We examined evidence of any learning losses that stemmed from the COVID-19 pandemic among Ontario students. Specifically, we compared achievement scores for Grades 3 and 6 mathematics, writing, and reading using data from the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), Ontario's main provider of standardized assessments. The data included eight cohorts, spanning the pre-COVID era (2016–2019) and the post-COVID recovery period (2022–2025). Drawing on population-level data exceeding 1.1 million student-domain observations, we found grade-differentiated patterns: Grade 3 students showed declines in all three domains, particularly in writing, while Grade 6 students experienced significant mathematics loss but paradoxical gains in literacy. Both grades exhibited a widened gender gap that disadvantaged girls in mathematics, and persistent regional disparities that disadvantaged Northern Ontario. Achievement scores had not fully recovered in either grade by 2025. We also consider whether several factors associated with the initial resumption of EQAO testing following school reopenings in 2022 may have contributed to any underestimation of the magnitude of learning losses. Implications of findings for educational policy are discussed.
Potential learning loss associated with the COVID-19 pandemic was examined by analyzing British Columbia’s Foundational Skills Assessment data for students in grades 4 and 7 from 2017 to 2023. Drawing on over one million students’ data, results reveal a consistent downward trend in numeracy and literacy (i.e., reading comprehension) scores, with 2022/2023 marking the lowest performance across the six academic-year span. Gender disparities widened in numeracy during the post-pandemic period, with boys scoring significantly higher than girls, particularly in 2022/2023. In literacy, girls consistently outperformed boys, though the size of the gender gap varied over time and remained statistically significant. A persistent rural–urban gap was observed in both domains, with urban students consistently outperforming their rural counterparts. Notably, both groups experienced significant declines in literacy post-pandemic, despite slight improvements from 2021/2022 to 2022/2023. These findings suggest that the educational disruptions caused by the pandemic have had lasting effects on foundational academic skills, with differential impacts across gender and geographic location. Continued monitoring and targeted interventions are needed to address these disparities and support students’ academic recovery.
The purpose of this study was to quantify learning loss among students in Prince Edward Island resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic by analyzing provincial assessment results in Grade 6 and 9 mathematics, and Grade 6 writing. Assessment data from 3 years before the pandemic and 1 year following the pandemic were used to estimate the magnitude of learning loss. Several grouping variables, including year, language of instruction, school location, and subject domain, were considered to examine differences in overall achievement. Pre-pandemic data were collected from the population, whereas post-pandemic data comprised a random sample of students. Inferential statistical analyses revealed a statistically significant decline in students’ achievement in both mathematics and literacy at the elementary and intermediate levels. The findings underscore the need for sustained and coordinated efforts to support literacy and mathematics recovery in Prince Edward Island. Furthermore, the importance of continuing large-scale assessments to monitor interventions and student achievement is emphasized.
We examined Alberta students’ academic achievement in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and whether the effects varied by gender and location (rural vs. urban). Our sample comprised all Grade 6 and 9 students in Alberta who took the Provincial Achievement Test exams in language arts and mathematics from 2016 to 2023. Results of Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for each learning domain and grade level indicated that, on average, the mean academic achievement scores were lower during the COVID-19 pandemic than the corresponding mean scores were before the pandemic. However, these results varied by grade level, learning domain, gender, and location. Our findings suggest that the influence of the pandemic on Alberta students’ academic achievement was heterogeneous, and as such, recovery measures and policies should be targeted and responsive to the specific needs of different student populations.
We examined trends in early reading performance following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic among Grades 1–3 students in Saskatchewan using population-level administrative data from 2015 to 2024 (N = 94 583–112 160 across grades). Student performance was categorized as at/above or below grade-level reading benchmarks. Interrupted time-series analyses were used to examine changes in reading performance following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Cochran–Armitage trend tests and chi-square analyses conducted as complementary sensitivity analyses. Reading performance was stable or improving before 2020, followed by a significant immediate increase in the proportion of students performing below benchmark beginning in 2021. Post-pandemic trends showed little evidence of continued deterioration, although elevated rates of underperformance persisted through 2024. Boys consistently had higher odds of underperformance than girls; however, post-pandemic changes did not differ significantly by gender. Rural students experienced larger immediate increases in underperformance than urban students, although post-pandemic recovery trajectories were similar across locations. Assessment participation declined immediately following the pandemic, particularly among Grade 3 students, and improved gradually without returning to pre-pandemic levels. The findings indicate substantial changes in reading performance following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight the importance of continued monitoring and targeted early literacy interventions.
