hamilton County Schools in Tennessee wants to update its 8-year-old math curriculum to address pandemic-related learning loss among students. To no surprise, this is a change that most parents and teachers around the nation want to see.

The study, done by public relations and research firm Global Strategy Group and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, reveals that most parents think math curriculum needs to be updated and applicable to the real world.

“The biggest problem with the way math is taught today is that it does not reach all students,” said one Texas parent. “The most important way that math instructions needs to change is to make it relevant, more real-world scenarios. Some of the more traditional math instruction is not preparing a lot of students for life after school including jobs.”

Furthermore, most teachers (53%) “strongly agree” that students who excel at math early on “are more likely to succeed later in life.”

“From the earliest grades, we see students divided into math people and non-math people, and that’s tragic,” said Bob Hughes, the K12 director for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, during a press call with reporters Thursday. “We know all students can succeed in math, and when students fail algebra, they’re more likely to drop out and not graduate from school.”

So what does an ideal math education look like, according to parents? Based on the findings, students would benefit more if:

• It was relevant to real life (64%).
• It was more practical (54%).
• It focused on creative problem-solving (52%).
• It was engaging (50%).

“For students, math is a boring subject,” said one Florida parent. “If they don’t get it, they get turned off; they don’t want to deal with it. But if something is engaging and bringing them happiness and something that they can relate to, I believe that they can be more successful.”

More from DA: These 2 barriers are getting in the way of K12 leaders’ pursuit toward equity

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“Rather than reacting to MAGA-driven culture wars, voters overwhelmingly say they want lawmakers to get back to basics: to invest in public schools and get educators the resources they need to create safe and welcoming environments, boost academic skills and pave pathways to career, college and beyond,” said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, whose union released new national polling results of 1,500 voters—including about 560 public school parents—earlier this month.

Here are the top education priorities voters’ identified:

• Ensuring students have strong fundamental skills in reading, math, and science
• Ensuring all students, regardless of background, have the opportunity to succeed
• Providing a safe and welcoming environment for children
• Developing students’ critical thinking and reasoning skills
• Teaching practical life skills
• Preparing students to succeed in college or careers

Here are their lowest priorities:

• Making sure schools aren’t teaching a “woke” political agenda
• Giving parents more say over what their children are taught
• Making sure schools don’t teach critical race theory
• Removing books and curriculum materials on topics some families consider offensive or inappropriate

More from DA: AP African American Studies course shrinks in scope after outcry

Most Americans are not concerned that teachers are pushing a “woke” political agenda in the nation’s classroom. Nearly two-thirds of all voters—and 74% of parents—say their schools are teaching appropriate academic content and skills education while just about one-fifth of parents think teachers are indoctrinating students with a liberal agenda.

A large majority of voters also worry that “culture war battles distract public schools from their core mission of educating students,” the AFT said.

Teacher shortages, inadequate funding, dangerous schools, and recovering from pandemic learning loss are the most serious challenges that superintendents and their teams face, said the survey’s respondents, who also—by an 85% to 15% margin—said they would rather see Congress provide more support to K12 education than launch the multiple investigations that GOP leaders have threatened.

“One key weakness of the culture war agenda is that voters and parents reject the idea that teachers today are pushing a ‘woke’ political agenda in the schools,” pollster Geoff Garin said. “Most have high confidence in teachers. Voters see the ‘culture war’ as a distraction from what’s important and believe that politicians who are pushing these issues are doing so for their own political benefit.”

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Some fear that it promotes cheating, allowing students to breeze through their assignments. For example, one individual challenged ChatGPT with completing a full SAT test. Astonishingly, it performed in the 52nd percentile, according to College Board.

I made ChatGPT take a full SAT test. Here's how it did: pic.twitter.com/734sPFU3HY

— teddy (@teddynpc) December 2, 2022

Others are rather optimistic, arguing that it has the immense power to make learning, well, fun.

“In the future, we need to lean in as educators,” said Dr. Don Killingbeck, the superintendent of Hemlock Public Schools in Michigan in a previous interview with District Administration. “Because let’s face it. There are people out there thinking, ‘This is bad. It’s everything we told kids not to do.’ People are going to say we shouldn’t be using this and that kids shouldn’t be touching it. The bottom line is in the real world we’ve got to be more productive. You only get 24 hours in a day, so how are you going to make the most out of it? And I think a tool like ChatGPT maximizes that opportunity.”

