Today, the United States Department of Education released data from the 2022 round of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the “Nation’s Report Card.” These assessments are given to a representative sample of students from every state and provides one of the most comprehensive looks at student achievement across the nation. The exams are given biennially in grades four and eight, in math and reading.
“Today’s national results reinforce what state exams revealed last month: Ohio students suffered massive learning losses throughout the pandemic,” said Aaron Churchill, Ohio Research Director for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. “While the losses were significant in fourth grade, eighth grade was truly a disaster. Ohio’s proficiency rate in eighth grade math slid from 38 percent in 2019—just prior to the pandemic—to 29 percent in 2022. Eighth grade reading proficiency rates fell from 38 percent to 33 percent during this period.”
“Because of the pandemic, more students than ever are struggling to achieve math and reading proficiency in Ohio,” continued Churchill. “State leaders must ensure that schools are effectively teaching core academic content, as well as providing extra supports and interventions when students are struggling. Ohio simply cannot afford to allow a generation of students to suffer the long-term consequences of learning loss, and the state needs to take aggressive actions to ensure that students are getting caught up.”
