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The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) was first administered in 1969, and is the largest continuing and nationally representative assessment of what the nation’s students know and can do in mathematics, reading, and other subjects. Standard administration practices are used to provide a common measure of student achievement. NAEP is given to a representative sample of students across the country. Results are reported for groups of students with similar characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity and special education,), but scores for neither individual students nor schools are reported.
Between January and March of 2019, students who participated in NAEP were assessed in mathematics, reading, and science. Most students took the digital assessment on tablets, while a small subset of students took paper-and-pencil versions to help NAEP evaluate any differences in student performance between the two types of administration. All of the results can be accessed on the NAEP webpage (https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/media.aspx) and the key results for the nation are as follows:
Reading
Average reading scores at both the 4th and 8th grades were lower in 2019 as compared to 2017.
On the 4th grade NAEP in reading, 17 jurisdictions posted statistically significant lower scores in 2019 as compared to the 2017 scores. Washington’s scale score decline of approximately 3.4 points was not a statistically significant change, meaning that Washington was one of 32 states with no significant change in score. Average Scale scores for the 4th grade NAEP in reading over the most recent administrations:
| Comparison | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Average | 225.0 | 225.9 | 223.1 | 219.7 |
| US Average | 220.7 | 221.4 | 221.9 | 219.7 |
On the 8th grade NAEP in reading, 31 states posted statistically significant lower scores in 2019 as compared to the 2017 scores. Washington’s scale score decline of approximately 5.3 points was a statistically significant change. Average Scale scores for the 8th grade NAEP in reading over the most recent administrations:
| Comparison | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Average | 272 | 267.3 | 271.6 | 266.3 |
| US Average | 266 | 264 | 266.6 | 262 |
Math
Average math scores for the 4th grade were slightly higher nationally, and for the 8th grade the scores were mostly unchanged.
On the 4th grade NAEP in math, 40 states posted statistically significant similar scores in 2019 as compared to the 2017 scores. Washington’s scale score decline of approximately 2.2 points was not a statistically significant change. Average Scale scores for the 4th grade NAEP in math over the most recent administrations:
| Comparison | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Average | 246.3 | 245 | 241.7 | 239.5 |
| US Average | 241.2 | 239.9 | 239.7 | 240 |
On the 8th grade NAEP in math, 43 states posted statistically significant similar scores in 2019 as compared to the 2017 scores. Washington’s scale score decline of approximately 3.3 points was not a statistically significant change. Average Scale scores for the 8th grade NAEP in math over time:
| Comparison | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Average | 290 | 286.5 | 289.1 | 285.8 |
| US Average | 283.6 | 281.3 | 282.8 | 281 |
More about NAEP:
- SBE's Summary of Washington Performance on NAEP
- The Great Divergence: Growing Disparities Between the Nation’s Highest and Lowest Achievers in NAEP Mathematics and Reading Between 2009 and 2019 (NAEP Plus+)
- National Assessment Results Highlight How Income Inequality Affects Learning (OSPI)
- Performance gap among Washington students widens on national test as gifted education faces scrutiny (Seattle Times)