Dec 24, 2020
It was a situation education officials saw coming when schools were shut down in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The normal summer learning loss would be compounded by an extra several months outside of school.
Now, officials have data to target where the slide hit the worst.
âThe data would show the lower elementary is where the pandemic made the most difference,â said Joel Pedersen, superintendent of Cardinal School District. He said that makes the most sense as that s where students receive foundational learning where curriculum builds on each other.
And thatâs the trend seen throughout the state, AEA and county. According to a report by the Iowa News Service, the Iowa Board of Education says testing results for kindergarten through third grade showed learning loss at all levels compared to fall 2019. Across the AEA and county, those losses are showing up primarily in early elementary.