Average reading scores dropped 5 points for both 4th and 8th graders from 2019 to 2024. Math scores also saw significant declines.
The nation’s 4th and 8th graders once again posted underwhelming performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, with 2024 results showing little to no progress toward regaining pre-pandemic levels in math and reading.
Average scores in reading actually dropped from 2022 in the latest results for the assessment, known as the Nation’s Report Card, released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics.
Reading scores in 2024 for each grade level fell 5 points from 2019 levels. For math, the average score dipped 3 points for 4th graders and 8 points for 8th graders between 2019 and 2024.