(NewsNation) — In the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, 9-year-olds’ math and reading scores plummeted to levels not seen in decades.

In 2022, the National Center for Education Statistics, a branch of the U.S. Department of Education, issued the National Educational Progress Assessment Test to 9-year-old students to see how they performed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The results were astonishing. Average student scores have dropped 5 points in reading and 7 points in math compared to 2020. His reading score hasn’t dropped as much since 1990, but his math score has dropped for the first time. to the center.

The study comes after two years of upheaval in American schools due to the COVID-19 outbreak. During this period, students spent a lot of time studying at home, and the disruption caused by the virus persisted even after children returned to the classroom.

Following the new statistics, former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Barras said the pandemic is having a lasting impact on schools across the country.

In addition to the loss of learning, Vallas said: So, I think it’s clear that COVID has clearly had a traumatic impact on Chicago’s public schools, and that impact has been seen nationwide. ”

In the video above, Vallas shares how long he thinks it will take schools to recover from the pandemic.