But just how powerful is the tool? Out of curiosity, we asked ChatGPT to perform several tasks that your average high school student might be given. For simplicity, we asked it questions about the following three subject areas: history, writing and math. And sure enough, it performed.

History

Using recommendations from Time4Learning, a homeschool curriculum provider, we assigned ChatGPT the following task: “In 200 words or less, describe the challenges faced during the construction of the transcontinental railroad.”

Here was its response:

The construction of the transcontinental railroad faced numerous challenges, including securing funding and acquiring land rights,” it wrote. “The harsh weather conditions, difficult terrain, and remote locations made it a logistical nightmare. The labor force consisted of immigrants and former slaves, who faced dangerous working conditions, low wages, and cultural conflicts. The supply chain for materials and equipment was disrupted by the Civil War, making it difficult to secure the resources needed for construction. Tensions with Native American communities also posed a challenge, as the railroad threatened their way of life and sacred lands. Additionally, corruption and mismanagement were rampant, as railroad executives and politicians sought to profit from the massive project. Finally, competition between rival railroad companies led to tension and conflict, hindering progress and driving up costs. Despite these challenges, the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, revolutionizing transportation and commerce in the United States.

Writing

“Prepare an outline for an essay about the characters and conflict that are present throughout Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.”

ChatGPT’s response:

I. Introduction
A. Background on Shakespeare and the play
B. Brief overview of Romeo and Juliet
C. Thesis statement: The characters and conflict in Romeo and Juliet are integral to the play’s themes of love, hate, and fate.

II. The Characters
A. Romeo
1. Description of his personality and motivations
2. Relationships with other characters
B. Juliet
1. Description of her personality and motivations
2. Relationships with other characters
C. Other characters
1. The Montagues and Capulets
2. Mercutio and Tybalt
3. The Nurse and Friar Lawrence

III. The Conflict
A. Family feud
1. Origin and escalation of the conflict between the Montagues and Capulets
2. The impact of the feud on the play’s characters
B. Individual conflicts
1. Romeo’s internal conflict over love and hate
2. Juliet’s struggle with her duty to family and love for Romeo
C. Fate
1. The role of fate in the play’s conflict and resolution
2. The concept of free will vs. predetermined destiny

IV. Conclusion
A. Restate thesis statement
B. Summary of key points
C. Reflection on the themes of love, hate, and fate in Romeo and Juliet
D. Final thoughts on the play’s impact and relevance.

Math

Using problems provided on Varsity Tutors, an online tutoring and test prep site, we asked ChatGPT to answer several questions your average high schooler taking precalculus would solve:

“What is the center and radius of the circle indicated by the equation? (x – 2)² + y² = 36″

ChatGPT’s answer: “The center of the circle is (2, 0) and the radius is 6.”

But it didn’t stop there. It even showed its work:

“To find the center of the circle, we need to isolate the x and y terms on one side of the equation,” it wrote. “The standard form of a circle’s equation is (x – h)² + (y – k)² = r², where (h, k) is the center and r is the radius.”

“Starting with (x – 2)² + y² = 36, we can simplify the equation to: x² – 4x + y² = 36 x² – 4x + 4 + y² = 40 (x – 2)² + y² = 40”

“So, the center of the circle is (2, 0) and the radius is the square root of 40, which is 6.”

Now let’s try something a little more tricky.

Using another example question found on Varsity Tutors, we asked ChatGPT, “What is the shape of the graph indicated by the equation x²/16 + y²/4 = 1?”

And its answer was correct, an ellipse. Unsurprisingly, it told us exactly how it came to that conclusion.

“The graph indicated by the equation x²/16 + y²/4 = 1 is an ellipse,” it wrote.

“An ellipse is defined as the set of all points such that the sum of the distances from two fixed points, called foci, is constant. In standard form, the equation for an ellipse is (x²/a²) + (y²/b²) = 1, where a and b are the semi-major and semi-minor axes of the ellipse, respectively.”

“The equation x²/16 + y²/4 = 1 is in the standard form of an ellipse, with the semi-major axis equal to 4 and the semi-minor axis equal to 2. This means that the shape of the graph is an ellipse, where the x-axis and y-axis are the semi-major and semi-minor axes, respectively.”

