Late last month, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Since 1969, this assessment, nicknamed The Nation’s Report Card, has compiled data from across the country to provide a reliable snapshot of how 4th and 8th graders nationwide are doing in core competency subjects like math and reading, science and writing.
Related: What’s Greg Got To Do With It?
Thanks to the Texas Legislature’s routine habit of making changes to standardized tests, with another set of changes on the way this session, the Report Card is one of the few consistent datasets available to educators.
With the single exception of 4th grade mathematics, the results for Texas are, in a word, unexceptional. But where it really gets interesting is in the Student Groups and Gaps data, which provides breakdowns of the data for three categories: gender, socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity.
So, let’s review the data.
4th Grade Mathematics
As noted, overall, Texas 4th graders posted stellar results. Only two jurisdictions, Massachusetts and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), rank significantly higher (+5 points or higher) than Texas.
The gap analysis revealed the following:
4th Grade Reading
Here, unfortunately, is where the problems begin.
Not only is the average score two points lower than the national average, but also lower than 38 states/jurisdictions. Of the 38 states/jurisdictions that rank higher than Texas, 13 states/jurisdictions rank significantly higher (+5 points or more).
There is no question that this is an area of concern for Texas educators. Here is what the gap analysis revealed.
It seems unlikely that those scores will change based on the choice of imagery within the flipbooks Texas plans to implement under the Bluebonnet curriculum. We will be following up when the next report card is available. That is, if the Department of Education survives under this administration.
8th Grade Mathematics
While 272 was the national average, 8th graders in 31 states/jurisdictions ranked higher than Texas’ 8th graders. Of those 31 states/jurisdictions, 25 ranked significantly higher (+5 points or more).
This is a significant problem in a country that is becoming more technology-based by the year. Math is a basic building block of computer science. Our children are falling behind.
The gap analysis results are as follows:
8th Grade Reading
Our final category is perhaps the most troubling. Only six states and the District of Columbia ranked lower than Texas’ 8th graders.
Unfortunately, none of the upcoming changes to the curriculum seem adequate to address this problem.
Perhaps it is time to consider something more substantial than worrying about whether children will understand phrases like “the wisdom of Solomon.”
Meanwhile, the gap analysis is eerily similar to the other results presented.
Namely, the 8th grade gap analyses are remarkably similar to the 4th grade results, revealing that Texas schools are not making headway in closing any category of gaps between 4th and 8th grade.
In conclusion, Texas students are struggling to keep up with the rest of the nation. Reading scores are the lowest in decades. Students of color are not being adequately prepared. Unfortunately, Texas legislators are far more interested in school vouchers this year to address any of these concerning results. And with the antics occurring at the federal level, this may be the last warning Texas educators receive, considering that the Nation’s Report Card is provided courtesy of the same Department of Education that the administration seems nearly desperate to shut down.
