Public education at a crossroads: Low-income student outcomes from 2003 to 2019

This section of the Public Education at a Crossroads study examines the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and math scores for low-income 4th and 8th-grade students. Importantly, NAEP data obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) were reported as decimal values. State rankings and calculated growth scores were determined using these unrounded figures. As such, there are no ties in the rankings, and some growth scores aren’t identical to the difference between the rounded figures presented.

4th Grade Reading and Math NAEP (Free and Reduced Priced Lunch Eligible Students Only)

Between 2003 and 2019, the average U.S. 4th grade NAEP reading score for free and reduced-priced lunch (FRL) eligible students increased by six points, from 201 to 207. The three highest-growth states during this time were Nevada, Mississippi, and California, while the three lowest-growth states were Delaware, West Virginia, and Vermont.

In 2019, the highest-scoring states were Florida, Wyoming, and Mississippi, while the three lowest-scoring states were Alaska, Alabama, and New Mexico.

Table 21 summarizes 4th-grade NAEP reading results for FRL-eligible students.

Table 21: 4th Grade FRL NAEP Reading Score Growth (2003-2019)

Growth Rank	2019 Rank	State	2003	2019	Growth
		United States	201	207	6
1	7	Nevada	192	211	19
2	3	Mississippi	197	215	18
3	38	California	191	205	14
4	1	Florida	205	216	11
5	22	Pennsylvania	198	207	9
6	47	Arizona	194	202	8
7	35	Hawaii	197	206	8
8	37	Illinois	197	205	8
9	46	Louisiana	195	202	7
10	26	Georgia	200	207	7
11	8	New Jersey	203	210	7
12	48	New Mexico	195	201	6
13	49	Alabama	193	199	6
14	39	Maryland	199	205	6
15	33	Rhode Island	200	206	5
16	32	Michigan	201	206	5
17	15	Oklahoma	204	208	5
18	45	Tennessee	198	202	4
19	10	Indiana	205	209	4
20	9	Ohio	206	210	4
21	4	Massachusetts	210	213	4
22	6	Idaho	207	211	4
23	23	Arkansas	204	207	3
24	2	Wyoming	212	215	3
25	21	Virginia	205	208	3
26	5	Kentucky	209	212	2
27	12	Nebraska	207	209	2
28	18	North Carolina	206	208	2
29	17	Utah	206	208	2
30	16	New Hampshire	206	208	2
31	42	South Carolina	202	204	2
32	14	Colorado	207	208	2
33	40	Minnesota	203	205	1
34	27	Oregon	205	207	1
35	31	Texas	205	206	1
36	36	Connecticut	205	205	0
37	19	Montana	208	208	0
38	30	Kansas	206	206	0
39	25	Missouri	208	207	-1
40	29	New York	208	206	-1
41	28	Washington	208	206	-2
42	43	Wisconsin	205	204	-2
43	24	Iowa	209	207	-2
44	13	North Dakota	210	209	-2
45	20	South Dakota	210	208	-2
46	50	Alaska	192	189	-3
47	11	Maine	213	209	-4
48	34	Vermont	214	206	-8
49	41	West Virginia	212	204	-8
50	44	Delaware	212	202	-9

4th Grade FRL NAEP Reading Score Growth (2003-2019)

Between 2003 and 2019, the average U.S. 4th grade NAEP math score for FRL-eligible students increased by seven points, from 222 to 229.

The three highest-growth states during this time were Mississippi, Florida, and Nevada, while the three lowest-growth states were Kansas, West Virginia, and South Dakota. In 2019, the highest-scoring states were Florida, Mississippi, and Wyoming, while the three lowest-scoring states were Alabama, Alaska, and West Virginia.

Table 22 summarizes 4th-grade NAEP math results for FRL-eligible students.

