In the vast majority of schools around the United States, the academic gap between the highest- and lowest-achieving students has grown significantly since 2005, according to a recently released paper. The divergence was largely driven by stagnation among struggling students, which turned into steep learning losses during the COVID pandemic, the authors conclude.
The paper, circulated through Brown University’s Annenberg Institute in January, examines the learning of American students attending traditional public schools, charters, Catholic academies, and schools operated by the Department of Defense. While disparities between high-flyers and their lower-performing counterparts have widened across the board, they grew the fastest in public and Catholic schools.