Some things never change, and one of these is the repetitively dismal National Association of Education Progress (NAEP) test results, which should emphasize for all Americans that something desperately needs to change in education. The 2024 NAEP reading scores for eighth graders show no significant improvement since 1992; scores overall are down five points since the pre-pandemic year of 2019 and two points lower compared to 2022. Reading assessment results were similar for fourth graders.
In math, eighth-grade scores remained essentially unchanged compared to 2022, but were down eight points from 2019. Fourth-grade scores improved by two points compared to 2022, but were down three points from 2019.
In sum, Newsweek reported: “the data published by the NAEP shows the reading and math skills of fourth and eighth grade students are significantly below those of students in 2019, the last administration of the test before the pandemic, when the national average for grade 4 and 8 students for both reading and math was higher.”
Reaction to the latest NAEP results used the predictable excuse that students who performed most poorly are also the most disadvantaged economically and otherwise. But it occurs to almost no one in academia that students who are not taught to read using phonics, or who are not taught basic arithmetic upon which more advanced math skills can be built, are not going to excel, regardless of family income or social status. Whereas students in more well-off families are more likely to be tutored by parents or hired experts to make up for the lack of adequate classroom instruction, disadvantaged students are stuck with whole language and fuzzy math, if they learn any basic skills at all.
We must do better for our students. The Trump Administration is committed to reorienting our education system to fully empower states, to prioritize meaningful learning, and provide universal access to high-quality instruction. Change must happen, and it must happen now.
