Learning Restoration in the Covid Era: A Study of SAIS Member Schools

The impact of the COVID pandemic on student learning continues to provoke expressions of deep concern. In this paper we use ERB test data to compare the impact on student learning from the initial closure of schools in March 2020 versus the impact on learning from the most recently concluded 2021-22 school year. The initial impact on student learning due to school closures in March 2020 was significant, ranging from 30% to 50% in the rate of student learning growth on different CTP subtests. By end of the 2021-22 school year, however, overall student growth rates on CTP subject tests exceeded pre- COVID rates. Students in the lowest quartile of performance remain vulnerable with lower growth rates than before COVID, while students in the highest quartile of performance actually exceeded their pre-COVID rate of learning growth.

The purpose of this paper is to summarize those findings by comparing the impact on student learning from the initial closure of schools in March 2020 with the rate of student learning growth during the most recent 2021-22 school year. In a departure from our prior practice, we present the most recent data specifically for members of SAIS. It is our hope that these data will be helpful to school leaders in presenting to Boards and interested members of the public the very positive story of adaptation and restored learning effectiveness that has taken place in private schools.

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ERB (Educational Records Bureau) is an industry-leading independent educational advisory. We thoughtfully track the entire student journey for Grades 1 – 12 with our integrated suite of products and services to assess and enhance academic ability, social maturity, and emotional awareness. In doing so, we help enable schools, educators, and families to unlock their students’ full potential.