SAN DIEGO — New standardized test scores show the dramatic impact that the pandemic had on many local students, who spent more than a year completing their classes from home, as well as a stressful year transitioning back to in-person learning last school year.
Students in the county's largest district, San Diego Unified, showed drops in achievement when it comes to English language and math.
These declines in standardized test scores in San Diego Unified were seen across all socioeconomic and racial groups, reflecting a national trend as schools are continuing to recover from the pandemic.
"This was the first time we had tested our students since 2019, pre-pandemic, so we know the last two years have been incredibly stressful for our students, our families and our educators," said San Diego Unified Board Trustee Richard Barrera.
These preliminary test results for San Diego Unified students, who took the exams last spring, show 53 percent of students either met or exceeded standards in English language arts: a four percent drop from 2019.
In math, the drop was more dramatic: 41% of students met or exceeded standards, marking a 7% decline compared to 2019.
"The question is, where do we go from here?" Barrera said.
He pointed out out that the transition back to in-person learning during the last school year was also stressful. from dealing with COVID surges to staffing shortages and student absences.
"We can expect in an environment like that, we are going to see student learning take a hit," he told CBS 8. "We also know that students experienced a lot of trauma."
One long-time district teacher, Brenda Taylor, who called in to Tuesday evening's school board meeting, asked if the district has a specific post-pandemic academic achievement plan.
"Based on the recent test scores, I'm thinking we need some extra help to improve our kids' academics," Taylor said.
Barrera said there are strategies in place, as well as funding currently available to implement them, from lower class sizes to more tutoring support to additional counseling services.
He is also focused on closing the significant achievement gaps we're still seeing, and is hopeful that next year's tests will mark a return to pre-pandemic levels.
"What's really important though is, how do we do better than before the pandemic? And that is really about investing in the right strategies for kids, and making sure the funding is there to allow us to invest in those strategies," he added.
These results issued this week are preliminary. The state will release the final results later this year.
If you would like to see the results for an individual school in the San Diego Unified School District, click here.
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