Minnesota NAEP scores hold steady while national averages decline
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ST. PAUL, Minnesota. Jan. 29, 2025 – Minnesota’s fourth and eighth graders who took the National Assessment of Educational Progress last year scored about the same as students in the same grades who took the test in 2022, even as the national averages on three of four tests fell slightly, according to scores released Tuesday.
“It’s good to see that Minnesota students continued to score higher in math and reading than the national averages and stayed about even with students who took the tests two years ago,” said Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota. “However, Minnesota needs to continue investing in the educator workforce to make real progress toward returning academic achievement to pre-pandemic levels. We’re not going to move ahead without reducing class sizes and tackling the teacher shortage with improved pay, pensions and health care.”
The National Assessment of Education Progress, or NAEP, is given to a representative sample of students every two years. The most recent exam was administered in early 2024 in every state, testing fourth- and eighth-grade students on math and reading. As in 2022, the students who took the exam had their schooling disrupted by COVID-19 in 2020. The fourth graders were in kindergarten. The eighth graders were in fourth grade.
Scores for Minnesota students showed no statistically significant difference in scores for reading or math in fourth and eighth grades, according to an analysis of performance trends published on the NAEP website. Serious gaps between the performance of white students and students of color remained, however.
“As national groups continue to intimidate newcomers and attack programs and symbols intended to lift up BIPOC students, educators are working to make sure all students have access to a high-quality education,” Specht said. “As a state, we need to recognize that everyone benefits when our historically marginalized students can thrive in safe and welcoming public schools.”
About Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota is the voice for professional educators and students. Education Minnesota’s members include teachers and education support professionals in Minnesota’s public school districts, faculty members at Minnesota’s community and technical colleges and University of Minnesota campuses in Duluth and Crookston, retired educators and student teachers. Education Minnesota is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.