Table 22: 4th Grade FRL NAEP Math Score Growth (2003-2019)

Growth Rank	2019 Rank	State	2003	2019	Growth
		United States	222	229	7
1	2	Mississippi	216	236	20
2	1	Florida	222	239	17
3	23	Nevada	216	229	13
4	24	Rhode Island	217	229	12
5	34	Illinois	216	226	11
6	36	Hawaii	216	226	10
7	16	Kentucky	220	230	10
8	8	Nebraska	222	233	10
9	15	New Jersey	221	231	10
10	42	Tennessee	216	226	10
11	6	Virginia	225	234	10
12	35	New Mexico	217	226	10
13	5	Indiana	225	235	9
14	40	Arizona	217	226	9
15	46	Maryland	216	224	8
16	31	Georgia	219	227	8
17	18	Oklahoma	223	230	7
18	27	Connecticut	220	227	7
19	47	California	216	223	7
20	10	Utah	225	232	7
21	28	Pennsylvania	220	227	7
22	50	Alabama	213	220	7
23	43	Colorado	219	225	6
24	19	Ohio	224	230	6
25	7	Idaho	227	233	6
26	4	Texas	229	235	6
27	21	Missouri	224	230	5
28	12	Minnesota	226	231	5
29	39	Arkansas	221	226	5
30	38	Wisconsin	221	226	5
31	45	Louisiana	220	224	5
32	14	Massachusetts	226	231	5
33	44	Michigan	220	224	4
34	11	Montana	227	232	4
35	9	New Hampshire	229	232	3
36	3	Wyoming	233	236	3
37	13	North Dakota	228	231	3
38	33	Delaware	225	227	2
39	20	Maine	228	230	2
40	25	Washington	226	228	2
41	41	New York	225	226	1
42	29	Oregon	226	227	1
43	17	North Carolina	229	230	1
44	32	South Carolina	226	227	1
45	22	Vermont	229	229	1
46	49	Alaska	220	220	0
47	30	Iowa	227	227	0
48	37	South Dakota	227	226	-1
49	48	West Virginia	225	222	-3
50	26	Kansas	231	228	-3

4th Grade FRL NAEP Math Score Growth (2003-2019)

8th Grade Reading and Math NAEP (Free and Reduced Priced Lunch Eligible Students Only)

Between 2003 and 2019, the average U.S. 8th-grade NAEP reading score for FRL-eligible students increased by three points, going from 247 to 250.

The three highest-growth states during this time were California, Florida, and Connecticut, while the three lowest-growth states were South Dakota, North Dakota, and Virginia. In 2019, the highest-scoring states were Vermont, Maine, and Indiana, while the three lowest-scoring states were Alaska, Alabama, and New Mexico. Table 23 summarizes 8th-grade NAEP reading results for FRL-eligible students.

Table 23: 8th Grade FRL NAEP Reading Score Growth (2003-2019)

Growth Rank	2019 Rank	State	2003	2019	Growth
		United States	247	250	3
1	39	California	237	248	10
2	5	Florida	245	255	9
3	8	Connecticut	245	254	9
4	14	Georgia	243	252	9
5	13	Wisconsin	244	252	8
6	33	Nevada	242	249	8
7	3	Indiana	248	255	8
8	35	Arizona	241	248	7
9	40	Maryland	242	247	5
10	45	Hawaii	240	245	5
11	18	New Jersey	246	251	5
12	32	Louisiana	245	249	5
13	19	Mississippi	246	250	4
14	6	Utah	251	254	3
15	21	Michigan	247	250	3
16	37	Tennessee	245	248	3
17	48	New Mexico	241	244	3
18	31	North Carolina	247	249	3
19	25	Pennsylvania	247	250	3
20	10	Massachusetts	251	253	3
21	16	Illinois	249	251	2
22	49	Alabama	241	243	2
23	34	South Carolina	247	249	2
24	1	Vermont	255	257	1
25	23	New York	249	250	1
26	30	Washington	248	249	1
27	4	Idaho	254	255	1
28	50	Alaska	239	240	0
29	43	Texas	246	246	0
30	7	Oregon	254	254	0
31	27	Colorado	250	250	0
32	28	Arkansas	250	250	0
33	47	Rhode Island	245	245	0
34	26	Ohio	251	250	-1
35	41	Minnesota	248	247	-1
36	24	Oklahoma	251	250	-1
37	17	Kansas	253	251	-1
38	12	Wyoming	255	253	-3
39	2	Maine	258	255	-3
40	15	Missouri	255	251	-3
41	29	Nebraska	253	250	-3
42	38	West Virginia	252	248	-4
43	11	Kentucky	257	253	-4
44	22	New Hampshire	255	250	-5
45	9	Montana	258	253	-5
46	46	Delaware	250	245	-5
47	42	Iowa	252	246	-6
48	44	Virginia	252	246	-6
49	20	North Dakota	259	250	-9
50	36	South Dakota	261	248	-13

