With Learning Gaps Closing and Test Scores Rising, Prepare for More Competitive College Admissions
The 2021-2022 school year brought the much-needed return of in-person learning for most students. Even with the struggle to close learning gaps created during the pandemic by distance learning, the return to in-person schooling has helped students make huge strides in their academic achievements. Finally, we’re seeing progress made by students recovering from COVID learning loss, and, with that, test scores are on the rise.
Academic studies show…
In ACT’s® latest article, Mode of Learning Linked to Slight COVID-19 Rebound in 2022, data collected both before and during the pandemic “reflect that in-person learning leads to greater academic achievement than learning online.” That’s not a surprising conclusion given the results of ACT’s® July 2021 article, Learning Opportunities: Understanding Scores from ACT’s® Assessment Suite During the COVID-19 Pandemic, which reported “Across the subjects and grade levels assessed by the PreACT® and ACT® tests, score declines represented approximately one to three months of lost instruction.” That’s a major loss.
With in-person learning resumed, the most recent data collected supports the notion that mode of learning—specifically in-person—matters. ACT® reported, “students who learned in-person had an average ACT® Composite score of about 1.1 points higher than their peers who learned online.” That’s a noteworthy increase—even 1 point can make a massive difference on the ACT®! ACT® notes that these findings suggest that the shift to more in-person learning is credited for academic growth.
In support of this claim, Harvard University’s Center for Education Policy Research published The Consequences of Remote and Hybrid Instruction During the Pandemic in May 2022 stating, “remote instruction was a primary driver of widening achievement gaps.”
Furthermore, the Connecticut State Department of Education’s Statewide Summative Assessment 2020-2021 Report made several key findings in regards to their own state-issued standardized tests. The results highlight the importance of in-person learning:
“In-person test participation was strongest for students who learned fully/mostly in-person (97%) or in hybrid (95%) model.
Conversely, only 37 percent of fully/mostly remote learners took the exams in-person, while 45 percent of fully/mostly remote learners took the Smarter Balanced exams remotely.”
“Among low- and high-achieving students, those learning in-person showed greater growth than those learning in hybrid or remote models.”
“Students who learned fully/mostly in-person lost the least ground academically, while those who learned in hybrid or fully/mostly remote models showed substantially weaker achievement and growth. This pattern held true for students in all grades and most student groups.”
Connecticut’s State Department of Education’s report, just like the ACT’s® and Harvard’s reports, conclude that the return to fully in-person learning will continue to improve academic achievement and bridge, if not close, the learning gaps created by remote learning during the pandemic.
Going forward, what does this mean?
The return to in-person learning is making a positive impact in closing academic gaps. With grades and test scores on the rise, college admissions will naturally become more competitive.
In the fall of 2021, we discussed how submitting test scores was a must for college applicants during a record year for college applications. While that statement still rings true, you will find that more students are returning to test centers and now, more than ever, it’s imperative for college-bound students to achieve a solid, high test score.
No matter the school’s stance on test scores (i.e., test optional, test flexible), we know that these schools are still paying close attention to test scores, and that admissions committees are looking for any and all data points that make applicants stand apart from the rest. We’ve also seen colleges and universities reinstate their standardized testing mandates—a strong indication that more will follow. So, with more college-bound students choosing to be test-optimal, applicants will need to submit a strong test score in order to contend.
So, with a new school year either underway or fast approaching, and fall ACT® and SAT® test dates already on the calendar, now is the best time to meet with your clients, work together to create a solid test-prep plan, and begin helping them to reach their maximum potential!
For more on how Clear Choice Prep’s 100% custom-branded test-prep software and curriculum can propel your test-prep business to the next level, contact us for a free demo today!