Louisiana students gained significant ground in reading and math comprehension, with test score improvements among the best in the nation, according to a new national education report.
The big picture: The improvements come despite record-low national reading comprehension scores, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called the Nation's Report Card.
The report, administered under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Education, focuses on 2024 reading and math scores of fourth and eighth graders.
Between the lines: The national data continues to show a learning loss trend exacerbated by the pandemic.
"Not only did most students not recover from pandemic-related learning loss, but those students who were the most behind and needed the most support have fallen even further behind," the U.S. Department of Education said in a statement.
In state rankings, Louisiana fourth graders' math scores moved up six places since 2022. Their reading scores moved up 26 places since then, according to a press release.
Eighth graders' math scores merited a jump up two places in the rankings, and their reading scores moved the state up 10 places.
Zoom in: Louisiana was the only state with a fourth grade reading score higher than its pre-pandemic level.