Catholic schools remain a bright light in dismal academic forecast

In spite of the challenges encountered during the three-year health crisis of COVID-19, “Catholic schools have continued the legacy that has characterized Catholic education: academic excellence, a strong partnership with parents, a sense of community and a faith-filled education for students nationwide,” reports the National Catholic Educational Association.

Their recent data brief notes that, with the 2022-2023 school year Catholic school enrollment increase (0.3%) which maintains a national two-year trend, Catholic schools continue to attract and retain new students, supporting their academic, spiritual and mental health.

Academically, the merits of Catholic schools continue to be evident in scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” which show noticeable achievement for Catholic schools in a post-COVID-19 environment compared to schools in both the public and private sectors which have suffered steep declines in math and reading at both grades assessed – grades 4 and 8.

A recently released NAEP Long-Term Trend assessment report reveals a continuing decline for public schools with average math scores for 13-year-old students falling nine points between 2020-2023. Reading scores fell by four points. For 9-year-old students who were administered the LTT assessments in 2022, scores dropped by seven points in math and five points in reading.

The same LTT assessment showed 13-year-old students in Catholic schools outpacing their public-school counterparts by 20 points in math and 21 points in reading. There were no results for 9-year-old Catholic school students as sample size was insufficient.

Since the 1970s, the NAEP has monitored student performance in math and reading through long-term trend (LTT) assessments across three age levels, 9-, 13-, and 17-year-old students.  While usually administered every four years, with the last being administered in 2020, the National Center for Educational Statics decided to administer the assessment ahead of schedule for students ages 9 and 13 to provide data on post-pandemic student performance.

When the first national study of the pandemic’s impact on learning was released, the 2022 NAEP results (unrelated to LTT assessments) showed that Catholic schools had done remarkably well in mitigating learning loss resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and related challenges while revealing an unprecedented decline in average scores for public school students coming out of the pandemic.

Comparing results from 2019 and 2022, the main NAEP indicated reading and math scores declined in public and charter schools for grades 4 and 8 for the majority of states. Average national reading scores reverted to 1992 levels, and math scores had the most significant declines ever recorded for that subject.

In contrast, Catholic schools showed a slight increase (1 point) in 8th-grade reading and maintained levels for 4th-grade math at achievement levels already higher than public schools. Catholic schools saw declines in 8th grade math and 4th-grade reading, though declines were less than those in public and charter schools.

In a 2021 article in America Magazine, Kathy Mears, then-interim president and chief executive officer of the National Catholic Educational Association acknowledged, “Catholic schools have placed students first in the teaching and learning processes. We have continued to orient these endeavors toward the pursuit of beauty, truth and goodness in the person of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is at work, breathing life and fostering renewal in the souls of the young people entrusted to our care. It is through this unique and blessed devotion and service to God’s people that generations will be transformed.”

To read more about student achievement visit nationsreportcard.gov. Go to Dashboards to access Catholic school information. Go to Reports to access highlights or full reports of various assessments.