A third of kindergarten through 12th grade students in the U.S. are performing behind their grade level.
That’s according to a new survey by the National Center for Education Statistics called the School Pulse Panel.
The research found that 32% of public school students were behind their grade level at the end of the school year in June. By region, the percentage of students performing behind their grade level was highest in the West, with 39%.
The findings demonstrate how grade school students are still grappling with pandemic-era learning disruptions.
To combat this, schools said upping staffing showed positive results.
More than half — 55% — of schools reported that “hiring additional educators to provide more instruction was ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ effective in supporting learning recovery during the current school year,” the study said.
But this comes as COVID-era funding for schools is coming to an end, which could threaten staff levels.
In 2020 and 2021, Congress passed more than $190 billion in aid for schools by way of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, or ESSER for short. But states had until September 2024 to use those funds.
This could signal more layoffs and budget cuts to come as schools still work to recover.
Inflation and falling enrollment are also impacting district funding.
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Schools that responded to the survey also reported that spending more time on targeted subjects, identifying individual needs with assessment data, and professional development on learning recovery were effective strategies to help students bounce back.
