VOA慢速：疫情后美国学生的数学与阅读考试成绩继续下降

Math, Reading Test Scores in US Continue to Drop after Pandemic

刘立军 供稿

TRANSCRIPT

The U.S. Department of Education expressed concern about long-term learning loss among teenagers who missed class time during the COVID-19 pandemic when schools closed.

The department released the scores from a national math and reading test, given to 13-year-olds, on June 21.

8700 students took the test in both math and reading in late 2022.

The results showed a drop of 9 points in math and 4 points in reading compared to 2020, the last year the test was administered. The department's information shows that those are the largest point decreases between tests recorded since 1973.

The test asks students to read short passages and identify the main idea or some facts. In math, students need to do simple multiplication and geometry.

Peggy G. Carr is the commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the Department of Education. In a news release, she said the scores show that there are still "worrisome signs about student achievement" 2 years after most returned to in-person school.

Carr said she was hoping to see "green shoots of academic recovery," but did not. Green shoots is a term officials use to describe signs of improvement.

The results of a similar test, given to younger students, came out in 2022. They also showed learning problems connected to missed class time for fourth and eighth graders.

Education officials said test scores were falling in the 10 years before the pandemic. However, they were mostly higher than the lows of 20 to 30 years ago.

The latest test scores show that American 13-year-old students are back to their lowest level in math since 1990 and lowest reading level since 2004.

An international reading test given to younger students in 2021 suggested some learning loss. However, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study showed that most students reached basic reading standards. The test results showed that, of the countries taking part, more than one-third of test-takers reached high standards on average. The test, which is administered every five years, was given in 57 countries, mainly in Europe and the Middle East. There was a big difference in results between some countries.

In the U.S., officials say time away from school during the pandemic continues to affect students who were already having problems. Those students scored 12 to 14 points lower than others in their group in 2020. Stronger students also saw lower scores, but their scores dropped only six to eight points.

Minority students struggled the most. The lowest scores came from American Indians, whose scores dropped by 20 points. Black students' scores were lower by 13 points. White students saw losses of six points and Asian students remained almost the same. The scores of all groups decreased.

Denise Forte is president of a nonprofit group, the Education Trust, based in Washington, D.C. She said the test shows the deep effect of the pandemic on Black, Latino and poor students.

She said all students want to do well, attend college, and get a job. "But they can't if they continue to lose ground," she said.

The learning problems of the pandemic continue in the U.S. although the federal government has spent billions of dollars to help students catch up.

Schools received money to offer extra help, hold classes in the summer and start other programs.

But Carr said the nation's 13-year-olds, who were just 10 when the pandemic started, are still having trouble.

"We need to keep at it," she said. "It is a long road ahead of us."

Miguel Cardona is the U.S. Secretary of Education. He said the national test shows what the government had feared that it would take "years of investment to reverse the damage."

But he said "several states" are making progress on their own reading and math tests and are returning to levels that existed before the pandemic.

I'm Dan Friedell.

VOCABULARY

1. administer v. to make sure that sth. is done fairly and in the correct way 施行；执行。例如：The questionnaire was administered by trained interviewers. 问卷调查是由经过训练的采访人员负责执行的。

2. multiplication n. the act or process of multiplying 乘；相乘

3. geometry n. the branch of mathematics that deals with the measurements and relationships of lines, angles, surfaces and solids 几何（学）

4. commissioner n. a member of a commission (= an official group of people who are responsible for controlling sth. or finding out about sth.) （委员会的）委员，专员，特派员

QUESTIONS

Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.

1. What is the main concern expressed by the U.S. Department of Education regarding teenagers during the COVID-19 pandemic?

A. Decreased test scores in math and reading.

B. Lack of academic recovery after returning to in-person school.

C. Learning problems connected to missed class time.

D. Lower reading and math levels compared to previous years.

2. What does the term "green shoots" refer to?

A. Signs of improvement in test scores.

B. Positive effects of in-person schooling.

C. Higher test scores before the pandemic.

D. Academic achievements of younger students.

3. How did the test scores of American 13-year-old students compare to previous years?

A. They were higher than test scores from 20 to 30 years ago.

B. They showed a drop of nine points in math and four points in reading.

C. They were the lowest in math since 1990 and reading since 2004.

D. They reached basic reading standards according to an international test.

4. What group of students struggled the most with learning problems during the pandemic?

A. American Indian students.

B. Latino students.

C. Black students.

D. Asian students.

5. What does Miguel Cardona, the U.S. Secretary of Education, say about the damage caused by the pandemic?

A. The learning problems of the pandemic continue in the U.S.

B. Several states have returned to pre-pandemic levels.

C. Federal government spending helped students catch up.

D. It will take "years of investment" to reverse the damage.

KEY

1. What is the main concern expressed by the U.S. Department of Education regarding teenagers during the COVID-19 pandemic?

A. Decreased test scores in math and reading.

B. Lack of academic recovery after returning to in-person school.

C. Learning problems connected to missed class time.

D. Lower reading and math levels compared to previous years.

【答案】B

【解析】细节题。命题出处：“Peggy G. Carr is the commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the Department of Education. In a news release, she said the scores show that there are still "worrisome signs about student achievement" two years after most returned to in-person school.” 根据这段话，美国国家教育统计中心表示担心学生在返回学校两年后仍未实现学业的恢复，因此选项B是正确答案。

2. What does the term "green shoots" refer to?

A. Signs of improvement in test scores.

B. Positive effects of in-person schooling.

C. Higher test scores before the pandemic.

D. Academic achievements of younger students.

【答案】A

【解析】细节题。命题出处：“Carr said she was hoping to see "green shoots of academic recovery," but did not. Green shoots is a term officials use to describe signs of improvement.” 根据这段话，绿苗一词被官员用来描述改善的迹象，因此选项A是正确答案。

3. How did the test scores of American 13-year-old students compare to previous years?

A. They were higher than test scores from 20 to 30 years ago.

B. They showed a drop of nine points in math and four points in reading.

C. They were the lowest in math since 1990 and reading since 2004.

D. They reached basic reading standards according to an international test.

【答案】C

【解析】细节题。命题出处：“The latest test scores show that American 13-year-old students are back to their lowest level in math since 1990 and lowest reading level since 2004.” 根据这段话，美国13岁学生的数学水平是自1990年以来最低的，阅读水平是自2004年以来最低的，因此选项C是正确答案。

4. What group of students struggled the most with learning problems during the pandemic?

A. American Indian students.

B. Latino students.

C. Black students.

D. Asian students.

【答案】A

【解析】细节题。命题出处：“Minority students struggled the most. The lowest scores came from American Indians, whose scores dropped by 20 points.” 根据这段话，少数族裔学生遇到的学习问题最多，其中美洲印第安人的分数下降了20分，因此选项A是正确答案。

5. What does Miguel Cardona, the U.S. Secretary of Education, say about the damage caused by the pandemic?

A. The learning problems of the pandemic continue in the U.S.

B. Several states have returned to pre-pandemic levels.

C. Federal government spending helped students catch up.

D. It will take "years of investment" to reverse the damage.

【答案】D

【解析】细节题。命题出处：“Miguel Cardona is the U.S. Secretary of Education. He said the national test shows what the government had feared that it would take "years of investment to reverse the damage."” 根据这段话，Miguel Cardona表示政府担心需要多年投入才能扭转由疫情造成的损失，因此选项D是正确答案。

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