- "Nation's Report Card" gives "sobering" marks to American eighth and 12 grade students in science, math and reading.
- Earlier data reveals Utah students are outperforming their national counterparts, on average.
- Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said Tuesday's report confirms "devastating trend" in U.S. educational system.
If the updated Nation’s Report Card was an individual student’s report card, a “Parent-Teacher Conference Requested” comment would likely be in order.
The National Assessment of Education Progress, or NAEP — aka “the Nation’s Report Card” — is reporting declining scores for the nation’s eighth graders in science and 12th graders in math and reading.
The updated 2024 results, released Tuesday by the National Center for Education Statistics, or NCES, are the first post-pandemic NAEP scores for each assessment.
“These results are sobering,” NCES acting Commissioner Matthew Soldner said in an NAEP news release. “The drop in overall scores coincides with significant declines in achievement among our lowest-performing students, continuing a downward trend that began even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Among our nation’s high school seniors, we’re now seeing a larger percentage of students scoring below the NAEP Basic achievement level in mathematics and reading than in any previous assessment.”
Tuesday’s findings also prompted a quick response from Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
“Today’s NAEP results confirm a devastating trend: American students are testing at historic lows across all of K-12,” McMahon said in a DOE release.
So how are Utah kids faring?
In Utah, this year’s “report card” marks are better than most, but there’s still cause for concern, with reading scores among the state’s eighth graders continuing to decline.
According to data released by the NAEP in January, Beehive State students performed “significantly higher” in math than the national public average for both fourth and eighth graders in 2024.
And Utah’s fourth and eighth graders also outperformed their national counterparts, on average, in reading.
Key Utah results: Math
- In 2024, the average math score of fourth grade students in Utah was 242 — higher than the average score of 237 for students in the nation.
- The average score for Utah fourth grade students in 2024 (242) was not significantly different from their average score in 2022 (240).
- The average math score for Utah fourth grade male students was 245. For female students, 238.
- In 2024, the average math score of eighth grade students in Utah was 282 — higher than the average score of 272 for students in the nation.
- The average math score for Utah eighth graders (282) was not significantly different from their average score in 2022 (282).
- The average math score for Utah eighth grade male students was 283. For female students, 280.
Key Utah results: Reading
- In 2024, the average reading score of fourth grade students in Utah was 219 — higher than the average score of 214 for students in the nation.
- The average reading score for fourth grade students in Utah in 2024 (219) was not significantly different from their average score in 2022 (221).
- The average reading score for fourth grade female students in Utah was 223. For male students, 216.
- In 2024, the average reading score of eighth grade students in Utah was 261 — higher than the average score of 257 for students in the nation.
- The average reading score for eighth grade students in Utah (261) was lower than their average in 2022 (265).
- The average reading score for eighth grade female students in Utah was 265. For male students, 258.
When the 2024 results revealed declining reading scores for eighth graders earlier this year, the Utah State Board of Education signaled their commitment to identifying the causes of declining reading scores — while implementing “targeted efforts” and proven strategies.
“Our focus is on ensuring measurable improvements in reading outcomes by working with schools to equip educators and students with tools and targeted training,” said Darin Nielsen, deputy superintendent of student learning, in the state board report.
“We are committed to implementing evidence-based programs that address reading challenges early, providing intensive support where it’s needed most, and tracking progress to make sure every student has the opportunity to improve and succeed.”
Absenteeism: A nationwide battle
The latest results from the Nation’s Report Card, according to the NCES, also reveal longer-term trends among American students.
The most recent data released Tuesday — which includes newly released results from the NAEP 2024 science assessment at grade 8 and mathematics and reading assessments at grade 12 — did not provide specific data regarding Utah students.
When examined alongside results from previous decades, the 2024 national scores reveal longer-term trends. Compared to the findings from the first year of each assessment’s trend line:
- The grade 8 science score in 2024 was not measurably different than in 2009.
- The grade 12 mathematics score in 2024 was lower than in 2005.
- The grade 12 reading score in 2024 was lower than in 1992.
The latest NAEP results also provide new information about students’ educational experiences. Of note, the 2024 results are the first national indicator of post-pandemic absenteeism rates among 12th graders.
