Last year, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and SAS Institute Inc. (SAS) collaborated to leverage existing student assessment data and yield insight into how the pandemic disrupted student learning. The focus of the Impact Analysis was to identify the overall impact to the state as well as subjects, grades and student groups most affected by lost instructional time. One year later, NCDPI and SAS revisited the Impact Analysis to understand students’ recovery through the 2021-22 school year.
Similar to last year’s report, this report assesses student performance and disrupted instructional time by comparing students’ pre-pandemic expected performance with their post-pandemic actual performance for the 2021-22 school year. Last year’s report used 2020-21 assessment data to define students’ post-pandemic actual performance, and this year’s report uses 2021-22 assessment data as well. By comparing the results from 2020-21 and 2021-22, the state can understand to what extent, on average, students have recovered academically since the pandemic.
On average, the analysis found, students showed signs of academic recovery in nearly every subject, with the strongest gains measured in middle and high school math, with notable gains also found in third- and fourth-grade reading, eighth-grade science and high school Biology. Only high school English (English II) remained unchanged from 2020-21.
“The results from the 2021-22 school year empirically confirm what we’ve been hearing from teachers and principals and parents around the state. Our schools and districts have made incredible strides in helping so many of our students get back on track to their pre-pandemic performance. This data also tells us there is more work to be done and fortunately we still have federal funding available to support interventions targeted at the students who need it most.”
~N.C. State Superintendent Catherine Truitt
- Recovery Analysis Report presentation prepared for the N.C. General Assembly
- Full report as compiled by the Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration
- 2021-22 Recovery Analysis for NC Charter Schools
- Top Takeaways and FAQ Report
Webinar for North Carolina’s PSU Leaders about Recovery Analysis and Results