Press Release

February 11, 2025

Contact: Sam Stockwell
samuel_stockwell@gse.harvard.edu
617.495.0342

Georgia Ranked 29th Among States in Math Recovery and 7th in Reading Between 2019 and 2024

Students remain nearly half a grade level behind 2019 levels in math and close to a third of a grade level behind in reading.

Math is more of a concern in Georgia than reading, with 91 percent of students in districts with average math achievement below 2019 levels.

(February 11, 2025) In its third year of reporting on the pace of academic recovery measures in districts nationwide, the Education Recovery Scorecard (a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University and The Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University) is issuing its annual report on district-level student growth in math and reading.

The latest report also provides the first high resolution picture of where Georgia students’ academic recovery stood in Spring 2024, just before federal relief dollars expired in September. While the National Assessment of Educational Progress described changes in average achievement by state, we combine those scores with district scores on state assessments to describe the change in local communities throughout Georgia. Here’s what we found:

• Georgia ranked 29th among states in terms of recovery in math and 7th in reading between 2019 and 2024.
• Students remain nearly half a grade level behind 2019 levels in math (.49 grade equivalents) and close to a third of a grade level behind in reading (.29 grade equivalents). In other words, the loss in math achievement in Georgia is almost 50 percent of the progress students typically make annually between grades 4 through grade 8.
• The average student in some districts, such as Henry, Muscogee, Bibb, and Richmond, remains at least a grade equivalent below their 2019 mean achievement in math. The average student in Forsyth, Douglas, Muscogee, and Henry, remains at least 75 percent of a grade equivalent below their 2019 mean achievement in reading.
• Math is more of a concern in Georgia than reading, with 91 percent of students in districts with average math achievement below 2019 levels. 79 percent of students are also in districts with average reading achievement below 2019 levels. Nationally, 85 percent of students are in districts below 2019 levels in math, with only 15 percent above.
• Still, there are bright spots: mean achievement for students in Columbia has surpassed 2019 levels in math, while cities like Fayette and Fulton have nearly recovered to 2019 levels in math. Cities like Columbia, Fulton, and Houston have surpassed 2019 levels in reading- Columbia by a third of a grade level.
• A sharp rise in chronic absenteeism (students missing more than 10 percent of a school year) from 13% percent of students in 2019 before the pandemic to 23% percent in 2023 is slowing the recovery in many districts in Georgia.
• Georgia received nearly $6.6 billion in federal pandemic relief for K-12 schools—or roughly $3,700 per student—which is on par with the national average of $3,700 per student. Nationally, our analysis suggests that the dollars did contribute to the academic recovery, especially when targeted at academic catch-up efforts such as summer learning and tutoring.

The federal pandemic relief dollars may be gone, but the pandemic’s impact lingers in many Georgia schools.  Even without federal relief dollars, states could be targeting continuing federal Title I dollars and state dollars to implement interventions which have been shown effective, such as tutoring and summer learning.  State leaders, mayors, employers and other community leaders should join schools to redouble efforts on the shared challenge of reducing student absenteeism.

One of the project leaders, economist Tom Kane at Harvard, said:  “Lowering absenteeism generates tremendous bang-for-the-buck.  Regular attendance benefits the student as well as her classmates.  And taxpayers are paying for the seat whether it’s occupied or not.”

For the national press release and findings click here.

About the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University 

The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, seeks to transform education through quality research and evidence. CEPR and its partners believe all students will learn and thrive when education leaders make decisions using facts and findings, rather than untested assumptions. Learn more at cepr.harvard.edu.

Contact: Sam Stockwell, samuel_stockwell@gse.harvard.edu, (617) 495-0342