Nearly a third (31%) of 12th graders reported missing three or more days from school in the previous month in 2024, up from 26% in 2019.
The findings reflect similar patterns seen in previously released NAEP results for fourth and eighth graders.
Grade 8 science findings
The NAEP science assessment measures students’ knowledge of three broad content areas (physical science, life science, and Earth and space sciences) and four science practices (identifying science principles, using science principles, using scientific inquiry and using technological design) that describe how students use their science knowledge.
The 2024 results mark the first time that the average science score for eighth graders fell since the current assessment began in 2009, according to the NCES.
Lower-, middle- and higher-performing students saw score declines from 2019 to 2024.
Scores for lower-performing students at the 10th percentile and 25th percentile were lower in 2024 than in all previous assessment years. As a result, the gap between the lowest- and highest-performing students was also larger in 2024 than in any previous assessment.
In 2024, average science scores declined compared to 2019 for many reported student groups. In addition to average score declines, scores were lower at the 25th and 75th percentiles in 2024 compared to 2019 for the following groups:
- Male and female students
- Students who were identified as economically disadvantaged and students who were not identified as economically disadvantaged
- Students whose parents graduated from high school and students whose parents graduated from college
- Students attending public schools
- Students attending public, noncharter schools
- Students attending schools in suburban locations
- Students attending schools in the South region
- Students who were not identified as students with disabilities
- Students who were not identified as English learners
Grade 12 mathematics findings
The NAEP mathematics assessment measures students’ knowledge in four content areas (number properties and operations; measurement and geometry; data analysis, statistics and probability; and algebra) as well as students’ ability to solve problems in mathematical and real-world contexts.
In 2024, according to the NAEP, the average grade 12 mathematics score was the lowest it has been since the current assessment began in 2005.
Scores declined between 2019 and 2024 for all but the highest-performing students at the 90th percentile. With declining scores for lower-performing students at the 10th and 25th percentiles, the achievement gap between the highest- and lowest-performing students continued to widen and was larger in 2024 than in all previous assessments.
Average math scores in 2024 were lower for 12th graders in the following student groups compared to 2019:
- Black, Hispanic, and white students
- Male and female students
- Students who were identified and not identified as economically disadvantaged
- Students with parents across all levels of education
- Students attending public schools and public, noncharter schools
- Students attending city, suburban, and town schools
- Students attending schools in the South and West regions
- Students who were not identified as students with disabilities
- Students who were not identified as English learners
Grade 12 reading findings
The NAEP reading assessment uses literary and informational texts to measure students’ reading comprehension skills, particularly as they relate to students’ abilities to locate and recall information, integrate and interpret what they have read, and critique and evaluate the text.
The average grade 12 reading score was lower in 2024 than in all previous assessments. Similar to the findings for grade 12 mathematics, only scores for the highest-performing students at the 90th percentile did not decline from 2019 to 2024, and scores for lower-performing students at the 10th and 25th percentiles continued declines that began before the COVID-19 pandemic, the NAEP reported.
Average reading scores in 2024 were lower for 12th graders in the following student groups compared to 2019:
- White students
- Female students
- Students who were not identified as economically disadvantaged
- Students whose parents had some education after high school and students whose parents graduated from college
- Students attending public schools
- Students attending public, noncharter schools
- Students attending schools in suburban locations
- Students attending schools in the Midwest and South regions
- Students who were not identified as students with disabilities
- Students who were not identified as English learners
DOE Secretary Linda McMahon: Test results confirm ‘devastating trend’
McMahon spoke more about the troubling testing trend, especially for older students.
“At a critical juncture when students are about to graduate and enter the workforce, military, or higher education, nearly half of America’s high school seniors are testing at below basic levels in math and reading.
“Despite spending billions annually on numerous K-12 programs, the achievement gap is widening, and more high school seniors are performing below the basic benchmark in math and reading than ever before.”
Success in America’s schools, she added, is not about how much money is spent on education — but who controls the money and where the money is invested.
“That’s why President Trump and I are committed to returning control of education to the states so they can innovate and meet each school and students’ unique needs.”
In March, the president signed an executive order seeking the elimination of the Education Department.
Trump has called the federal agency “a big con job” and has long vowed to “move everything back to the states where it belongs.”
Dismantling the department would require an act of Congress.