Nation's report card: Reading skills slipping for many Utah students

SALT LAKE CITY — Assessing Utah students' overall performance on a recent national test is akin to countless parent-teacher conference reports: doing well overall — but some areas need improvement.

Earlier this week, results from The National Assessment of Educational Progress 2024 scores — aka "The Nation's Report Card" — were released, revealing mostly steady performance for Utah fourth- and eighth-grade students who participated in the test.

In fact, only three states or jurisdictions outperformed Beehive State students.

But the decline in Utah's eighth grade reading scores — reflecting national trends in declining reading performances — caught the attention of the state's education leaders.

"More children are falling below the proficient level, underscoring the critical need to double down on effective reading interventions and support for our students," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson in a Utah State Board of Education release.

In other areas such as math, Utah students are holding steady.

"Fourth grade reading levels remained unchanged, and no other significant shifts were observed in the state's scores," the board of education report noted.

Utah males outperformed their Utah female counterparts in math in both fourth and eighth grade.

Conversely, Utah females scored higher than Utah boys in reading in both fourth and eighth grade.

Approximately 2,000 fourth and eighth grade Utah students participated last year in the national assessment group's math and reading portions of the test. The same tests were administered in 2024 to students in all states, the District of Columbia and Department of Defense schools.

The group's 2024 reading assessment included literacy and informational texts to assess students' reading comprehension skills.

Meanwhile, the math assessments measured students' knowledge and skills in mathematics — and their ability to solve problems in mathematical and real-world contexts.

Key Utah results: Math

• In 2024, the average math score of fourth grade students in Utah was 242 — higher than the average score of 237 for students in the nation.
• The average score for Utah fourth grade students in 2024 (242) was not significantly different from their average score in 2022 (240).
• The average math score for Utah fourth grade males was 245. For females, 238.
• In 2024, the average math score of eighth grade students in Utah was 282 — higher than the average score of 272 for students in the nation.
• The average math score for Utah eighth graders (282) was not significantly different from their average score in 2022 (282).
• The average math score for Utah eighth grade males was 283. For females, 280.

Key Utah results: Reading

• In 2024, the average reading score of fourth grade students in Utah was 219 — higher than the average score of 214 for students in the nation.
• The average reading score for fourth grade students in Utah in 2024 (219) was not significantly different from their average score in 2022 (221).
• The average reading score for fourth grade female students in Utah was 223. For males, 216.
• In 2024, the average reading score of eighth grade students in Utah was 261 — higher than the average score of 257 for students in the nation.
• The average reading score for eighth grade students in Utah (261) was lower than their average in 2022 (265).
• The average reading score for eighth grade females students in Utah was 265. For males, 258.

Addressing Utah's reading challenges

Responding to the NAEP results, the state board of education has committed to identifying the causes of declining reading scores — while implementing "targeted efforts and proven strategies.

"Our focus is on ensuring measurable improvements in reading outcomes by working with schools to equip educators and students with tools and targeted training," said Darin Nielsen, deputy superintendent of student learning in the state board report.

"We are committed to implementing evidence-based programs that address reading challenges early, providing intensive support where it's needed most, and tracking progress to make sure every student has the opportunity to improve and succeed."

Nationwide: 'The news is not good'

Across the United States, reading scores are plunging.

The national results from the 2024 national assessment indicate a two-point drop, on average, for both fourth and eighth graders across the country — sustaining a steady decline in the subject that predates COVID-19-era disruptions, according to an Education Week report.

In math, eighth grade scores were unchanged from 2022, the last time the test was given. Fourth graders' scores rose two points but remained below their performance in a similar test administered in 2019.

"The news is not good," Peggy Carr, the commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, which administers NAEP, said in the Education Week report.

"We are not seeing the progress we need to regain the ground our students lost during the pandemic, and when we are seeing signs of recovery, they're mostly in math, and largely driven by high-performing students," Carr added. "Low-performing students are struggling, especially in reading."

Utah legislative audit: Performance gaps among student groups

Carr's words echo local concerns shared last month by state auditors in a report presented to Utah's Legislative Audit Subcommittee.

The audit revealed a "statewide gap between the performance of students who are in a group that traditionally struggles with academic proficiency and those who aren't."

The report classified "underperforming student groups" as those who have a higher than typical chance of performing below proficiency "and who are economically disadvantaged, learning English, or racial or ethnic minorities."

Such "underperforming student groups" frequently need the most growth and support, the report added.

Auditors reviewed five years of data showing how many Utah students moved from "below proficient" to "proficient," and vice versa.

"Looking at the net percentage proficiency change each for five years, the percent of students who changed their proficiency status remained problematically low," their report noted. "Both state and local education agency level observations create a case for school districts and charter schools to reevaluate the effectiveness of their student intervention programs."

Local education agencies such as school districts and charter schools, the report recommended, should make an effort to identify students in need "and intervene quickly at the first signs of difficulty."

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