Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Education released estimated data regarding learning loss for Tennessee students resulting from COVID-19 school closures through the summer months.
Preliminary data projects an estimated 50% decrease in proficiency rates in 3rd grade reading and a projected 65% decrease in proficiency in math. This is about 2.5 times higher than the learning loss students can experience during a normal summer break.
On a national level, this academic decline is called the “COVID Slide,” and it is affecting our children, but we can work together to help shape a brighter future. Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF) is actively partnering with public and private organizations to support teachers, students and families by putting books and learning resources in the hands, classrooms and homes of children in Tennessee, regardless of location or socioeconomic background. Since the beginning of the pandemic, GELF has distributed over 2.5 million books to children, birth to third grade, across the state. Now more than ever, we need to come together and be Tennessee Strong to lift up our children and their ability to read.
