Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Covid classroom rebound? K-12 schools showing signs of pandemic-era recovery

deseret.com · 13h · first reportShare

For K-12 educators in Utah and across the country, assessing student academic growth could aptly be placed in two categories: BP (Before the Pandemic) and AP (After the Pandemic). Those two groupings — BP and AP — are key elements of 2025-2026 statewide assessments of core subjects recently released by the Utah State Board of Education. And while there’s plenty of room for improvement, there’s also some good news — particularly in a year when policy makers and educators across Utah are calling for early literacy growth. The statewide assessments show improvement in English Language Arts (ELA) and math, with science results reaching record highs. Still, proficiency levels suggest many Utah students are still struggling to reach needed skill levels in core subjects. Those local figures are happening even as educators across the country grapple with how to improve and sustain reading and math proficiency levels for American kids. The Nation’s Report Card released in June revealed higher r