Suggested Reading

Student math scores are down from pre-COVID levels, the National Report Card finds. By Sequoia Carillo, NPR October 24, 2022. Math and reading scores for students across the country are down following years of disrupted learning during the pandemic. the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, released a full report for the first time since 2019; the results show a slight dip in reading scores and a drop in math. In 2022, the average fourth-grade math score decreased by 5 points to its lowest level since 2005. The average eighth-grade math score decreased by 8 points to its lowest level since 2003. Read the full article here.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results for 2022 in Mathematics and Reading. You can see how your state performed on The Nation’s Report Card. The largest score declines in NAEP mathematics at grades 4 and 8 since initial assessments in 1990.  In 2022, the average fourth-grade mathematics score decreased by 5 points and was lower than all previous assessment years going back to 2005; the average score was one point higher compared to 2003. The average eighth-grade mathematics score decreased by 8 points compared to 2019 and was lower than all previous assessment years going back to 2003. In 2022, fourth- and eighth-grade mathematics scores declined for most states/jurisdictions as well as for most participating urban districts compared to 2019. Average scores are reported on NAEP mathematics scales at grades 4 and 8 that range from 0 to 500.

Scores decline in NAEOP Reading at grades 4 and8 compared to 2019. In 2022, the average reading score at both fourth and eighth grade decreased by 3 points compared to 2019. At fourth grade, the average reading score was lower than all previous assessment years going back to 2005 and was not significantly different in comparison to 1992. At eighth grade, the average reading score was lower compared to all previous assessment years going back to 1998 and was not significantly different compared to 1992. In 2022, fourth-and eighth-grade reading scores declined for most states/jurisdictions compared to 2019. Average scores are reported on NAEP reading scales at grades 4 and 8 that range from 0 to 500.

The pandemic has had devastating impacts on learning. What will it take to help students catch up? By M. Kuhfeld, J. Soland, K. Lewins and E. Morton, Brown Center Chalkboard, March 3, 2022. Brown University tracked changes in math and reading test scores across the first two years of the pandemic using data from 5.4 million U.S. students in grades 3-8. They focused on test scores from immediately before the pandemic (fall 2019), following the initial onset (fall 2020), and more than one year into pandemic disruptions (fall 2021).