Educators are deeply concerned but not surprised with newly released test results showing how far behind Michigan students have fallen during the pandemic.

Results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed fourth- and ninth-graders scored significantly lower in math and reading skills this year than they did prior to the COVID crisis. Data from the September release of standardized test scores showed some of the steepest learning declines for Michigan students in a half-century.

Thomas Morgan, spokesperson for the Michigan Education Association, said major changes are needed to the state's education system.

"Teachers and students and parents have been through so much with the pandemic and with virtual learning, school violence, and the student mental-health crisis," Morgan observed. "We need to focus right now on structural issues to get our schools back up to full capacity."

According to the Michigan Department of Education, the state's fourth- and ninth-graders scored at or below the national average in math, and significantly below average in reading. Between 2019 and 2021, Michigan fourth-graders dropped from 32nd to 43rd place in state rankings, while ninth-graders from 28th to 31st.

Morgan noted while the pandemic dealt a severe blow to Michigan students, he is concerned the state's school system may not have the resources it needs to help them recover.

"We have several crises affecting our schools, including an educator shortage and student mental health," Morgan asserted. "We really need to make sure that we're coming together and providing our schools with the resources they need to keep good teachers, recruit new educators, and support staff into the profession."

Morgan emphasized in addition to recruiting and retaining qualified teachers, Michigan needs to expand the curriculum to bring students -- particularly those from disadvantaged communities -- up to speed.

"We don't have much time to act," Morgan stressed. "We need to do everything we can to help kids get caught up and not be left further behind. A lot of students did struggle with virtual learning and mental-health issues, and we need to help these kids before it's too late. We need to help them get back on track."

Students are still struggling with learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A study from the research group NWEA showed 2022 test scores are not rebounding to the same level as they were pre-pandemic.

In New York, math scores declined sharply throughout the state, according to the Empire Center for Public Policy.

Researchers said the issue goes beyond test scores. The study also found existing education inequities were amplified by the pandemic.

Elisa Villanueva Beard, CEO of Teach for America, said the learning loss is also the result of numerous issues coming to a head. She described it as trains on a collision course.

"On one train, we have children who are not well, both from a learning perspective and also from an overall wellness perspective," Villanueva Beard observed. "On another train, we have a teacher crisis happening where teachers are being asked to do more with less."

Villanueva Beard argued another issue is having an outmoded system which could not meet the moment. Some solutions she thinks will get kids back on track are hiring and retaining good teachers, and providing students with equitable learning opportunities, but noted a lack of innovation within the current education system could be a challenge.

Students have been facing problems with mental illness, due in part to the pandemic. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 44% of students felt persistently sad or hopeless during the first two years of the pandemic.

Villanueva Beard is concerned it will affect children in the long term.

"We are living in a society where uncertainty is the only guarantee," Villanueva Beard asserted. "Our children actually need to be able to be creative, have very clear skills around reading and math computational thinking."

She added a community approach must be taken to ensure kids fully recover from the pandemic, in terms of social emotional health and educational skills.

Like other states, South Dakota has a program allowing high school students to take courses offered at universities and technical colleges. Now, there is a legislative plan to help ensure younger students get a chance to participate and get a head start on a career path.

Under South Dakota's dual-credit program, juniors and seniors can apply for state aid to defer the costs of courses like auto-body welding or accounting.

Rep. Kameron Nelson, D-Sioux Falls, has introduced a bill to expand aid to tenth graders. He said expenses for courses can be a barrier, and thinks students also deserve a chance to start collecting credits if they have a career in mind.

"A sophomore might be able to start this dual-credit program, collect credits by the time that they graduate from high school, receive and earn their associate's degree," Nelson explained.

He noted it could especially help in health care-related fields. It is projected South Dakota will need at least 14% more registered nurses to meet demand in the years ahead. Nelson's bill is seeing bipartisan support, in terms of sponsors, but no hearings have been scheduled.

Nelson acknowledged at the start, enrollment for sophomores would likely be lower than for other grade levels, but he noted the additional costs are forecast at around $900,000 if there's strong demand. He is convinced it would be a worthwhile investment for the state.

"Anytime we can invest in our young people to become more educated, I will always back that," Nelson emphasized.

South Dakota has a budget surplus of more than $400 million, but some leaders, including Gov. Kristi Noem, have a range of other ideas to put the money to use, including tax cuts.

Advocates for higher education in the Commonwealth will gather today to collaborate on how to use revenue generated by the Fair Share Amendment which has officially been signed into law.

Voters approved the creation of a surtax on million-dollar incomes to help pay for public education, but lawmakers must still guarantee how the money will be used.

Femi Stoltz, Massachusetts policy director for the nonprofit uAspire, said she hopes the funding will help lower costs for tuition and fees at state colleges, which have increased nearly 60% in the past two decades.

"This new funding revenue hopefully gives us the chance to be innovative, think outside the box and hopefully think of better ways to serve students," Stoltz stated.

Stoltz pointed out the cost of public college has risen faster here than in any other state, while the average student borrower in Massachusetts is burdened with nearly $32,000 in federal student loans.

The UMass system currently holds some $3 billion in debt itself, and at Mass State Colleges, it is more than $1 billion. It is estimated students pay more than $2,500 in annual fees just to help cover their school's debt.

Stoltz noted the MassGrant system, the state's largest need-based grant for students, is also grossly underfunded, leaving disadvantaged students with few pathways to earn a debt-free degree.

"That grant a couple decades ago used to cover about 80% of a student's tuition and fees at a public school, and now it covers about 8% of tuition and fees for a student in the UMass system," Stoltz explained.

Stoltz and other higher education advocates said Fair Share revenue could also go toward repairs of campus infrastructure, fair and equitable pay for all faculty and staff, and more hiring of desperately needed student counselors.

In one of the country's wealthiest states, Stoltz argued, there should be ample resources to ensure all students get the education they deserve.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.