High School Math Course-Taking: Shifts in Access and Achievement Post-COVID-19

This study used NWEA’s MAP Growth math test scores from approximately 1.7 million students to examine the lasting effect of COVID-19 on high school math achievement and the associations among course-taking trajectories, demographic characteristics, and math achievement. We found that a drop in math...

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Main Authors: Megan Kuhfeld, Gustave Robinson, Jazmin Isaacs, Sofia Postell, Ji-Eun Lee, Erin Ottmar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2025-07-01
Series:AERA Open
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584251353514
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author Megan Kuhfeld
Gustave Robinson
Jazmin Isaacs
Sofia Postell
Ji-Eun Lee
Erin Ottmar
author_facet Megan Kuhfeld
Gustave Robinson
Jazmin Isaacs
Sofia Postell
Ji-Eun Lee
Erin Ottmar
author_sort Megan Kuhfeld
collection DOAJ
description This study used NWEA’s MAP Growth math test scores from approximately 1.7 million students to examine the lasting effect of COVID-19 on high school math achievement and the associations among course-taking trajectories, demographic characteristics, and math achievement. We found that a drop in math achievement emerged for students in eighth grade in 2020–21 and persisted into 10th grade in spring 2023. Regarding students’ math course-taking trajectories, while there were no statistically significant COVID impacts on enrollment rates in Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2, significant negative COVID impacts were found for those who took these courses in 10th grade. Lastly, although pre-COVID disparities existed in math achievement across racial/ethnic subgroups, there were no disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on specific racial/ethnic subgroups after controlling for prior achievement. Implications of these results for students’ math learning and school policies are discussed.
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institution DOAJ
issn 2332-8584
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publisher SAGE Publishing
record_format Article
series AERA Open
spelling doaj-art-bc28bcfb584d47dfb3ab152711bd2b592025-08-20T02:50:08ZengSAGE PublishingAERA Open2332-85842025-07-011110.1177/23328584251353514High School Math Course-Taking: Shifts in Access and Achievement Post-COVID-19Megan KuhfeldGustave RobinsonJazmin IsaacsSofia PostellJi-Eun LeeErin OttmarThis study used NWEA’s MAP Growth math test scores from approximately 1.7 million students to examine the lasting effect of COVID-19 on high school math achievement and the associations among course-taking trajectories, demographic characteristics, and math achievement. We found that a drop in math achievement emerged for students in eighth grade in 2020–21 and persisted into 10th grade in spring 2023. Regarding students’ math course-taking trajectories, while there were no statistically significant COVID impacts on enrollment rates in Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2, significant negative COVID impacts were found for those who took these courses in 10th grade. Lastly, although pre-COVID disparities existed in math achievement across racial/ethnic subgroups, there were no disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on specific racial/ethnic subgroups after controlling for prior achievement. Implications of these results for students’ math learning and school policies are discussed.https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584251353514
spellingShingle Megan Kuhfeld
Gustave Robinson
Jazmin Isaacs
Sofia Postell
Ji-Eun Lee
Erin Ottmar
High School Math Course-Taking: Shifts in Access and Achievement Post-COVID-19
AERA Open
title High School Math Course-Taking: Shifts in Access and Achievement Post-COVID-19
title_full High School Math Course-Taking: Shifts in Access and Achievement Post-COVID-19
title_fullStr High School Math Course-Taking: Shifts in Access and Achievement Post-COVID-19
title_full_unstemmed High School Math Course-Taking: Shifts in Access and Achievement Post-COVID-19
title_short High School Math Course-Taking: Shifts in Access and Achievement Post-COVID-19
title_sort high school math course taking shifts in access and achievement post covid 19
url https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584251353514
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