Student achievement on the decline
This week, test results revealed a sobering look at student achievement in the United States. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a nationwide test administered to measure students' academic performance in the United States. It's often called the "Nation's Report Card" because it provides a snapshot of how well students perform in key subjects, such as reading, math, science, and writing, across the country.
Some southern states had a few bright spots due to coherent reform efforts. Alabama 4th graders exceeded their pre-pandemic achievement levels. Louisiana led the country in reading progress, and Mississippi fourth graders ranked No. 1 for score improvements in reading and math since 2013.
Still, despite significant funding and evidence-based practices, scores have continued to decline, especially among poor-performing student populations. On a panel discussion presented by Bellwether, Denise Forte of Education Trust said, "We're seeing that schools across the country supported just 16 percent of black fourth graders and 20 percent of Latino fourth graders to score at or above proficient."
While many in the education world had hoped for a post-pandemic reading recovery, experts now wonder if chronic absenteeism and screen time may be to blame.
How did Kansas and Missouri fare?
Kansas scores were also statistically aligned with the national average, with 59 percent of the state's fourth graders scoring at or above basic. However, only 29 percent of Black and 46 percent of Hispanic students were above the basic level.
Missouri scores were statistically aligned with the national average, with 58 percentof the state's fourth graders scoring at or above basic. However, only 36 percent of Black and 46 percent of Hispanic students were above the basic level.
Here are the snapshots of 4th-grade reading scores in Kansas and Missouri.
"The news is not good," said Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, which oversees the assessment. "We are not seeing the progress we need to regain the ground our students lost during the pandemic."
Aligned's Take: States need to continue to invest in early childhood programs centered on numeracy and literacy, strengthen communication with parents about state results and their implications, and increase transparency around state assessment cut scores and reporting practices.