Press Release
February 11, 2025
Contact: Sam Stockwell
samuel_stockwell@gse.harvard.edu
617.495.0342
Idaho Ranked 30th Among States in Math Recovery and 38th in Reading Between 2019 and 2024
Students in Idaho remain half a grade level behind 2019 levels in math and over 60% of a grade level behind in reading.
Both reading and math are concerns in Idaho, with 91 percent of students in districts with average math achievement below 2019 levels and 96 percent of students in districts with average reading 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 Idaho 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 Idaho. Here’s what we found:
- Idaho ranked 30th among states in terms of recovery in math and 38th in reading between 2019 and 2024, although for the period between 2022-2024, Idaho ranked 45th in math recovery and 12th in reading recovery.
- Students in Idaho remain half a grade level behind 2019 levels in math (.5 grade level equivalents) and over 60% of a grade level behind in reading (.61 grade equivalents). In other words, the loss in math achievement in Idaho is equal to 50 percent of the progress students typically make annually between grades 4 through grade 8.
- In math, the average student in some districts, such as Nampa and Minidoka County Joint District (J.D.), remains more than a grade equivalent below their 2019 mean achievement and the same is true for reading in Twin Falls, Nampa, Jerome J.D., Minidoka County J.D.
- Both reading and math are concerns in Idaho, with 91 percent of students in districts with average math achievement below 2019 levels and 96 percent of students in districts with average reading achievement below 2019 levels. Many other states also remain behind in reading, with 89 percent of students in districts nationally below 2019 levels in reading, and only 11 percent above. 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 Lewiston I.D. and Kuna J.D. have exceeded 2019 levels in math, while others like Idaho Falls are approaching a full recovery. Lewiston has also exceeded 2019 levels in reading.
- Idaho received $683 million in federal pandemic relief for K-12 schools—or roughly $2,200 per student—which is less than 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 Idaho 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, Professor Tom Kane from Harvard, said: “Unless state and local leaders step up now, the achievement losses will be the longest lasting– and most inequitable– legacy of the pandemic.”
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