January 29, 2025

CARSON CITY, Nev. – Today, the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) released the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results for mathematics and reading.

Despite earnest efforts by hard-working students and educators, the latest nationwide results from this assessment of student performance are cause for concern.

National themes include the following:

• Reading

Nationwide, between 2022 and 2024, the average reading scores in fourth and eighth grades declined two points. In both tested grades, no state saw a gain in average student scores from 2022 to 2024.

• Math

Nationwide, between 2022 and 2024, the average math score in fourth grade improved by two points. In eighth grade, the nationwide math scores were unchanged from 2022 to 2024.

• 2024 results have not yet returned to the level of pre-pandemic results from 2019.

For every tested subject and grade, average student performance at the national level in 2024 has not yet rebounded to reach pre-pandemic performance levels of 2019.

• Decade-long gaps separating higher- and lower-performing students are growing.

Nationwide, gaps were narrowing up until 2010. A widening trend has marked the period since then.

• Student absenteeism improved slightly but has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Nevada results

• Math results

Nevada math results are mixed. From 2022 to 2024, scores improved in fourth grade but declined in eighth grade.

In fourth grade math, state average scores in Nevada improved four points in the period from 2022 to 2024.

Over the same period, Nevada was one of 13 states where fourth grade math scores improved.

Between 2022 and 2024, statewide average math scores in eighth grade were four points lower.

• Reading results

When it comes to Nevada reading results, scores were unchanged between 2022 and 2024 in fourth grade.

During the same period, statewide reading scores declined six points in eighth grade.

“We note that Nevada is one of 13 states to post higher average student scores in grade 4 math in 2024 (when compared to 2022),” said Jhone Ebert, Superintendent of Public Instruction. “While that is encouraging, at the same time, these results are sobering. They point to the importance of maintaining an unflinching focus on how we ensure our time with our students and our resources are aligned to research-based practices to achieve student success.”

The National Center for Education Statistics administers the NAEP, the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students in public and private schools in the United States know and can do in various subjects.

The Nation's Report Card reports student performance as average scale scores, achievement level percentages, and percentile scores.

A sample of fourth- and eighth-grade students were assessed in mathematics and reading from January through March 2024.

Nearly 8,000 students from 200 schools throughout Nevada (representative of the student population) were selected to participate in the assessment.

The 2026 NAEP Reading Framework will be used starting in 2026. This framework is building on the current framework used for the 2024 reading assessment and on digital innovations.

Updates include consideration of three additional, research-based concepts:

• How social and cultural experiences shape learning and development.
• How reading varies across disciplines.
• How the increasing use of digital and multimodal texts impacts reading performance.

Average Scale Scores

The NAEP scale score range for student performance in mathematics and reading is 0-500. Average scale scores are reported for a variety of demographic samples of the student population.

Highlights from Nevada’s 2024 results:

• Students performed four points higher in fourth-grade math and four points lower in eighth-grade math compared with 2022 average scale scores.
• There isn’t a significant score change in fourth-grade reading. Students performed six points lower in eighth-grade reading.
• In fourth-grade reading, Black students had a nine-point increase.
• Black students attained a higher average scale score, up by seven points, in fourth-grade math.
• Asian students had a nine-point increase in fourth-grade math.

Highlights from the national 2024 results:

• Students performed two points higher in fourth-grade math. There isn’t a significant score change in eighth-grade math.
• Students performed two points lower in both fourth- and eighth-grade reading.

Achievement Level Percentages

Achievement levels are authorized by NAEP legislation and adopted by NAGB. These achievement levels are based on collective judgments about what students should know and be able to do in each subject-area assessment.

For each subject area, three levels — NAEP Basic, NAEP Proficient, and NAEP Advanced — are defined for each grade, within scale score cut points.

Students performing at the NAEP Basic level demonstrate a partial mastery of prerequisite knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work.

Students performing at the NAEP Proficient level demonstrate solid academic performance and competency over challenging subject matter.

Highlights from the 2024 results:

• In fourth-grade math, the NAEP Proficient and Advanced achievement level is 7 percent larger compared with 2022. The NAEP Basic achievement level percentage is 5 percent smaller.
• In eighth-grade math, the Below NAEP Basic achievement level percentage is 4 percent larger. The NAEP Basic achievement level percentage is 4 percent smaller. There isn’t a significant NAEP Proficient and Advanced achievement level percentage change.
• In fourth-grade reading, there isn’t a significant change.
• In eighth-grade reading, the Below NAEP Basic achievement level is 6 percent larger.

Percentiles

The percentiles show the NAEP scale scores attained by students performing at higher, middle, and lower levels along the scale score distribution.

A percentile is defined by the percentage of students that score lower than a particular scale score.

The changes in scale scores at the percentiles over time indicate a trend in how students perform at higher and lower levels.

Highlights from the 2024 results:

• In fourth-grade math, students performing at the 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles performed six to seven points higher compared to 2022 results.

• In eighth-grade math, students at the 10th, 25th, and 50th percentiles performed four to seven points lower.

• In fourth-grade reading, there isn’t a significant score change.

• In eighth-grade reading, students at the 10th, 25th, and 50th percentiles performed six to 11 points lower.

###

About the Nevada Department of Education

The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) leads and collaborates with Nevada’s 17 school districts and the State Public Charter School Authority to advance educational equity Statewide. With offices in Carson City and Las Vegas, NDE oversees all pre-K-12 education in the State, working to achieve its mission to improve student achievement and educator effectiveness by ensuring opportunities, facilitating learning, and promoting excellence. Under the leadership of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, NDE impacts the achievement of nearly half a million children and 30,000 educators. Learn more at https://doe.nv.gov/ and join us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.