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A Widening Chasm: The Divergent Paths of High- and Low-Achieving Students in Algebra I after the Pandemic. Working Paper No. 339-0526

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Title: A Widening Chasm: The Divergent Paths of High- and Low-Achieving Students in Algebra I after the Pandemic. Working Paper No. 339-0526
Language: English
Authors: Ben Backes, Michael DeArmond, Elise Dizon-Ross, Dan Goldhaber, Alejandra Salazar, National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) at American Institutes for Research (AIR)
Source: National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER). 2026.
Availability: National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research. American Institutes for Research, 1000 Thomas Jefferson Street NW, Washington, DC 20007. Tel: 202-403-5796; Fax: 202-403-6783; e-mail: info@caldercenter.org; Web site: https://caldercenter.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 33
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Gates Foundation
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Grade 3
Primary Education
Grade 9
High Schools
Junior High Schools
Middle Schools
Secondary Education
Grade 4
Intermediate Grades
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Descriptors: Algebra, Mathematics Achievement, High Achievement, Low Achievement, Racial Differences, Socioeconomic Status, Grade 3, Grade 9, Elementary School Students, Middle School Students, High School Students, COVID-19, Pandemics, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, Ethnicity, Minority Group Students, Low Income Students
Geographic Terms: Texas
Abstract: We follow four cohorts of students in Texas from grades 3 through 9 to identify which factors predict whether students pass the Algebra I end-of-course test by ninth grade. We find that early achievement accounts for most of the variation: racial and socioeconomic gaps in Algebra I completion trace back to differences in third-grade test scores. Because we follow students over time, we can see how the pandemic compounded existing inequalities. First, we find that the pandemic widened racial and socioeconomic gaps within each achievement level--students from disadvantaged groups who started third grade with the same test scores as their more advantaged peers fell further behind than those peers during COVID. Second, the pandemic amplified gaps between achievement levels. The lowest-scoring students in every group experienced steeper declines than their higher-scoring counterparts, with the sharpest losses concentrated among low-achieving students. In short, we find that algebra achievement gaps are rooted in early elementary school and became deeper during the pandemic. Our results underscore the importance of targeting resources to early elementary math instruction, especially for low-achieving students.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED681051
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
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  Data: A Widening Chasm: The Divergent Paths of High- and Low-Achieving Students in Algebra I after the Pandemic. Working Paper No. 339-0526
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ben+Backes%22">Ben Backes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Michael+DeArmond%22">Michael DeArmond</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elise+Dizon-Ross%22">Elise Dizon-Ross</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dan+Goldhaber%22">Dan Goldhaber</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Alejandra+Salazar%22">Alejandra Salazar</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22National+Center+for+Analysis+of+Longitudinal+Data+in+Education+Research+%28CALDER%29+at+American+Institutes+for+Research+%28AIR%29%22">National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) at American Institutes for Research (AIR)</searchLink>
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  Data: National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research. American Institutes for Research, 1000 Thomas Jefferson Street NW, Washington, DC 20007. Tel: 202-403-5796; Fax: 202-403-6783; e-mail: info@caldercenter.org; Web site: https://caldercenter.org
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Algebra%22">Algebra</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics+Achievement%22">Mathematics Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+Achievement%22">High Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Low+Achievement%22">Low Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Racial+Differences%22">Racial Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Socioeconomic+Status%22">Socioeconomic Status</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+3%22">Grade 3</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+9%22">Grade 9</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Middle+School+Students%22">Middle School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+School+Students%22">High School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+4%22">Grade 4</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+6%22">Grade 6</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+7%22">Grade 7</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+8%22">Grade 8</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethnicity%22">Ethnicity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Minority+Group+Students%22">Minority Group Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Low+Income+Students%22">Low Income Students</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Texas%22">Texas</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: We follow four cohorts of students in Texas from grades 3 through 9 to identify which factors predict whether students pass the Algebra I end-of-course test by ninth grade. We find that early achievement accounts for most of the variation: racial and socioeconomic gaps in Algebra I completion trace back to differences in third-grade test scores. Because we follow students over time, we can see how the pandemic compounded existing inequalities. First, we find that the pandemic widened racial and socioeconomic gaps within each achievement level--students from disadvantaged groups who started third grade with the same test scores as their more advantaged peers fell further behind than those peers during COVID. Second, the pandemic amplified gaps between achievement levels. The lowest-scoring students in every group experienced steeper declines than their higher-scoring counterparts, with the sharpest losses concentrated among low-achieving students. In short, we find that algebra achievement gaps are rooted in early elementary school and became deeper during the pandemic. Our results underscore the importance of targeting resources to early elementary math instruction, especially for low-achieving students.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: ED681051
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED681051
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 33
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Algebra
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mathematics Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: High Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Low Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Racial Differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Socioeconomic Status
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 3
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 9
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Middle School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: High School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 4
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 5
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 6
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 7
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 8
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ethnicity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Minority Group Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Low Income Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Texas
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: A Widening Chasm: The Divergent Paths of High- and Low-Achieving Students in Algebra I after the Pandemic. Working Paper No. 339-0526
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