So what’s your opinion? As an educator or administrator, does this frighten you? Or does it open up a world of possibilities for enhancing the student’s learning and getting kids engaged again?

More from DA: ChatGPT or CheatGPT? Students love it, educators not so much

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The latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress reveal the extent to which the pandemic disrupted learning. In fourth and eighth grade, math scores showed the biggest decline since the assessments were first given to students in 1990, with eighth-grade students’ scores dropping 8 points and fourth-grade students’ scores dropping 5 points compared to 2019.

Teachers have their work cut out for them as they try to bridge students’ skill gaps in math. In addition, schools and districts nationwide are facing significant staffing shortages—with rural and under-resourced schools and districts suffering the most.

With fewer paraprofessionals, math specialists and other supporting staff in schools, teachers are carrying the burden of these additional responsibilities. This means teachers don’t have ample time to provide personalized, one-on-one support for students.

During my 18 years in the classroom, I struggled with assessing each of my student’s needs and finding the time to provide the personalized instruction needed for each of my students—all while sticking to my curriculum. Below are key insights I recommend education leaders consider as they address math achievement challenges and student needs.

1. Lead math achievement with data

To ensure students are set up for success, teachers need real-time data to see precisely where their students require additional support so they can target instruction appropriately. Yet, with classroom time at a premium, teachers can’t afford to spend the allotted time on assessing students to determine their math skills and knowledge gaps.

Combining simultaneous spiral math practice and cumulative assessment offers a critical solution. This process can help teachers leverage student data more effectively—without taking valuable class time away from instruction—by providing individual, highly targeted math instruction and practice for students, while at the same time evaluating and reporting on their skills.

2. Produce actionable insight

When it comes to instruction, teachers should leverage the idea of “spiral review.” Simply put, this entails mixing new concepts and past materials to ensure students retain important concepts and continue growing as learners.

Technology is an important piece of this puzzle. It’s helpful to use a platform that combines practice and assessment so that educators can easily see where students are making mistakes as they’re working to correct those errors. At the same time, software can identify where gaps exist in students’ skills and generate a detailed, standards-aligned report for the teacher.

3. Review reports and student data

As educators, we need to determine each student’s progress and where additional support is needed. Actionable, meaningful data is crucial and essential for tailoring instruction to meet the diverse needs of each student—such as:

• Reteaching a skill or concept that students are struggling to grasp
• Arranging students by skill or ability to facilitate small-group instruction
• Working with students one-on-one to go over concepts that are still giving them trouble.

Collecting and reporting on this information while simultaneously offering individualized practice and instruction can accelerate math education in a highly efficient way. For example, I gathered real-time data to implement a “gradual release” strategy when transitioning students from a math lesson to independent practice.

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Students showed their work on dry-erase boards during guided practice. As I identified students that consistently showed initial understanding, I released them to independent practice. I was then able to give more focused assistance to the students who needed it the most.

This is a key advantage at a time when students’ needs are acute—and school instructional staff are overburdened. A versatile platform that combines spiral math practice and cumulative assessment can help teachers make better use of their limited time to close math achievement gaps for everyone.

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The NAEP is a national sample with a long history. It has remained constant in terms of scale and difficulty since 1969, so it’s one of the best and most reliable sources for longitudinal data about student performance. It is also the only such test administered to students in all 50 states.

However, because of its design and the fact that it only comes out every other year, the NAEP can tell only part of the story. The most recent NAEP assessments were administered in March, and student progress tends to slow down during the second half of most school years—but in 2022 we found that student work continued to grow very solidly throughout the spring, meaning that students’ performance continued to evolve after NAEP’s snapshot was taken.

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In other words, the NAEP data is important—and those declines in math scores are real and concerning—but it’s only part of the picture. The “How Kids Are Performing” report (HKAP) is wider in scope and larger in sample size than NAEP, and the most recent version suggests some reasons for hope.

Over the course of the 2021–2022 school year, for example, kindergartners exceeded typical growth, including a 12-point increase in their literacy growth. Reading growth in grades 1–4 also met or exceeded 50, the standard for student growth percentile (SGP) in a typical year. Even in math, where scores took a larger hit than reading over the course of the pandemic, last year had some bright spots.

Scores rebounded across subjects and demographic groups

Math scores fell primarily because, I believe, math is so relentlessly cumulative. Students who missed a bit of math instruction were generally less able to continue their learning than students who missed a particular concept in their English language arts classes. It’s likely that those students also had some holes in their math knowledge before the pandemic, and those gaps only grew as students’ learning was disrupted.

