With the 2024 Legislative Session rapidly approaching, MACo is profiling some major issues that stand to gather attention in the General Assembly.
The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (“The Blueprint”) sets ambitious goals to transform Maryland’s public education system and invests billions in state and county funding into schools. However, pandemic-related learning loss is threatening Maryland’s progress toward those goals. The DLS Issue Papers provide a snapshot of the current state of educational achievement and how Maryland students continue to struggle:
COVID-19 pandemic-related student learning loss remains persistent and problematic, particularly for underserved and disadvantaged students. Standardized assessments for grades 4 and 8 show that for English and language arts, proficiency has returned to prepandemic levels, whereas for mathematics, proficiency continues to lag. Mitigating programs have been funded by State and federal pandemic relief initiatives, but the last round of federal stimulus funds is expiring, so additional actions may be needed.
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A difficult problem facing states after experiencing COVID-19-related school closures is persistent student learning loss. Learning loss is a well-documented phenomenon usually associated with the loss in academic skills that students experience between school years due to summer break. Learning loss is prevalent with economically disadvantaged students, who are more likely to have low standardized assessment scores relative to their peers. Recent State assessment results show improvement in proficiency in English and language arts but persistent lags in proficiency in mathematics. State programs have received funding to address learning loss, but additional actions may need to be taken, particularly due to the expiration of federal stimulus funding.
In recent legislative sessions, the General Assembly has directed significant funding for learning loss recovery:
Between fiscal 2021 and 2023, the State allocated a total of $555.2 million in federal funding to address student learning loss. Of this, $399.2 million (72%) was for student programs; $129.6 million (23%) was for educator programs for professional development, recruitment, and retention; and $26.4 million (5%) was for LEA programs for time management, innovative school models, and transforming neighborhoods. Legislatively directed programs received federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) education funds (ESSER II). The Governor’s tutoring program received federal Coronavirus Relief Funds, and MSDE programs received federal American Rescue Plan Act State Education Agency ESSER III funds, used for initiatives under the Maryland Leads initiative. LEAs spent ESSER II funds by September 2023; ESSER III funds must be spent by September 2024.
Federal stimulus funding for learning loss targeted summer school and tutoring expired in September 2023, meaning fiscal 2024 is the last year these funds will be available for pandemic-related student learning loss. DLS suggests the following as potential innovative measures as tha funding ends:
- Though recent assessment results suggest LEAs have returned ELA scores to prepandemic levels, students may need more tutoring and summer school to reverse learning loss in mathematics and maintain improvement in ELA.
- Over time, innovative approaches, such as flexible school scheduling and continued investment in teacher recruitment, retention, and professional development, may positively impact student outcomes.
- Additional research on the impact of these programs on disadvantaged students, as well as other methods to measure student success besides standardized testing, could provide insight into how these interventions improve student achievement.