8th Grade FRL NAEP Reading Score Growth (2003-2019)

Between 2003 and 2019, the average U.S. 8th-grade NAEP math score for FRL-eligible students increased by seven points, going from 259 to 266. The three highest-growth states during this time were Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee, while the three lowest-growth states were North Dakota, Montana, and Delaware.

In 2019, the highest-scoring states were Wyoming, Massachusetts, and Indiana, while the three lowest-scoring states were Alabama, Rhode Island, and Delaware. Table 24 summarizes 8th-grade NAEP math results for FRL-eligible students.

Table 24: 8th Grade FRL NAEP Math Score Growth (2003-2019)

Growth Rank	2019 Rank	State	2003	2019	Growth
		United States	259	266	7
1	28	Mississippi	251	267	16
2	31	Georgia	253	265	13
3	40	Tennessee	250	263	13
4	16	Illinois	256	269	13
5	21	New Jersey	256	268	12
6	11	Arizona	258	270	12
7	41	California	251	262	12
8	25	Florida	256	267	11
9	2	Massachusetts	261	272	11
10	13	Wisconsin	259	269	11
11	45	New Mexico	252	262	9
12	36	Nevada	254	264	9
13	42	Hawaii	254	262	8
14	9	Virginia	261	270	8
15	35	Pennsylvania	257	265	8
16	34	Michigan	257	265	8
17	50	Alabama	246	254	7
18	22	Oklahoma	260	267	7
19	37	Arkansas	256	263	7
20	3	Indiana	266	272	6
21	44	Louisiana	256	262	6
22	8	Texas	264	270	6
23	26	Kentucky	261	267	6
24	19	North Carolina	263	268	5
25	47	Maryland	255	260	5
26	12	Nebraska	265	270	5
27	5	Idaho	267	271	4
28	23	Missouri	263	267	4
29	30	New York	262	266	4
30	33	Colorado	262	265	3
31	49	Rhode Island	253	257	3
32	4	Vermont	268	272	3
33	38	Connecticut	260	263	3
34	18	Washington	265	268	3
35	7	New Hampshire	268	270	2
36	1	Wyoming	271	273	2
37	32	Ohio	263	265	2
38	43	West Virginia	261	262	1
39	24	Oregon	266	267	1
40	27	Iowa	266	267	1
41	29	Utah	266	266	0
42	20	Maine	268	268	0
43	39	South Carolina	263	263	0
44	46	Alaska	260	260	0
45	14	Kansas	270	269	-1
46	10	Minnesota	271	270	-1
47	6	South Dakota	272	270	-1
48	48	Delaware	261	259	-2
49	15	Montana	273	269	-4
50	17	North Dakota	274	268	-6

8th Grade FRL NAEP Math Score Growth (2003-2019)

Full Study — Public Education at a Crossroads: A Comprehensive Look at K-12 Resources and Outcomes

View national trends and state-by-state performances by category:

Public education at a crossroads: K-12 education revenue and expenditure trends 2002-2020

Public education at a crossroads: Enrollment, staffing, and teacher salary trends 2002-2020

Public education at a crossroads: Math and reading outcomes (all students)

Public education at a crossroads: Math and reading outcomes (low-income students only)

K-12 Education Spending Spotlight