Today, the 2024 NAEP results were released. In this special edition of the roundup we will bring you all the facts, reactions and context you need to get up to speed. 

If you want to get access to all the NAEP results, you can find them on the NCES website. Here are headlines:

1) Students have not recovered from the pandemic era

“The news is not good,” Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, told Chalkbeat. “Student achievement has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, reading scores continue to decline, and our lowest performing students are reading at historically low levels.”

Here is how EdWeek put it: “U.S. students’ reading scores have plunged further on the test known as the nation’s report card, while math scores have stagnated for 8th graders and ticked up slightly only for 4th graders—demonstrating that the nation’s children are still struggling to rebound from devastating academic losses supercharged by the pandemic.”

2) Achievement gaps have grown

“Lower-performing fourth and eighth graders posted the worst reading scores in over 30 years. In eighth grade math, the gap between the highest- and lowest-performing students was the widest in the test’s history,” writes Chalkbeat.

“The distance between the highest/lowest performing students is a chasm and achievement gaps are at historic highs … the results show the share of students performing ‘Below Basic’ has, except for grade 4 math, reached unprecedented highs,” observes Dan Goldhaber on X. “These results are a five-alarm fire for our education system, not just another data point or a temporary COVID effect. We’re at risk creating a permanent group of students who may never catch up.”

3) Louisiana is a rare bright spot

“NAEP truth bomb: After spending billions in recovery funds, some states deliver progress in key metrics of 4th reading & 8th math,” writes Marguerite Roza on X. “Others saw continued declines in both.”

Indeed, the results from Louisiana bring home the truth that children didn’t have to lose ground during the pandemic.

“Dr. Carr did point to Louisiana fourth graders as a rare bright spot,” writes Dana Goldstein in The New York Times. “Louisiana has focused on adopting the science of reading, a set of strategies to align early literacy teaching with cognitive science research. The resulting instruction typically includes a strong focus on structured phonics and vocabulary building.”

Louisiana’s progress on reading is even more impressive when charted against the national results. Indeed, Louisiana passed the national average for the first time in the history of the test.

Louisiana Kids Matter Executive Director Kelli Bottger credits a few notable policies in lifting scores. In 2021, several critical bills were passed to aid students in recovering from the pandemic, including a K-3 universal literacy screener, required training for educators on the science of reading, the Steve Carter Literacy Program and the implementation of the country’s first statewide, high-dosage tutoring program. “That combination of individualized academic attention through tutoring and shifting how students learn to read has had a real impact–and you can see it clearly in 4th grade results. These are kids who were kindergartners when the pandemic hit. I’m thankful we’ve seen progress,” Kelli told us.

Our conclusion: Money alone can’t buy a recovery. It takes leadership, advocacy, and policy that puts kids first.

“With 4th grade reading scores being virtually the same compared to 2022, and almost identical to 20 years ago, New Jersey’s NAEP results tell us that stagnation is no cause for celebration, and that nothing changes if nothing changes. Our outdated teaching methods have not grown our readers skills in New Jersey, giving a clear mandate for the scheduled full implementation of recently-passed literacy laws. In Mathematics, we also see outcomes that, while higher than most states, have been calcified for years. JerseyCAN renews its cry to reject incrementalism, steer significant resources directly into our classrooms, and teach reading and other subjects using the most robust, evidence-based instruction. If we follow this path, we will accelerate the pace of growth in reading and mathematics in 2026.”

“Louisiana’s 4th grade literacy scores are truly remarkable. The significant improvement in our scores is a direct reflection of the implementation of the state’s universal literacy screener and high dosage tutoring. While our math scores have room for improvement, I’m certain with the implementation of a math universal screener and a continued focus on high dosage tutoring, our scores will improve. Governor Jeff Landry, Louisiana’s legislature, Superintendent Cade Brumley and the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education should be commended for passing robust education policies focused on student outcomes. Our NAEP results show those policies are working to improve the academic outcomes for the students in our great state. We must continue to prioritize these policies and programs with state level funding. Now is not the time for us to take our foot off the gas!”

“Just a few short years after school closures, NAEP scores and the state’s TCAP assessment results demonstrate that Tennessee is well on its way to academic recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now is the time to double down on implementation of the Tennessee Literacy Success Act and the Tennessee Learning Loss Remediation and Student Acceleration Act–policies and practices passed in 2021 that are proven in boosting student success.”

“Colorado’s progress on the 2024 NAEP demonstrates both the impact of student-centered and data-driven policy efforts, like interventions and high-impact tutoring, as well as the work left to be done. While Colorado improved its scores and national ranking since 2022 by outpacing many of our peers in both 4th and 8th grade reading AND math, we continue to fall short of our own pre-pandemic achievements; highlighting the urgent need for continued interventions and greater access to high-quality learning opportunities.”