New Data: Bibb and Houston County students struggle with post-pandemic learning loss
Education Recovery Scorecard shows Bibb County students falling behind in math and reading, while Houston County makes modest gains in reading and attendance.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)- Tracking data from the Education Recovery Scorecard shows that students in Bibb and Houston counties continue to struggle with learning loss following the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in math. The latest analysis, conducted by researchers from Harvard, Stanford, and Dartmouth, provides insight into the ongoing academic setbacks affecting students in grades 3-8.
Bibb County Struggles to Recover
Students in Bibb County have not recovered their pre-pandemic performance levels in math or reading, according to the data from the Education Recovery Scorecard. Grade-level equivalents indicate no improvement in student achievement since 2019, with some grades showing further decline. The data mirrors a statewide trend of slow recovery, with lower-income districts particularly affected.
Reading scores in Bibb County remain well below the state average. However, when compared to districts with similar socioeconomic status, demographics, and size, Bibb’s reading performance is only slightly below average. The district has also seen an increase in absenteeism, a factor linked to persistent academic struggles.
The average student in Bibb County remains at least a grade equivalent below their 2019 mean achievement in math. Chronic absenteeism has compounded these challenges, making recovery more difficult.
Houston County Shows Mixed Results
Houston County students have not fully recovered in math performance but have made slight gains in reading. Unlike Bibb County, Houston County’s reading and math performance remain above the state average and above the average of similar districts in terms of socioeconomic status and demographics.
Houston County has surpassed 2019 levels in reading.
Strong Score Gains in Some Middle Georgia Districts
Other Middle Georgia school districts have demonstrated strong performance gains. Taylor County and Wheeler County were listed among the nation’s highest-performing low-income districts in math. Additionally, Treutlen County, Twiggs County, Taylor County, Telfair County, Dublin City, and Wheeler County schools were recognized for high reading performance among low-income districts.
Georgia Ranked 29th in Math Recovery, 7th in Reading Between 2019 and 2024
Students in Georgia remain significantly behind pre-pandemic levels in both math and reading subjects. The report finds that students are still nearly half a grade level behind in math, at -0.49 grade equivalents, and approximately one-third of a grade level behind in reading, at -0.29 grade equivalents.
While recovery has been challenging in both subjects, math presents a more pressing concern. Ninety-one percent of students in districts across Georgia have math achievement levels still below those of 2019. This is a concerning figure, as the loss in math achievement represents nearly half of the typical academic progress students make annually between grades 4 and 8. In comparison, 79% of students are in districts with reading levels below pre-pandemic norms.
Among the hardest-hit districts in math are Henry, Muscogee, Bibb, and Richmond, where students remain at least one grade equivalent below their 2019 levels.
National Trends and Learning Gaps
Nationwide, students remain nearly half a grade level behind their pre-pandemic performance in both reading and math. While there has been some modest recovery in math, reading scores have continued to decline since 2022. COVID relief funds helped mitigate some learning losses, but widespread increases in chronic absenteeism—especially in lower-income districts—have significantly hindered recovery.
“The losses are not just due to what happened during the 2020 to 2021 school year, but the aftershocks that have hit schools in the years since,” said Tom Kane, a Harvard economist who worked on the Education Recovery Scorecard.
Higher-income districts have made significantly more progress than lower-income districts, with the top 10% of wealthier districts four times more likely to have recovered in both subjects compared to the poorest 10%. Racial and socioeconomic disparities have also widened, particularly in math.
“The pandemic has not only driven test scores down, but that decline masks a pernicious inequality that has grown during the pandemic,” said Sean Reardon, a Stanford sociologist involved in the study. “Not only are districts serving more Black and Hispanic students falling further behind, but even within those districts, Black and Hispanic students are falling further behind their white peers.”
Path Forward for Schools
Researchers recommend schools evaluate their reading instruction methods, increase parental engagement, and collaborate with community organizations to improve student attendance. The data shows a strong correlation between high absenteeism and declining academic performance.
