Math and English test scores remain stubbornly low, nation’s report card shows
A mixed bag for LAUSD, with some bright spots in math
Not only are few students scoring as advanced or proficient, but fewer are achieving a “basic” ranking, the next level down, according to the overall results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly called the nation’s report card.
Nationwide, scores show little improvement
The percentage of eighth-graders’ reading below “NAEP Basic” level was the largest in the assessment’s history, and the percentage of fourth-graders who scored below NAEP Basic was the largest in 20 years.
Experts sound the alarm
Experts characterized the scores as a sobering call to action. Although the Los Angeles Unified School District fared better in some metrics, the results dampened the district’s recent characterization of its academic progress as unprecedented and historic.
Peggy G. Carr, commissioner for the National Center for Education Statistics, says
“Student achievement has not returned to pre-pandemic performance. Where there are signs of recovery, they are mostly in math and largely driven by higher-performing students. Lower-performing students are struggling, especially in reading.”
A widening achievement gap
In eighth grade, higher performers regained ground lost and their lower-performing peers continued to decline or show no notable progress.
Reading scores struggle
In reading, lower-performing students struggled the most, with scores lower than the first NAEP reading assessment in 1992.
The pandemic’s impact
The COVID-19 pandemic era of remote learning in 2020 and 2021, when many campuses were closed, can’t be blamed for all of the problems.
A call to action
“We are deeply concerned about our low-performing students,” Carr said. “For a decade, these students have been on the decline. They need our urgent attention and our best effort.”
A note of optimism
Carr also pointed to what she considered a disturbing trend from a linked survey of students: Fewer students are reading for pleasure. She also said that chronic absenteeism was linked to lower scores.
Conclusion
The nation’s report card reveals a sobering picture of academic performance, with math and English test scores remaining stubbornly low. While there are some bright spots, such as a significant increase in fourth-grade math scores in LAUSD, the overall picture is one of stagnation or decline. Experts are calling for a renewed focus on supporting low-performing students, particularly in reading, and addressing the widening achievement gap.
FAQs
* What are the NAEP scores?
+ The National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, is a periodic assessment of student performance in reading and mathematics, administered by the National Center for Education Statistics.
* What are the results showing?
+ The results show that math and English test scores remain stubbornly low, with few students scoring as advanced or proficient, and a widening achievement gap between higher- and lower-performing students.
* What is the impact of the pandemic on test scores?
+ The COVID-19 pandemic era of remote learning in 2020 and 2021, when many campuses were closed, can’t be blamed for all of the problems, as the scores show a trend of decline or stagnation in academic performance.
* What is the call to action from experts?
+ Experts are calling for a renewed focus on supporting low-performing students, particularly in reading, and addressing the widening achievement gap, as well as addressing issues such as chronic absenteeism and a decline in reading for pleasure.
