News Briefs | FYI
February 3, 2025
NAEP ‘report card’ shows decline in U.S. reading scores
The Nation’s Report Card, which was released on Jan. 29, shows continued declines in reading for U.S. students, compounding a decline in the nation’s reading scores that started prior to the pandemic.
In 2024, average reading scores on The Nation’s Report Card declined by two points for both 4th and 8th grade students compared to 2022. This steepens the three-point decline seen in both grades between 2022 from 2019. Students took the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as The Nation’s Report Card or NAEP, between January and March 2024.
No state saw gains on NAEP Reading in either grade compared to 2022; only one large urban school district that participates in the voluntary Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) program — Atlanta Public Schools — had gains in 4th grade reading, compared to 2022.
“Student academic achievement is the cornerstone of national success and security. This makes a lack of academic progress today a direct and urgent threat to our collective future,” said Governing Board member Patrick Kelly, who teaches AP U.S. Government and Politics. “The continued declines in reading scores are particularly troubling. Reading is foundational to all subjects, and failure to read well keeps students from accessing information and building knowledge across content areas.”
The 2024 results show that fewer than a third of students nationwide are working at the NAEP Proficient level in reading at both grades. Scoring at the NAEP Proficient level means consistently understanding written text and interpreting its meaning.
Around 40 percent of 4th graders are working below the NAEP Basic level in reading, the largest percentage since 2002. Fourth graders scoring below NAEP Basic likely cannot recognize a reason for a character’s action implied in a story. About a third of 8th graders nationwide are failing to hit the NAEP Basic benchmark in reading — the largest percentage ever.
In math, nearly 40 percent of 4th graders are working at the NAEP Proficient and NAEP Advanced levels. Nearly a quarter, however, do not reach the NAEP Basic level, meaning they likely cannot identify odd numbers or solve a problem using unit conversions.
The average math score in 8th grade is flat in 2024 compared to 2022, which is of particular concern given 2022’s historic 8-point drop in 8th grade math. No state or TUDA district made gains in 8th grade math in 2024.
A little more than a quarter of 8th graders nationwide are performing at or above the NAEP Proficient level in math. Nearly 40 percent of 8th graders are working below NAEP Basic. These students likely cannot use similarity to find the length of a side of a triangle.
Nearly five years after the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation is below its 2019, or pre-pandemic, scores in both grades and subjects on The Nation’s Report Card. Just two states have surpassed their pre-pandemic scores in a single grade and subject: Louisiana surpassed its 2019 4th grade reading score; and Alabama surpassed its 2019 4th grade math score.
No state surpassed its 2019 8th grade scores in either subject. No participating district surpassed its 2019 scores in any grade or subject.
“This is unacceptable especially for our lowest performing students. We need to invest more in the data-informed efforts that have been shown to work so that we lift up our students and accelerate their learning even further. It’s imperative we ensure all young people have the academic foundation they need to succeed in school and in the careers of their choosing,” said former North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue, who chairs the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets policy for The Nation’s Report Card.
Across grades and subjects, declines in 2024 were generally driven by lower-performing rather than higher-performing students. Today the lowest-performing students score about 100 points below the highest-performing students.
Growing gaps between higher- and lower-performing students has been a persistent trend for about a decade.
“This growing achievement gap between high- and low-performing students is troubling,” said Martin West, Vice Chair of the Governing Board, professor of education at Harvard University, and a member of the Massachusetts State Board of Education. “We made progress in closing this gap until around 2010, but it’s been steadily widening since. Policymakers at all levels of government must understand and work to reverse this trend, starting by holding all students to a high standard and helping them reach that bar.”
For full results of The Nation’s Report Card, visit www.nationsreportcard.gov.
Chronic absences declined slightly in 2022-23
Newly released data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that chronic absence slightly declined in the 2022-23 school year but remains at historically high levels. The persistence of absenteeism is an urgent call for educators at every level to address an issue that continues to erode academic achievement and put students everywhere at greater risk of dropping out.
The national data released by the U.S. Department of Education’s EDFacts in late November found that 13.4 million students (27.7 percent) missed 10 percent of school (or nearly a month) during the 2022-23 academic year. The nonprofit initiative Attendance Works and the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University joined together to analyze this national data and note changes over time.
Equally troubling in 2022-23, two years following the chaotic reopening of schools for in-person learning, the majority of schools still had a chronic absence rate of 20 percent or higher. Research shows that such elevated levels of chronic absence can easily overwhelm school staff and negatively affect teaching and learning for all students, not just those who aren’t in school.
“The vast majority of kids aren’t missing school because they don’t care. They’re missing school because of a wide array of reasons and barriers that can range from bullying, to not getting the support they need to understand the curriculum, to a lack of access to health care or reliable transportation,” said Robert Balfanz, director of the Everyone Graduates Center. “Like efforts underway to address learning loss and low test scores, the size and scale of the absenteeism challenge isn’t going to improve without ongoing attention and action.”
The good news is that chronic absence can be improved. The past two years have seen substantially improved student engagement and attendance in many states and school districts across the U.S. All of these efforts took a comprehensive, data-driven, prevention-oriented approach.
“My hope is that educators at every level — state, regional, district and school — develop relationships to understand why students are missing school, and then use this understanding to forge the partnerships we need to develop and offer solutions,” said Hedy Chang, founder and executive director of Attendance Works.
FYI
Jacobs Teen Innovation Challenge now open
Applications are now open for the 2025 Jacobs Teen Innovation Challenge, in which teens and teachers from around the world will come together to design innovative solutions to address one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Winners can receive an award of up to $2,000. This opportunity is free and provides virtual training, curriculum and activities. This challenge is managed by the Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education at the University of San Diego and Pactful, a social good innovation tool and curriculum. Find the online application and more information at pactful.org. The deadline to apply has been extended to Feb. 18.
Lead With Pride welcomes educators to Anaheim
Join educators from around the state to learn strategies for creating safe and affirming spaces for LGBTQIA+ students and staff at ACSA’s 2025 Lead With Pride Summit. “Out, Proud & Moving Forward!” will empower teachers, principals and other administrators to respond to the unique needs of LGBTQIA+ students and staff. This conference will be April 30-May 2 in Anaheim. Visit bit.ly/leadwithpride25 for more information and to register.