Reading scores for Arizona 4th and 8th graders fell
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Student reading scores in Arizona fell over the past two years amid a national trend of post-pandemic learning loss, according to a national education report released Wednesday.
Why it matters: Students across age groups demonstrated continued declines in reading comprehension despite efforts to reverse the slip. Gaps between high- and low-achieving students have also widened.
By the numbers: In 2024, 26% of fourth graders and 25% of 8th graders in Arizona were proficient in reading.
- Both percentages dropped from 2022, and were the lowest proficiency levels since 2011 for fourth graders and 2007 for eighth graders.
- Average reading scores were the lowest since 2005 for fourth graders and since 2000 for eighth graders.
Yes, but: Math proficiency increased slightly from 2022 for both groups.
The data comes from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called the Nation's Report Card, administered under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Education.
Between the lines: Average fourth-grade scores for both math and reading were below the national average, while eighth-grade scores were slightly below but "not significantly different" from the U.S. average.
Zoom out: The percentage of eighth graders with reading comprehension scores below the "basic" metric was the largest in the assessment's history. This measures fundamental knowledge for the grade level.
- The percentage of fourth graders who didn't meet this mark was the largest in 20 years.
State of play: Declines in student performance date back about a decade, but student performance worsened during the nearly two years of remote learning and other COVID disruptions.
- Bipartisan lawmakers across the country have prioritized closing reading gaps in recent years, including 37 states that passed laws or enacted policies changing how reading is taught.