Public education at a crossroads: Student outcomes in math and reading for all 4th- and 8th-grade students

This section of the Public Education at a Crossroads study examines National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and math scores for 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

Between 2003 and 2019, the average U.S. 4th grade NAEP reading score increased by two points, from 218 to 220. The three highest-growth states during this time were Mississippi, California, and Nevada, while the three lowest-growth states were Alaska, Delaware, and West Virginia.

In 2019, the highest-scoring states were Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Wyoming, while the three lowest-scoring states were Alaska, New Mexico, and Louisiana. Table 17 summarizes 4th-grade NAEP reading results.

Table 17: 4th Grade NAEP Reading Score Growth (2003-2019)

Growth Rank	2019 Rank	State	2003	2019	Growth
		United States	218	220	2
1	29	Mississippi	205	219	14
2	40	California	206	216	11
3	38	Nevada	207	218	11
4	39	Hawaii	208	218	9
5	31	Tennessee	212	219	7
6	44	Arizona	209	216	7
7	6	Florida	218	225	7
8	4	Utah	219	225	6
9	48	Louisiana	205	210	5
10	47	Alabama	207	212	5
11	3	Wyoming	222	227	5
12	10	Pennsylvania	219	223	5
13	35	Georgia	214	218	4
14	49	New Mexico	203	208	4
15	11	Idaho	218	223	4
16	24	Rhode Island	216	220	4
17	1	Massachusetts	228	231	3
18	41	Oklahoma	214	216	3
19	2	New Jersey	225	227	2
20	22	Kentucky	219	221	2
21	33	Illinois	216	218	2
22	13	Nebraska	221	222	2
23	45	Arkansas	214	215	1
24	17	Indiana	220	222	1
25	42	Texas	215	216	1
26	5	Colorado	224	225	1
27	43	South Carolina	215	216	1
28	25	Maryland	219	220	1
29	9	Virginia	223	224	0
30	15	Ohio	222	222	0
31	36	Oregon	218	218	0
32	19	North Carolina	221	221	0
33	12	Minnesota	223	222	0
34	14	South Dakota	222	222	0
35	21	North Dakota	222	221	0
36	32	Michigan	219	218	-1
37	30	Kansas	220	219	-1
38	18	Montana	223	222	-1
39	26	Wisconsin	221	220	-1
40	27	Washington	221	220	-1
41	28	New York	222	220	-3
42	20	Maine	224	221	-3
43	23	Iowa	223	221	-3
44	8	New Hampshire	228	224	-4
45	7	Connecticut	228	224	-4
46	34	Missouri	222	218	-4
47	16	Vermont	226	222	-4
48	46	West Virginia	219	213	-6
49	37	Delaware	224	218	-6
50	50	Alaska	212	204	-7

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

Between 2003 and 2019, the average U.S. 4th grade NAEP math score increased by six points, going from 235 to 241. The three highest-growth states during this time were Mississippi, Florida, and Tennessee, while the three lowest-growth states were Vermont, Kansas, and Alaska.

In 2019, the highest-scoring states were Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Virginia, while the three lowest-scoring states were Alabama, New Mexico, and Louisiana. Table 18 summarizes 4th-grade NAEP math results.

Table 18: 4th Grade NAEP Math Score Growth (2003-2019)

