The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called the nation's report card, shows continued declines in reading scores for fourth and eighth graders, raising serious concerns about educational progress. The report highlights the urgency for schools, policymakers, and families to address these challenges and improve student outcomes.
America's fourth and eighth-grade students' reading scores continued their downward trend in 2024, according to the National Assessment of Education al Progress ( NAEP ), often referred to as the nation's report card. This concerning development was highlighted by National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Commissioner Peggy G. Carr during a press call on Tuesday. 'The nation's report card is out, and the news is not good,' Carr stated.
'Students are not where they need to be or where we want them to be.' She further emphasized that 'Our students, for the most part, continue to perform below pre-pandemic levels, and our children's reading continues to slide in both grades and subjects.'The NAEP, conducted every two years by the Department of Education, provides the most comprehensive assessment of student performance in public and private schools across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. This year's report paints a sobering picture of declining scores in crucial subjects, underscoring urgent challenges for schools, policymakers, and families striving to enhance educational outcomes. According to NCES data collected between January and March 2024, average reading scores dropped by two points for both fourth and eighth-grade assessments compared to 2022. This decline builds upon a three-point decrease observed in both grades during the 2022 assessment. A concerning 40% of fourth graders and approximately a third of eighth graders read below the NAEP basic level. 'The continued declines in reading scores are particularly troubling,' stated Patrick Kelly, a member of the National Assessment Governing Board, emphasizing that 'Reading is foundational to all subjects, and failure to read well keeps students from accessing information and building knowledge across content areas.'While there was a slight recovery in math scores in 2024, this increase hasn't brought them back to pre-pandemic levels. Mathematics scores rose by two points for fourth graders and remained unchanged for eighth graders compared to the 2022 findings. However, Carr stressed that this isn't solely a pandemic issue. Reading scores have been on a downward trajectory since 2017. Among the lowest-achieving students, scores have reached their lowest point since 1992. The report card doesn't pinpoint the causes for these score declines, but officials on the call with reporters indicated that data shows a decrease in students who report reading 'for enjoyment,' and teachers are placing less emphasis on 'essay responses' to questions.The pandemic exacerbated pre-existing challenges in education, particularly in reading, math, and history, according to NAEP's 2022 assessments. Fourth and eighth-grade students experienced their largest-ever declines in math, and eighth-grade students achieved the lowest history scores since 1994, the year the history assessment was first administered. NCES data also revealed that while chronic absenteeism has decreased since the last assessment, student attendance is contributing to the overall decline in performance. NCES defines chronic absenteeism as missing at least 10% of the school year. 'The data are clear: Students who don't come to school are not improving,' Carr emphasized.'There’s a widening achievement gap in this country, and it has worsened since the pandemic, especially for grade eight,' Carr stated. It's important to note that NAEP is a rigorous assessment, according to Carr. Students' results are classified as basic, proficient, or advanced. Scores below basic do not necessarily indicate a child's inability to read, but Carr pointed out that the continued decline in scores is still a cause for concern. This news comes amidst heightened political debate surrounding K-12 education, particularly during the pandemic when schools transitioned to remote learning and parents gained greater insight into their children's curriculum. Conservatives have framed this debate as a culture war, criticizing public schools for allegedly indoctrinating children with inappropriate gender and critical race theory. Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, the Chairman of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, told ABC News that these results disproportionately impact vulnerable children, as the previous administration kept schools closed for longer periods than public health guidance recommended. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., speaking at a House Republicans' news conference, stated that the report exposes the nation's failing education system. 'This is clearly a reflection of the education bureaucracy continuing to focus on woke policies rather than helping students learn and grow,' the Republican congressman wrote in a statement to ABC News. 'We don't know what will happen to NCES or NAEP,' Carr said when asked by ABC News. 'We are hopeful that people will see the value in these data and what we are doing for the country,' she concluded
EDUCATION READING SCORES NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS NAEP STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACHIEVEMENT GAP PANDEMIC IMPACT
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