NAEP results: Reading and math scores in Texas cause concern
The latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, reveal troubling declines in student performance across Texas and the country.
Reading scores in Texas have fallen to their lowest levels in decades, and eighth grade math scores have dropped at a faster rate than the national average, continuing a downward trend. These findings underscore the urgent need for more support from schools and the state to ensure Texas students learn the fundamentals to ready them for success beyond high school.
NAEP IN TEXAS: KEY TAKEAWAYS
1) Texas student achievement remains flat or in decline. After widespread gains in the 1990s and early 2000s, Texas has seen little-to-no progress on key metrics of fourth and eighth grade reading and math proficiency. Pandemic-era learning losses continue to hinder overall improvement.
2) Reading scores reach historic lows; eighth grade math declines outpace the nation. Texas reading scores have fallen to their lowest in decades, consistent with national trends. However, Texas eighth grade math scores fell more sharply than the national average decline, extending a more than a decade-long downward trend.
3) Fourth grade math is a bright spot. Texas fourth grade math scores improved, placing the state among the Top 10 nationally, rising to eighth in the nation.
NAEP is the largest nationally representative assessment of what U.S. students know and can do in key subject areas, including mathematics and reading. Every two years, NAEP assesses students in grades four and eight across the United States, providing critical data to educators, policymakers and stakeholders.
Low scores on reading, eighth grade math
The 2024 results show that Texas continues to struggle with literacy rates, as 43% of fourth graders and 39% of eighth graders fail to reach NAEP’s “Basic” skills threshold, a one and five percentage-point increase, respectively, over 2022.
Texas fourth grade math scores saw relative stability with roughly the same percentage of students scoring at or above “Basic”. Eighth grade math saw 44% of students scoring below “Basic,” a five percentage point increase from 2022.
Texas’ fourth grade reading scores fell by two percentage points to the lowest point since 1994, and eighth grade reading fell by three percentage points to the lowest level in the history of the exam.
Fourth grade math scores rose by two percentage points but still lag behind pre-pandemic levels, while eighth grade math fell by four percentage points to the lowest level in three decades. These results mirror national trends, although Texas saw greater declines in eighth grade math than the national average.
“These results highlight the continued challenges our students face in literacy and numeracy and should sound the alarm for school leaders and policymakers alike,” said Gabe Grantham, Policy Advisor at Texas 2036. “While we are encouraged by slight gains in fourth-grade math, the overall picture is clear — Texas students need more support from both schools and the state to build strong reading and math foundations.”
National trends: A mixed bag
Nationally, the 2024 NAEP results showed mixed trends in student performance. While fourth grade math scores saw a slight increase, eighth grade math performance remained largely unchanged.
Reading scores, however, continued their downward trajectory at both grade levels. The percentage of eighth graders reading below the NAEP Basic threshold reached an all-time high, while the percentage of fourth graders scoring below NAEP Basic was the highest recorded in two decades.
In addition to these overall declines, the national results also reveal a widening achievement gap between the highest and lowest performing students, particularly in eighth grade mathematics, where the score gap widened by nine points.
In reading, lower-performing students experienced even steeper declines. At both fourth and eighth grades, the reading scores of students in the bottom 10th and 25th percentiles of performance reached the lowest in the history of the assessment.
The latest NAEP results show both progress and setbacks in Texas student performance trends across reading and math in comparison to other states. Fourth grade math demonstrated a notable improvement, rising from 14th in state ranking in 2022 to eighth in 2024, reflecting encouraging gains in early numeracy skills.
However, significant challenges persist in other areas. Fourth grade reading dropped four places to 37th, while eighth grade reading fell three places to 44th. Eighth grade math experienced the steepest decline, plunging nine spots to 34th, an all-time low.
A need for targeted interventions
These results underline the urgent need to sustain progress in early math while addressing declines in literacy and middle-grade math to ensure Texas students have adequate preparation for future workforce demands.
The sharp decline in eighth grade math is particularly concerning, because it indicates that many Texas students are entering high school underprepared for advanced coursework. To address this troubling trend, Texas 2036 is committed to working with educators and policymakers to invest in targeted math interventions, including accelerated learning models and enhanced teacher support, to ensure all students have the math skills they need to succeed in a competitive economy.
“These results reinforce what we already know — Texas must take bold action to improve student outcomes,” said Grantham. “Texas has made important investments in literacy and mathematics, but today’s data shows that more needs to be done to ensure our students are prepared for the future.”
For more information about Texas 2036, visit www.texas2036.org. For more takeaways on NAEP and pointers on how to read the results, please read Gabe Grantham’s blog post, “NAEP results are out this month: Here’s what you need to know.”