Growth Rank	2019 Rank	State	2003	2019	Growth
		United States	235	241	6
1	23	Mississippi	223	241	18
2	4	Florida	234	246	12
3	25	Tennessee	228	240	12
4	32	Hawaii	227	239	12
5	30	Kentucky	229	239	11
6	28	Rhode Island	230	239	9
7	10	Utah	235	244	9
8	36	Arizona	229	238	9
9	49	New Mexico	223	231	9
10	43	Nevada	228	236	8
11	38	Oklahoma	229	237	8
12	9	Pennsylvania	236	244	8
13	3	Virginia	239	247	8
14	11	Nebraska	236	244	8
15	35	Georgia	230	238	7
16	44	California	227	235	7
17	5	New Jersey	239	246	7
18	15	Idaho	235	242	7
19	7	Indiana	238	245	7
20	16	Colorado	235	242	7
21	1	Minnesota	242	248	6
22	12	Texas	237	244	6
23	50	Alabama	223	230	6
24	2	Massachusetts	242	247	6
25	33	Maryland	233	239	5
26	21	Montana	236	241	5
27	14	North Dakota	238	243	5
28	48	Louisiana	226	231	5
29	17	Wisconsin	237	242	5
30	6	Wyoming	241	246	5
31	37	Illinois	233	237	5
32	45	Arkansas	229	233	4
33	19	South Dakota	237	241	4
34	34	Missouri	235	238	4
35	29	Delaware	236	239	3
36	20	Ohio	238	241	3
37	22	Maine	238	241	3
38	13	Connecticut	241	243	3
39	24	Iowa	238	241	2
40	8	New Hampshire	243	245	1
41	26	Washington	238	240	1
42	39	South Carolina	236	237	1
43	40	New York	236	237	1
44	47	West Virginia	231	231	1
45	42	Michigan	236	236	0
46	41	Oregon	236	236	0
47	18	North Carolina	242	241	-1
48	46	Alaska	233	232	-1
49	27	Kansas	242	239	-2
50	31	Vermont	242	239	-3

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

8th Grade Reading and Math NAEP

Between 2003 and 2019, the average U.S. 8th-grade NAEP reading score was flat. The three highest-growth states during this time were California, Hawaii, and Florida, while the three lowest-growth states were South Dakota, North Dakota, and Virginia.

In 2019, the highest-scoring states were Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Connecticut, while the three lowest-scoring states were New Mexico, Alaska, and Alabama. Table 19 summarizes 8th-grade NAEP reading results.

Table 19: 8th Grade NAEP Reading Score Growth (2003-2019)

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

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

Between 2003 and 2019, the average U.S. 8th-grade NAEP math score increased by four points, going from 278 to 282. The three highest-growth states during this time were Mississippi, Tennessee, and New Jersey, while the three lowest-growth states were Alaska, Iowa, and Kansas.

In 2019, the highest-scoring states were Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Minnesota, while the three lowest-scoring states were Alabama, New Mexico, and Louisiana.

Table 20 summarizes 8th-grade NAEP math results.

Table 20: 8th Grade NAEP Math Score Growth (2003-2019)

Growth Rank	2019 Rank	State	2003	2019	Growth
		United States	278	282	4
1	46	Mississippi	261	274	13
2	30	Tennessee	268	280	12
3	2	New Jersey	281	292	10
4	34	Georgia	270	279	10
5	42	Hawaii	266	275	10
6	31	Arizona	271	280	9
7	43	Arkansas	266	274	9
8	41	California	267	276	9
9	1	Massachusetts	287	294	8
10	35	Florida	271	279	7
11	50	Alabama	262	269	7
12	16	Pennsylvania	279	285	6
13	11	Idaho	280	286	6
14	45	Nevada	268	274	6
15	49	New Mexico	263	269	5
16	22	Illinois	277	283	5
17	7	Virginia	282	287	5
18	48	Louisiana	266	272	5
19	4	Wisconsin	284	289	5
20	12	Washington	281	286	5
21	38	Oklahoma	272	276	5
22	14	Indiana	281	286	4
23	18	Utah	281	285	4
24	13	Ohio	282	286	4
25	28	Michigan	276	280	4
26	36	Kentucky	274	278	4
27	40	Rhode Island	272	276	4
28	17	Nebraska	282	285	3
29	9	Wyoming	284	286	3
30	32	Texas	277	280	3
31	29	Maryland	278	280	2
32	10	Connecticut	284	286	2
33	21	North Carolina	281	284	2
34	6	South Dakota	285	287	2
35	26	Missouri	279	281	2
36	47	West Virginia	271	272	2
37	19	Colorado	283	285	1
38	5	New Hampshire	286	287	1
39	8	Vermont	286	287	1
40	27	New York	280	280	1
41	23	Maine	282	282	0
42	3	Minnesota	291	291	0
43	37	Delaware	277	277	0
44	39	South Carolina	277	276	-1
45	33	Oregon	281	280	-1
46	15	North Dakota	287	286	-2
47	20	Montana	286	284	-2
48	24	Kansas	284	282	-2
49	25	Iowa	284	282	-2
50	44	Alaska	279	274	-5