The Challenge of Implementing Academic COVID Recovery Interventions: Evidence from the Road to Recovery

Where are the districts on the road to recovery? Evidence from the 2021-2022 school year suggests that, on average, students are now learning at the same pace they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in math. But overall test scores remain below pre-pandemic levels. We find little evidence that academic interventions in the 2021-2022 school year are having large positive effects on student achievement. A closer look reveals that many district interventions served fewer students at weaker “doses” than originally planned.