Dive Brief:
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COVID-19 school closures led to 2.3 months of unfinished science learning by spring 2021, according to a NWEA study examining science achievement decline on MAP Growth assessments.
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The patterns differed slightly from declines in math and reading, which experienced larger overall losses at the height of the pandemic and in 2024, according to the research released Tuesday. In science, scores initially dropped the most in grades 4-5 in the 2020-21 school year. In 2023-24, grades 7-8 are more behind the subject than younger grades, with Black and Hispanic students particularly impacted.
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Science recovery has also been uneven, as achievement in the subject returned to near pre-pandemic levels for grades 3-5 by spring 2024 but kept declining for grades 7 and 8. Eighth graders, who were 1.7 months behind in 2021, fell further behind at approximately 3.2 months in spring 2024.
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"This is a first large-scale look into trends in science achievement," said Sue Kowalski, senior research scientist at NWEA.
Researchers analyzed data from 621 public schools that consistently administered the MAP Growth Science assessment, designed by NWEA, from spring 2017 until spring 2024. NWEA in 2023 became part of HMH, a learning technology company, and works with over 9,700 school systems.
MAP assessments test academic achievement and growth over time, and they have previously portended achievement trends in scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
In 2020, an early analysis of the pandemic’s impact on achievement from NWEA showed significant lag in math scores for grades 3-8, with smaller losses in reading. A year later, NAEP scores released in 2021 confirmed a similar trend.
NAEP science scores have not been released since the 2019 assessment. The National Assessment Governing Board, which administers NAEP, tested 8th graders on the subject in winter 2024 and plans to release its first science scores since the pandemic in summer 2025.
Researchers hypothesize that science losses were smaller than math and reading overall because science likely was not as emphasized as reading and math prior to the pandemic.
"Going from 27 minutes to 0 in science in the pandemic won’t cause losses as big as going from 83 minutes to 0 in ELA [English Language Arts]," said researchers in an email response to K-12 Dive.
Kowalski said the pandemic's lingering impact on 8th grade science "continues to raise concerns."
“This is particularly problematic if not addressed, given the increasing complexity of science content they are about to encounter in high school," she said.
Overall, 8th graders likely fell further behind because that cohort of students were in 4th and 5th grades during pandemic school closures, when science tends to be emphasized most, according to the research.
The need to make up for losses is greatest among Black and Hispanic 8th graders, per NWEA. Black and Latino racial groups also lack equitable access to STEM courses, according to a May report released by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
"Our most vulnerable students, those who have been least served by our educational system, remain the farthest behind and in some cases, even farther behind in science since the pandemic," researchers said. "Lack of access to effective science instruction in middle and high school sets students up for fewer opportunities in high-paying STEM careers in the future."
NWEA recommends that school districts utilize summer school and integrate science into reading and writing instruction, including encouraging students to read more expository texts.
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