The National Assessment of Education Progress, or NAEP, has released the latest data showcasing math and reading scores for 4th and 8th grade students. Referred to as the “Nation’s Report Card,” the latest results continue to paint a troubling picture for not only the Mountain States, but the nation as a whole.
In math, the assessments “measured students' knowledge and skills, and their ability to solve problems in mathematical and real-world contexts. Students also answered survey questions about their opportunities to learn about and engage in mathematics inside and outside of school.”
In reading, the “assessment included literary and informational texts to assess students' reading comprehension skills. Students also answered survey questions about their opportunities to learn and their engagement with reading in and outside of school.”
Overall, the reading score for students across the nation in the fourth grade was two points lower than 2022. Students in the eighth grade also saw reading grades fall by two points.
In mathematics, fourth grade results were two points higher than 2022, but still three points lower than the pre-pandemic score in 2019. For eighth grade students, the results compared to 2022 did not change, but they remain eight points lower than 2019.
The NAEP allows a state-by-state look at the data. For Idaho, the one bright spot was that eighth grade students performed better than their national counterparts. The bad part is less than half of students are proficient in either math or reading, whether they are in fourth or eight grade.
The results from the other states are just as troubling, and, in most cases showcase a large decline since 2000. (See below for complete data)
There is one data point that isn’t made clear by the graphics – that being spending. Washington spends twice as much as Idaho on K-12 public education yet achieves just as bad if not worse results.
What can policymakers do to improve these numbers? We have a few ideas in the education section of our Policy Manual.