But math scores also had larger rebounds than reading scores. Students have recovered so well in math, in fact, that the average SGPs in the latest HKAP report are pretty typical, ranging from 47 to 55.

Still, it’s important to note that SGPs are a measure of growth rather than a measure of proficiency. For students to return to typical achievement levels, they will need to string together multiple years of SPGs greater than 50.

The HKAP data doesn’t explain why math rebounded more strongly than reading, but a likely explanation is that educators saw the data demonstrating that math was an area of great concern, so they focused their efforts there—and achieved some significant success. Those rebounds, which were concentrated in the elementary grades, are excellent news for young students and their teachers and administrators. Math does remain an area of concern for high school students, particularly because there is much less time to help those students catch up before they go on to college or careers.

Reading and early literacy may not have rebounded as strongly as math so far, but on average SGPs appear to be on the upswing here as well. The mean SGP across all grades was just a bit below average, at 48, which is three points higher than in the 2020–2021 school year. The following table from the latest HKAP report illustrates these findings:

Among demographic groups, the trend, again, is generally positive. Though SGPs are lower than I’d like, ranging from 42 to 51, every group except Catholic school and other private school students—who still ended up with an average SGP of 51—saw higher SGPs than in the 2020–2021 school year. Black students had the lowest SGP, at 42, but they also saw an eight-point increase—the greatest increase of any group over the previous school year.

Maintaining the momentum in 2023

There is still a lot of work to do, but it’s important to keep in perspective the significant progress educators have already made. It was not that long ago that all our lives suddenly and traumatically became very different. While the pandemic made teaching and learning immensely more difficult overnight, helping students recover will take more time. There was work to do in so many areas—both academically, across all subjects, and social-emotionally. It’s as if educators and students are engaged in a game of “Whac-A-Mole,” and they have only one hammer to knock down all these moles. It will take some time.

The good news is that educators across the country seem to be paying attention to the data identifying areas of greatest concern, they are taking action, and it is all having a positive impact on students.

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But not all teachers report using the new learning tools purchased each year by their schools and districts. This can hinder administrators’ ability to provide the appropriate professional development or understand teachers’ curriculum needs more thoroughly, says an analysis of the use of new math and English resources.

“The introduction of new instructional materials places considerable time and learning demands on teachers,” says the authors of the study by the RAND Corporation, a public policy think tank. “Understanding the extent to which teachers use new instructional materials can inform how to best support teachers in selecting and using such materials effectively.”

A comprehensive understanding of teachers’ instructional and curriculum needs will also better guide administrators as they lead their students and schools through academic recovery from three years of pandemic upheavals. But half of the teachers surveyed for the analysis said their curriculum was failing to engage students or meet the needs of learners “on both ends of the achievement spectrum,” the authors said.

When it comes to newly purchased instructional materials, roughly half of the teachers surveyed said they are using at least one on a regular basis each year. And more teachers adopted new resources in 2021-22 than during the previous two years. But about one in five teachers said they avoided new materials that did not meet students’ needs, were hard to use or that they didn’t have time to implement.

Most of the new materials used were purchased by schools or districts, but some teachers bought resources themselves or found free alternatives, the report found. More than half of ELA and mathematics teachers spent $100 or more of their own money in 2021–2022 while about one-fourth spent $300 or more.

To ensure your district is building a standards-aligned curriculum that teachers will adopt and that will engage students, RAND’s analysts recommend that leaders:

• Involve teachers in the selection of new instructional materials and remain clear that teachers have an ongoing role in the selection process.
• Provide professional development that helps teachers become better evaluators of the quality of different instructional materials.
• Offer ongoing support to ELA and math teachers as they integrate new materials into instructional time.
• Focus on the needs of educators with different experience levels and those who work in schools with higher proportions of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches to ensure the equitable implementation of new materials.

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“We’re trying to put the right kid with the right teacher at the right time,” Lape says. “If a kid really understands algebra, do they need to sit in an algebra class for an entire year when maybe they only a need semester?”

In the customized classes, students can work ahead or take a little more time in mastering skills and concepts. In math, teachers are dividing students into three groups: those who are working ahead, those who are right on schedule and those who are falling behind, Associate Principal Brad Seamer adds. “And when you walk into a science class, you’re likely to see four different labs and three independent projects taking place at the same time as the teacher moves around the room.”

