Monroe County Community School Corporation experiences four months learning loss for math, reading since 2019

Bloomington, Indiana – According to the most current Education Recovery Scorecard, which was issued this month, math and reading-related learning loss have affected students in the Monroe County Community School Corporation by around four months since 2019. According to researchers, the COVID-19 pandemic is to blame for this loss of learning.

MCCSC reported a 0.52 reduction in average math scores from 2019 to 2022, a little over four months of accomplishment loss, according to the Education Recovery Scorecard’s interactive map. Additionally, the district stated that average reading scores fell by 0.44 points over the same time span, representing a learning loss of little under four months.

In comparison to the state averages, test results at MCCSC, where little more than 10,000 students are enrolled, show much less learning loss. According to the Education Recovery Scorecard, from 2019 to 2022, the average math and reading scores in the state decreased by 0.61 and 0.45, respectively. Only 30.2% of Indiana students in grades 3 through 8 were proficient in both math and English-language arts, according to the Indiana Department of Education’s study of 2022 ILEARN scores.

Researchers using the Education Recovery Scorecard discovered that, on average, third through eighth-grade public school students lost almost half a year’s worth of math knowledge and a quarter of a year’s worth of reading knowledge.

The discrepancies in learning loss between surrounding districts were also addressed in the report. MCCSC reported some learning loss in comparison to neighboring districts. However, compared to nearby districts, the Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation, a neighboring school district, reported a 0.93 decrease in average math scores and a 0.86 decrease in average reading scores from 2019 to 2022. These changes are categorized as “dramatic learning losses” by the Education Recovery Scorecard.

The Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University and the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University worked together to create the Education Recovery Scorecard and the research that goes with it. The scorecard was created by researchers using information from the National Assessment of Educational Progress as well as publicly available district test results and proficiency rates.

Gov. Eric Holcomb of Indiana adopted the state’s two-year budget earlier this month, allocating $21 billion for K–12 education.