Missouri students are keeping pace with their peers nationwide, according to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress but there are some concerns.
In Missouri, 75% of fourth graders and 59% of eighth graders met the basic math level, while 58% to 66% did so in reading. Nationwide, since 2022, fourth-grade math improved, eighth-grade math stayed the same, but reading declined at both levels.
Jeremy Ellis, Missouri's NAEP coordinator, says NAEP reflects the education system's health, noting declines before and after the pandemic due to various factors.
"Issues stemming from COVID, attendance, teacher morale, teacher retention," Ellis outlined. "I don't think it would be just one thing that we're looking at, or one cause of the stagnation in scores over the past few cycles."
Ellis noted although both Missouri's Assessment Program and the national assessment use similar scoring scales, the national "proficient" level does not align with Missouri's grade-level standards, which are set by state educators.
Peggy Carr is Commissioner for the National Center for Education Statistics. She pointed out one key issue that continues to have a significant impact on student performance across the nation
She pointed out one key issue that continues to have a significant impact on student performance across the nation
"Some improvement but not enough," Carr contended. "This wouldn't be so worrisome if we hadn't found a consistent and strong correlation between absenteeism and student performance. You have to come to school to learn."
The National Assessment of Educational Progress tests fourth and eighth graders nationwide in math and reading every two years.
The Missouri Public News Service is a partner with KRCU Public Radio.