Starting next year, students will be able to choose “custom” or “traditional” for specific classes rather than for their entire schedule. This means they can take customized math and traditional English.

This approach, designed to empower students, has also filtered down to the district’s middle and elementary schools, Lape points out. Middle school students have more control over scheduling their days. They can choose between small-group sessions and bigger class seminars, and rotate among teachers. Teachers and administrators, of course, monitor students’ decisions and will intervene if they are making “bad choices”—such as, Lape explains, picking all of the same classes as a friend. Along with academics, one of the goals is to help students begin developing time management and organizational skills.

In some elementary schools, grade levels have been eliminated in favor of grouping students together based on achievement so teachers are working with students who are all at the same level. This prevents a second-grade teacher from, for example, having to instruct students who are reading at fifth-grade proficiency and those who are only at a kindergarten level.

Problem-solving principals: Take a page from their playbooks 

And conversations play a big role in the middle and elementary assessment process. Teachers will ask students what they can articulate about their learning, looking for key “habits of mind” such as managing impulsivity, striving for accuracy, finding humor and reflecting on their own thought processes. “When you have an 8-year-old who can articulate these things, you’ve created an environment of problem-solving, instead of having students just raise their hands and say, ‘I don’t know to do this,'” Lape concludes.

Student-focused instruction is ‘the real deal’

Student-focused instruction at Holmen High School in Wisconsin is focused outside the classroom, Principal Wayne E. Sackett says. Students in Holmen’s Farm-to-School Project are handling everything from growing produce to raising and processing poultry and cattle for the school’s lunch and nutrition programs. They use the school’s greenhouse extensively and tend to an asparagus field on school property.

Their work, part of the school’s Future Farmers of America program, translates into school culinary events such as “Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner.” “We have one of the most amazing lunch programs around,” Sackett says. “It’s giving kids real-life experiences.”

Another real-life experience on offer at the high school, which is part of the School District of Holmen, is the model store that students in an entrepreneurship class run every year around the winter holidays. And they run everything, from the stocking and staffing of the store to marketing to human resources to negotiating with sponsors and vendors. They develop a name and logo, and pick a charity or a family in need that will benefit from the store’s sales, which consist primarily of baked goods and crafts. Last year, the store raised about $14,400.

The students also develop an employee handbook, create a training program for sales staff, design an incentive program for vendors, and promote the store at school events, via social media and on local radio. “They have everything you might have in a business,” Sackett says. “It’s the real deal.”

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Reading scores for 4th- and 8th-graders have also plummeted since the last Nation’s Report Card assessments in 2019—falling to levels not recorded since 1992 and below all exams administered since the early 2000s, according to results released Monday. Approximately 224,400 4th-graders and 222,200 8th-graders in all 50 states and 26 urban districts took the tests between January and March of 2022.

“The results … underscore the importance of instruction and the role of schools in both students’ academic growth and their overall well-being,” said Commissioner Peggy G. Carr of the National Center for Education Statistics, which administers the tests also known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. “It’s clear we all need to come together—policymakers and community leaders at every level—as partners in helping our educators, children, and families succeed.”

Math and reading scores declined in a majority of states between 2019 and 2022. The only increase in either subject, in either grade, was seen in 8th-grade reading in the U.S. Department of Defense’s school system on military bases and other installations.

Nation’s Report Card by the numbers

This year’s reading scores for both 4th- and 8th-graders fell by 3 points compared to 2019. In 4th grade, these results are lower than all previous assessments since 2005 and were similar to the scores recorded in 1992. In 8th grade, these scores are the lowest since 1998.

Math scores in both grades showed the biggest decline since the initial NAEP assessments were given in 1990, with 8th-graders losing 8 points and 4th-graders dropping 5 points since 2019. The results for the older students are particularly concerning, said Daniel J. McGrath, the National Center for Education Statistics’ acting associate commissioner for assessment.

“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,” McGrath said. “If left unaddressed, 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.”

Accounting for COVID’s disruptions

The Nation’s Report Card also attempted to measure the impact of the pandemic on students’ learning experiences and opportunities. Students who performed at the highest levels on the test had the most consistent access to computers, laptops, or tablets during COVID. They were also much more likely than the lowest-performing students to have quiet places to work “at least some of the time” and a teacher to help with schoolwork once or twice a week, the Report Card found.

