The Effect of COVID on Oral Reading Fluency During the 2020–2021 Academic Year

Education has faced unprecedented disruption during the COVID pandemic. Understanding how students have adapted as we entered a different phase of pandemic and some communities returned to more typical schooling will inform suite policy interventions subsequent research. We use data from an oral reading fluency (ORF) assessment—a rapid assessment taking only few minutes that measures fundamental skill—to examine COVID’s effects on children’s ability find in first 200 days 2020–2021 school year tended experience slower growth ORF relative prepandemic years. also observe districts with high percentage English language learners and/or eligible for free reduced-price lunch. These findings offer valuable insight into one most skills taught children.