U.S. Department of Education
Since Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked aggressively to safely reopen schools, help students recover academically, and support their mental health, because President Biden knew that a once-in-a generation pandemic would have a once-in-a-generation impact on our nation’s students. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results should be a rallying cry to local, state, and national leaders to redouble their efforts to support learning recovery. But they also show how critical the Administration’s work was and continues to be to get and keep students back in classrooms and to get American Rescue Plan (ARP) dollars into communities to accelerate academic recovery and provide mental health supports to students. Below is a statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on the latest results:
“The results released today from the National Assessment of Educational Progress are appalling, unacceptable, and a reminder of the impact that this pandemic has had on our learners. The data also represent a call to action for the important work we must do now for our students—especially those who have suffered the most during the pandemic.
“This once-in-a-generation virus upended our country in so many ways — and our students cannot be the ones who sacrifice most now or in the long run. We must treat the task of catching our children up in reading and math with the urgency this moment demands.
“I’ve been in education for a long time, and this Administration did more for education in its first six months than any in decades. This Administration, unlike the previous one, actually delivered the swift and safe reopening of schools. This Administration broke with its predecessor from Day One by providing an actual plan to tackle learning loss– with concrete support and guidance for schools. This Administration fought for the historic resources in the American Rescue Plan – for which no Republican Member of Congress voted.
“Schools across the country—in red and blue states—are using ARP funds to invest in high-impact strategies that we know result in learning gains and support students’ mental health, including hiring more teachers, tutors, and mental health professionals and expanding afterschool programs.
“Our hardworking educators—trained professionals with deep knowledge of how to support their students—are achieving results for their students with unprecedented resources.
“In the coming days, the Department will issue another resource on using American Rescue Plan funds to address learning loss for educators and state and district leaders. We will launch a new, expert-led series on the most promising tools to raise the bar and accelerate students’ learning in math and literacy. And we already have published a checklist to make sure parents have the tools they need to ensure their children are getting the support they deserve using federal relief dollars.
“The time is now. This is our moment. It’s up to all of us to raise the bar in education.”
Secretary Cardona recently spoke to reporters in-depth about the latest data. His full remarks can be found here.
Because this was a top priority of President Biden since Day One:
While the NAEP results make clear that we still have a long way to go, particularly in math, we are seeing hopeful signs for students’ academic recovery:
However, the work is far from over. The Department of Education will work with states and districts to make sure that ARP funds are helping students recover academically as quickly as possible and that schools are meeting their needs.
New actions the Administration is taking this week to combat learning loss:
Ongoing actions the Administration is taking to address learning loss and accelerate recovery:
Our mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.
