School’s out for the summer, and the Nation’s Report Card is in. Sobering data released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicates a sharp drop in math skills among 13-year-olds, scoring on average, 9 points lower than they did in 2020—the lowest achievement in decades. The declines were even steeper for lower-performing students in the 25th to 10th percentile, whose scores plunged 12-14 points on average. Though students of all races and ethnicities lost ground in math, the gap between scores of white and Black students widened further, from 35 points in 2020 to 42 points in 2023. “These latest results provide additional evidence of the scale, the pervasiveness and the persistence of the learning loss American students experienced as a result of the pandemic,” concluded Martin West, a member of the National Assessment Governing Board and professor at Harvard’s School of Education.
More evidence of the pandemic learning slide came in the form of data released by the ACT last fall: scores for the class of 2022 hit a 30-year low, with 42% of test takers failing to meet the minimum college readiness benchmarks set by the ACT.
THE COVID MATH GAP: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS?
College applications have always been read in context, with colleges admitting students based on how they measure up within the larger applicant pool. Colleges are already seeing fewer students matriculate with a high school calculus course on their transcript (a trend underway before the onset of COVID), and organizations like Just Equations are working to highlight the structural bias in over-valuing calculus in the college admissions process (38% of students in the top socioeconomic quartile take calculus in high school, compared to 7% in the bottom quartile).
We see these trends being reflected in some schools’ admissions standards, with Stanford’s “recommended” high school curriculum now “welcoming additional math preparation including calculus and statistics” and walking back from their 2018 verbiage which recommended “four years of math (including calculus).” MIT, on the other hand, notes that students who are “well matched” with MIT will have taken calculus in high school. Bottom line? Students who have excelled in the most rigorous courses available to them in high school will still be at an advantage in the admissions process, and STEM-focused students will still be expected to clear a higher bar for math than non-STEM focused students. Even a liberal arts school like Pomona uses data provided by their Quantitative Skills Center to predict an applicant’s chance of success in Pomona’s STEM courses based on their high school math achievement.
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THE COVID MATH GAP: WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW?
While education policy leaders are calling for nationwide reform, what can YOU do now?
- Lean into your strengths. Research on strength-based learning suggests that by investing more energy into what they’re good at, students have more to gain than they do by pouring their time into overcoming deficits. If you’re struggling with math but have always loved reading dystopian literature, you could develop an admissions edge in the current desert of prospective English majors. Instead of opting for AP Calculus and spending all your valuable time just trying to stay afloat, go for AP Literature. Instead of using your elective course for pottery or woodworking, you might choose an English elective as a sixth academic course.
- Stay connected. Research also shows a strong link between academic performance and school connectedness. Though you might rather lock yourself in your room and stare at geometry proofs than admit to your teacher how much you are struggling, it’s a better idea to forge a strong relationship with them and seek their help. And quitting your most meaningful extracurricular activity to spend more time on math won’t necessarily help, either; fostering connections with members of your community can help reboot your readiness to learn.
- Use your summers. Summer is an invaluable time to shore up math fundamentals from your previous academic year and to get a head start on the next year’s content. Working regularly with a tutor 1:1 is the most efficient way to target your specific needs. We also recommend online courses offered through Art of Problem Solving, CTY, or a college extension program like Harvard’s. For in-person learning, local community colleges and learning centers like Mathnasium are great options, too.
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Every student’s situation is unique. While one student might benefit from weekly math tutoring sessions, another might need more time management or organizational support to succeed. Reach out today for personalized guidance and expert feedback as you take the next steps on your educational journey.
Anita holds a BA in Philosophy from Princeton, where she is an alumni class officer and former interviewer, and an MA in English from Middlebury. At Princeton she also contributed her drive and competitiveness to the women’s lacrosse team, winning an NCAA Division I National Championship and three Ivy League Championships while earning national scholar-athlete academic distinction and the Connie McAllister athletic department award for “effort, selfless dedication, enthusiasm and heart.” She brings these qualities to her relationships with students as she helps to bring out the best in them.
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