The Path of Student Learning Delay During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Michigan

Educators and policymakers have been concerned that the COVID-19 pandemic led to substantial delays in learning due to disruptions, anxiety, and remote schooling. We study student achievement patterns over the pandemic using a combination of state summative and higher frequency benchmark assessments for 5th and 6th grade students in Michigan. Comparing pre-pandemic to post-pandemic cohorts we find that math achievement growth dropped by 0.20 standard deviations more than expected, between 2019 and 2022. These drops were larger for Black, Latino, and economically disadvantaged students, as well as students in districts that were at least partially remote in 2021-22. Benchmark assessment results are consistent with summative assessments and show sharp drops in 2020-21 with a partial recovery in math. Reductions in ELA growth were generally small and statistically insignificant. Both assessments and subjects, however, show recovery stalling at a level below pre-pandemic achievement.