CHEYENNE — Results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress released Tuesday continue to show a nationwide decline in student proficiency in math, science and reading since the COVID-19 pandemic.
But while the NAEP scores, also known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” showed a 4-point drop nationally for eighth-graders in science and a 3-point decrease for 12th graders in both math and reading since 2019, Wyoming’s data does not show the same declines in math and reading.
However, reports of 12th-graders’ performances reflect an aggregate or national sampling of students, and not state-level results.
“It’s important to keep in mind NAEP results reflect a sampling of Wyoming students,” Wyoming Department of Education spokesperson Linda Finnerty said via email correspondence. “And, in this respect, they are different from WY-TOPP results, which are key inputs for school and district accountability measures.”
WY-TOPP, or the Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress, is the state’s standardized test. Results for the 2024-25 school year were released Aug. 28.
In 2024, Wyoming’s eighth-graders averaged a score of 278 out of 500 in math, higher than the national average of 272, according to the NAEP results. In reading, Wyoming’s eighth-graders averaged a score of 260 out of 500, higher than the national average of 257.
These scores were not significantly different from the state’s average scores in 2022 or 2000.
“A key concept in viewing results from both tests is trend lines over time,” Finnerty said. “NAEP results dipped in Wyoming during and after the pandemic, but dipped a bit less than other areas of the country.”
Students nationwide took the NAEP in these grades and subjects from January to March 2024, according to a National Assessment Governing Board news release.
“The Nation’s Report Card represents the gold standard in assessment,” Martin R. West, vice chair of the governing board, said in a news release. “Today’s results, along with earlier NAEP releases, shine a light on a clear and concerning pattern — there are drops in achievement overall, but these are largely driven by big declines among the lowest- performing students. It would be a mistake to dismiss or ignore this critical education data. Leaders should use it to guide their policies and practices, really focusing on struggling learners.”
Broad view
The 2024 Nation’s Report Card shows declines between 2019 and 2024 in fourth, eighth and 12th grades in math and reading and eighth grade science. Not only have there been declines in these key subjects, but gaps between the highest- and lowest-performing students have widened in all subjects except for 12th-grade reading.
Wyoming did not see the same declines, but didn’t see improvements, either.
In eighth-grade math and reading, Wyoming did not see any significant changes in performance over previous testing in 2022 and 2000.
“Looking at these NAEP assessments, we see a clear story that tells us students need more support to thrive in school and succeed across core subjects and across grades,” said former North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue, who chairs the National Assessment Governing Board. “If policymakers and education leaders fail to act now, students — and employers — will feel the impact of declining skills and knowledge gaps as the global workforce becomes more and more competitive. That bodes badly for them and badly for our country.”
Only 33% of 12th graders were considered academically prepared for entry-level college math coursework in 2024, down from 37% in 2019, according to NAEP results.
For reading, only 35% of 12th-grade students were considered academically prepared, down from 37% in 2019.
In spite of this drop in performance, surveys show an uptick in 12th graders who report being accepted to a four-year college, compared to 2019.
Eighth-grade science
Only 31% of eighth-grade students nationwide scored at or above NAEP Proficient on the science assessment, according to the news release. A total of 38% scored below NAEP Basic on science, the highest percentage of students since 2009.
“Eighth-graders who score below NAEP Basic likely cannot recall that plants need sunlight to grow and reproduce,” according to the news release.
While scores fell across the board, the decline was sharper for lower-performing students, contributing to an already large and growing achievement gap between the lowest- and highest-achieving students. The trend is also observed in math, reading and U.S. history assessments.
The science test results also show a re-emerging gap between male and female students, with male students outscoring female students by 2 percentage points, according to the release.
Fewer students reported participating in scientific inquiry-related activities at school, such as using evidence from an experiment to explain an outcome, survey data showed.
In addition, only 28% reported having a high level of interest and enjoyment in science in comparison to 38% in 2019.
12th-grade math and reading
Average math and reading scores in 12th-grade assessments dropped 3 points since 2019. Scores declined in both subjects across all percentiles except the 90th percentile, according to the news release.
The achievement gap in math is wider than it has been in previous years, according to the news release. In reading, the gap between the highest and lowest performers is wider than in all previous years except 2019.
Approximately 45% of 12th graders scored below NAEP Basic in math, the highest percentage ever to score below that achievement level. By comparison, 32% scored below NAEP Basic in reading, the largest percentage ever, according to the release.
