January 29, 2025

NAEP Scores Reflect Continued Post-Pandemic Learning Decline, Need for Sustained Focus and Resources

January 29 (New York) – Today, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released its second comprehensive report on student learning since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education nationwide. Despite expectations of at least some learning recovery since 2022, scores stayed flat or declined even further across the board—with the exception of fourth-grade math—and achievement gaps widened further.

Math scores for 4th and 8th grade remained essentially flat, with a one-point increase in 8th grade and no change in 4th. This continues a downward trend for math scores that began before the pandemic, in 2013, and reached its lowest point in three decades in 2022. In reading, scores continued their downward trajectory since the pandemic, dropping two points on average for both 4th and 8th graders. One-third of 8th graders now read below a “basic” level, which is the largest share in the history of the test; 40% of 4th graders read below that threshold as well.  

More alarmingly, the gap between the highest- and lowest-performing students has widened. Scores declined an average of just one point among students in the top 75th percentile, but much more sharply among students in the bottom 25th. In math specifically, the top-performing students gained ground since 2022, masking declines in math scores among students in the bottom 25th percentile in the overall data. And, students of color and students from low-income homes continue to perform far below their peers.   

The results align with teachers’ concerned outlook on their students’ learning and on the profession overall—a 2024 survey found that 70% of teachers believe their students are still behind academically compared to before the pandemic, and just 16% would recommend the profession to others.

“These results underscore the need for educational recovery to remain a top priority in every city, every state, and for the federal government,” said Evan Stone, Co-Founder and CEO of Educators for Excellence. “Now is the time to move beyond divisive culture war debates and focus on the issues that are most important to teachers and parents and that set students up for economic opportunity. These scores are a clarion call directly from students to leaders nationwide to create the conditions necessary for effective teaching and learning, to tackle both the lasting impacts of the pandemic and the systemic inequities that existed long before it.”

Additionally, the growing achievement gaps identified in today’s release highlight the critical role the federal government plays in leveling funding disparities across states and districts and holding local systems accountable for delivering an excellent education for all students, including—and especially—those struggling the most.

Despite the widespread declines, some states and districts did see meaningful progress; states nationwide can learn from their shared commitment to high-quality instructional materials, aligned professional learning, equitable funding systems, transparent data systems, and strategic coupling of their best teachers with their students struggling the most. 

Today’s NAEP results demand the attention of education leaders across the country. The federal government must maintain and expand investment in state-level innovation and funding equity, state governments must continue to assess student progress and use the results to make data-informed decisions, and local leaders must stay laser-focused on improving student outcomes. Leaders at each level must do this work hand-in-hand with the stakeholders with the deepest classroom expertise: teachers.



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NAEP Scores Reflect Continued Post-Pandemic Learning Decline, Need for Sustained Focus and Resources