Struggling adolescent readers left behind: Evidence of post-COVID-19 declines

Using data from the MAP Growth National Dashboard, this research brief highlights an urgent challenge in academic recovery: middle school reading.  On average, 6th graders lost ground between 2019 and 2021, during the height of COVID-related school disruptions. But after that, achievement trends began to diverge for students who were already stronger readers before the pandemic began, and students who were struggling.

Despite these encouraging signs of progress, there are consistent and alarming signs that middle school reading test scores have continued to decline following the pandemic. In this brief, the authors dig into the most recent data on adolescent literacy, focusing specifically on how struggling readers have fared compared to higher-achieving students. These persistent declines suggest that recent literacy reforms, which have largely focused on early grades, may not adequately support students whose reading difficulties extend into middle school. 

The authors conclude by highlighting some promising state policies that build on successful early literacy reforms and extend supports into the middle school grades.