Every two years, students across the country take the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading and mathematics — often called The Nation’s Report Card — the largest continuing assessment of what students in public and private schools know and are able to do in mathematics, reading, science, and many other subjects.
While the most recent results from the Nation’s Report Card indicated that Texas had improved its performance relative to other states, the majority of Texas students were still below proficient in reading and mathematics.
The 2024 results, set to be released on January 29th, will be the second set of main results after the pandemic disruptions and will provide clarity on persisting achievement gaps. Here’s what we’re watching for:
- Have Math Scores Stabilized?
After the significant declines seen in 2022, we’ll be looking to see whether math scores have begun to stabilize or if they continue to reflect the lingering impacts of disrupted learning.
- Achievement Gaps
Are achievement gaps narrowing, or has the pandemic widened disparities further? This requires looking past rankings and digging into actual achievement. For example, Texas ranks number 1 in the nation for 8th math achievement among black students; but the reality is that 11% of these students are deemed “Proficient”. Don’t focus on rankings, look to actual achievement to identify gaps.
- Comparative Performance
Texas has historically outperformed many other states in math. Will this trend hold in 2024, or will we see shifts in the national rankings?
For a more detailed drilldown into the Nation’s Report Card and what our experts are looking for in this year’s data, check out Gabe Grantham’s latest piece, “NAEP results are out this month: Here’s what you need to know.”