IDOE Releases COVID-19 Academic Impact Analysis, Spring 2021 Assessment Results

See how local schools fared with the ISTEP and ILEARN assessments.

Shutterstock photo.

(INDIANAPOLIS) – Recent data shows Hoosier students experienced significant academic impacts due to COVID-19.

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, Inc. (Center for Assessment) today presented initial findings from Indiana’s COVID-19 Academic Impact Study and released results from Indiana’s spring 2021 assessments.

The analysis and results indicate the academic impacts of the pandemic were substantial – ranging from moderate to significant across schools, academic subjects, and demographic groups.

Due to suspension of assessments in 2019-2020, Grade 11 students were assessed on ISTEP10 in 2020-21. The statewide pass rate for English and Language Arts was 65.9 percent. Far fewer students passed the math portion of the assessment at 37.1 percent. The percentage of students that passed both English and Math came out to 36.4 percent.

“We know that English/language arts and math provide the foundational building blocks upon which future learning is achieved, with one year of learning building upon the next,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner. “These results confirm what we expected, and what we now know -- student learning was significantly impacted by COVID-19. I applaud our Indiana educators who worked tirelessly to ensure a safe environment that kept many students in the classroom. Looking ahead, this new baseline and other student-level data provide direction on where we must focus individualized student learning over the coming years. This is not a time to admire the problem — this is a time to focus on solutions.”

See how local schools compared to the statewide averages in the table below.

An Academic Impact Study, required as part of House Enrolled Act 1514 during this year’s legislative session, found that statewide, students in elementary and middle school experienced significant academic impact in math and moderate to significant impacts in English and Language Arts.

ILEARN, which meets state and federal requirements, was first administered in 2019. The assessment measures proficiency in content standards in English and Math in grades three though eight, Science in grades four through six, Social Studies in grade five, and U.S. Government and Biology in high school.

The assessment was not administered in 2020 due to the pandemic, so this year’s results should not be compared to 2019 results, as the 2021 results present a new Indiana baseline.

Statewide Overall Pass Rates for ILEARN Assessment. Photo by Indiana Department of Education.

One of many data points used to inform this study included statewide results from the Indiana Learning Evaluation and Readiness Network (ILEARN) assessment, which indicate that 40.5% of students are at or above proficiency standards in English/language arts, and 36.9% are at or above proficiency standards in mathematics.

Focusing on English and Math only, proficiency percentages from students grades 3-8 at local schools is listed in the table below.

“Indiana’s educators have done phenomenal work helping students continue to learn under unprecedented circumstances. Now more than ever, every instructional minute counts, and schools cannot do this alone. With data in hand, we must look to the future, and we need everyone to come to the table -- educators, parents, community leaders and beyond -- to provide individualized support and resources to each and every student,” said Secretary Jenner.

Looking ahead, community partners are encouraged to partner with local schools to align curriculum, instructional strategies and student support. IDOE encourages schools to adopt a comprehensive, multi-year response to help all students recover, especially students most significantly impacted. This response includes:

• Understanding the Data - First, analyze multiple individual student data points using state and local data to meet student needs where they are today.
• Intervening with Strategic Support - Use the right tools to help students, including additional staff resources to allow small group instruction and strategic leveraging of community resources and talent.
• Acting to Meet Students at Their Current Level - Based on data analysis, determine the action steps for individual students.
• Recognizing That One Size Does Not Fit All - Tailor instruction for individual or small groups, in particular those with specific learning needs.
• Innovating to Strategically Accelerate Learning - To support all students, new, bold, and dedicated efforts are essential.
• Leveraging Every Minute and Keeping the Focus on Student Impact - Be intentional with, and consider ways to expand, learning time. Devote uninterrupted blocks of time to literacy and math.
• Providing Intentional and Focused Instruction - Focus on grade-level instruction with remediation as needed for individual students, which includes ensuring understanding of fundamental, essential previous grade-level standards.

Full results for ISTEP and ILEARN assessments can be found here.