Reading scores dropped to a new low on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, while math scores were stagnant for 8th-graders and up slightly for 4th-graders.

The NAEP results, often called the nation’s report card, show that children are still struggling to recover from devastating pandemic-era academic losses. They come after an unprecedented infusion of federal school funding.

The country is not seeing enough progress, said Peggy Carr, the commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics. There are some signs of recovery, mostly in math, but they are largely driven by high-performing students, she said.

Overall results also obscure the growing gap between the highest- and lowest-performing students, which predates the pandemic.

In contrast to the national trend, New York City’s reading scores increased slightly. In reading, 28% of 4th-graders were proficient, up from 26%. In 8th grade, 29% of students were proficient, up from 27%.

In math, 33% of New York City 4th-graders scored at or above proficiency, up from 23% in 2022. In 8th grade, 23% were proficient, down from 25% in 2022.

Education Week, Jan. 29