U.S. math scores made zero progress during lockdowns, data shows

Students attend an in-person class in a school in Los Angeles, California, the United States, on April 13, 2021. (Xinhua)

In general, the average national math score for the fourth grade plummeted five points since 2019, and eight points for the eighth grade. Average reading scores fell by three points among those grade levels.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Math progress among U.S. students dropped drastically during the COVID-19 lockdowns, according to new data released on Monday.

No U.S. large city or state made improvements in national math tests, according to test results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Math scores for eighth-grade students took a nosedive in every single U.S. state except for Utah, with around 38 percent in that age group performing below basic levels in mathematics, according to the "nation's report card."

"These mathematics results are historic," according to Peggy Carr of the National Center for Education Statistics.

They are the "largest declines in mathematics we have observed in the entire history of this assessment," she added.

Hit hardest by school closures were minority students, as many of their parents could not afford expensive private tutors.

In general, the average national math score for the fourth grade plummeted five points since 2019, and eight points for the eighth grade. Average reading scores fell by three points among those grade levels.

The findings come on the heels of results showing that for 9-year-olds, school closures rolled back decades of progress in math scores.

U.S. officials expressed particular concern about the ramifications for high school kids who are falling behind in mathematics.