December 2021 Report: Examining the Continued Impact of the Pandemic on Student Achievement in GVSU Charter Schools

In March 2021, Basis Policy Research (Basis) released a report examining the impact of COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures on student achievement in Grand Valley State University (GVSU) charter schools. Findings revealed adverse effects from the pandemic were concentrated in math; achievement in fall 2020 was between 2 to 12 percentile points lower than the previous fall, with differences in math achievement greater in grades three through five. Basis researchers also found that students made gains in both math and reading; however, math growth was lower since the onset of the pandemic as compared to a typical year. This report continues the ongoing GVSU research agenda examining the impact of the pandemic on student achievement in GVSU charter schools. Here, Basis researchers examines math and reading one full academic year since the onset of the pandemic. In this report, we analyze trends in math and reading achievement in 2020-21 and examine how achievement amid the pandemic compares to prior years. We also explore how overall achievement differs across student groups (i.e., race/ethnicity, grade-level) where possible. Findings from this report intend to provide GVSU, district, and school leaders with insights to support teaching and learning