More from DA: How big a role are education issues playing in the midterm elections? 

Teachers’ confidence in delivering remote instruction also played a role in the Nation Report Card’s results. Only about half of the teachers involved in the testing said they felt confident they could close learning gaps. Digging a little deeper:

• 4th grade: Only 11% of students had teachers who reported being “extremely confident” in addressing knowledge and skills gaps, while 35% of math teachers and 36% of reading teachers reported being “quite confident.”
• 8th grade: 14% of students had teachers who reported being “extremely confident” in addressing knowledge and skills gaps, while 35% of math teachers and 36% of reading teachers in reading reported being “quite confident.”

Despite pandemic-era obstacles such as instability at home, decreased access to resources, teacher shortages, cyberbullying, and an uptick in school violence, the Report Card also uncovered “pockets of remarkable resilience,” particularly in the country’s urban districts, Carr said. “Academic recovery cannot simply be about returning to what was ‘normal’ before the pandemic, as the pandemic laid bare an opportunity gap that has long existed. It also showed how every student was vulnerable to the pandemic’s disruptions. We do not have a moment to waste.”

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The latest data shows that some students are almost a full year behind academically. Disaggregated data shows the achievement gap yet again: Black students, on average, are five months behind historical levels, whereas white students are on average two months behind. Most concerning to a math-focused organization like mine: on average, students are further behind in math than they are in reading.

The traditional approach to dealing with learning loss has been to focus on the deficits and address them, filling the gaps in a student’s learning as if they were holes in a block of Swiss cheese. After the last two years, however, some students may have more gaps than cheese. Furthermore, filling those gaps takes precious time students need to master their current grade’s content, which would mean they’ll never truly catch up.

Filling in learning gaps may be effective for some students in particular contexts, but what if there is a different way to support students in tackling grade-level content—even after they’ve developed gaps in their learning? There is a different way. Schools can lower the floor for students so they can productively engage with grade-level material, no matter who they are.

Believing students are capable

The first step toward learning recovery through on-grade content is to shift from a deficit-focused approach to an asset-based approach to teaching and learning. This means believing that students are capable of doing the work. It means focusing on the skills and tools they bring to the classroom with them, instead of what they’re lacking.

When it comes to math, for example, students may not come to class knowing the definition of “division,” but they can take twenty objects and distribute them into five groups of equal size. They are perfectly capable, in other words, of doing division—or other skills that adults may think are beyond their abilities—even if they’re not yet ready to define it for you.

Not only are they capable of more, but being asked to do more actually helps students perform better, according to a study published by Harvard researchers last year. In the study, scientists looked at students in 13 different schools who were all using the same math software. Students who had scored below a cutoff point were given assignments in the program that covered key concepts from previous grades before moving into their grade-level content. Other students were simply given assignments that focused on their current grade’s objectives.

Students who received assignments focused on past years made faster progress and completed more assignments in total, but they were 70% less likely to complete a single assignment focused on their current grade’s learning objectives, and they didn’t perform better on quizzes embedded within the software, nor on standardized tests.

Lowering the floor

Instead of revisiting content from previous years, the alternative way to support students who are behind is to lower the floor for them. Something as simple as removing unfamiliar technical jargon and reframing a mathematical process as something students already have experience with can make complicated concepts accessible for students.

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Manipulatives are a familiar way teachers already ‘lower a floor’ for prerequisite knowledge for students. A teacher who tells a gripping story with characters and action to engage students in a history lesson is lowering the floor for kids who love a good yarn but aren’t fluent in names, dates, and events of 15th-century Spain.

One way to accomplish this in mathematics is eliminating the majority of language altogether and giving students visual puzzles to solve, with informative feedback designed to help them inch closer to making sense of the correct answer when they make a mistake. Lowering the floor in this way while still enabling productive engagement for students in grade-level content is impossible without technology, but as edtech advances and matures I predict teachers will use more and more of it.

And, of course, the most straightforward method for enabling students to work with challenging content is to simply give some more time to engage and comprehend. What’s the alternative after all? In the end, the key to teaching students grade-level content is to believe in their ability to learn, embrace mistakes and struggle as part of the process, remove obstacles as they appear, and provide encouragement and support as they grow.

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