Definition of Learning Loss
Comparison to “Typical”
Learning Loss
National Learning Loss Picture
www.renaissance.com/performing
• Which areas?
― Mathematics
― Late Elementary Grades
• How big were the effects?
― 8-11 weeks average for Math
― 0-3 weeks average for Reading
• Who was most impacted?
― Underrepresented minorities
― High-poverty schools
― Rural and small-town schools
Rhode Island Star Testing
Who is testing?
20-21 Enrollment Fall 2020 Star Fall 2020 Star Math
Reading
Male 52% 49% 49%
Female 48% 48% 48%
Asian 3% 4% 4%
Black 9% 9% 9%
Hispanic 29% 36% 37%
White 54% 45% 44%
LEP 11% 16% 16%
IEP 16% 15% 15%
Rhode Island Star Testing
How are students testing?
• 40% In School
• 30% Remote
• 30% Unknown
Rhode Island
RICAS Projected Percentage of Students Proficient or Above
Learning Loss implies lower percentages of students projected to be proficient on RICAS
% Pro cient or above
7.7 % Fall 2019
Fall 2020
Math Reading
fi
Rhode Island Learning Loss Picture
In which areas is learning loss occurring and how much?
Rhode Island Star Testing
Are there differences between students testing in school vs. remotely?
Rhode Island Learning Loss
Who is suffering the most learning loss? Grade 4
Rhode Island Learning Loss
Who is suffering the most learning loss?
• No demographic subgroup avoids learning loss.
• In general, learning loss varied slightly by demographic subgroup
• Students listed as having an IEP demonstrated the least learning loss.
Path to Recovery
Possible Scenarios
Path to Recovery
Most recent tracking on Learning Loss through February 1st, 2021
• STAR assessments gather and analyze data daily. We are currently 2 months
into the winter test window. Fall 2020 to Winter 2021 growth rates have
stabilized and are roughly consistent with previous years.
• On average, students are neither falling back further nor catching-up.
Summary
• Based upon Fall 2019 to Fall 2020 STAR assessment data, learning loss occurred for
Rhode Island students.
• The amount of learning loss varied substantially by grade and content area ranging
from substantial (> 12 weeks behind) to minor (0 – 3 weeks behind).
• Within grade and content area, learning loss varied modestly by demographic
subgroup.
• Students taking the exam at home appeared to by slightly advantaged over students
taking the test at school. As such, the results presented here should be considered a
best-case-scenario for what would be observed had all students tested at school.
• Most recent growth data from the winter testing window suggests a return to normal
rates of student growth (i.e., not catching up nor falling further behind).
• Validating learning loss findings for all students in Rhode Island should involve
triangulation across multiple sources of data including state summative testing, English
language proficiency testing and teacher observations.
About this copy
Rhode Island Performance on Renaissance Star — Rhode Island Department of Education, February 2021.
This is an image-based copy of the original PowerPoint slides; builds and animations are flattened.