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Nation’s Report Card Shows Record Declines; Local Leadership Can Drive Change
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Yesterday, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released results from the 2024 assessments in 12th-grade reading, 12th-grade math, and 8th-grade science. The results reveal declines across all three subjects:
- 12th-grade reading: Average score fell to the lowest level in the history of the NAEP exam.
- 12th-grade math: Average score dropped to its lowest point since 2005.
- 8th-grade science: Average score decreased compared to 2019.
NAEP measures performance across three levels: Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. In 2024, a record number of students scored Below Basic, meaning they lack even the foundational skills needed to achieve proficiency.
- In 12th-grade math, 45% of students—an all-time high—scored Below Basic, reflecting difficulty with simple percentage problems such as calculating a sales price.
- In 12th-grade reading, 32% of students scored Below Basic, indicating difficulty with identifying the main idea or drawing conclusions from a text.
“The NAEP results for the Class of 2024 are incredibly alarming and should serve as a wake-up call to everyone. This data makes clear that we have failed to prepare our students. More than a quarter of graduates cannot calculate something as simple as a tip percentage or identify the main idea of a text,” said Amanda Aragon, Executive Director of NewMexicoKidsCAN. “These graduates are entering our workforce and colleges unprepared, and the consequences of this failure will be real and lasting. We handed them diplomas, but we did not deliver the high-quality education or essential skills they need to succeed in the 21st century.”
These NAEP results come at the brink of statewide school board elections. In the absence of major state and national reforms, local leadership can take responsibility for improving student achievement.
Across the country, some districts demonstrate what is possible when local leaders prioritize student outcomes. In Steubenville, Ohio, district leaders emphasized high-quality instructional materials, teacher training, and a strong school culture, resulting in more than 90% of third graders scoring proficient in reading every year since 2008. In New Mexico’s Gadsden Independent School District, leadership initiatives have driven higher graduation rates and significant gains in reading proficiency, particularly among English learners. Meanwhile, in Albuquerque Public Schools (APS), the district is making progress toward its five-year strategic plan, Emerging Stronger, guided by board members focused on improving student achievement.
“These cases prove that New Mexicans do not have to wait for statewide or national reform,” added Aragon. “When voters head to the polls for school board elections in November, they should remember these NAEP results. Our students are struggling, and we need leaders who are bold enough to challenge the status quo, put student achievement at the center of their decisions, and embrace real reforms. We don’t have to wait for the legislature or the governor—this work can start locally.”
Additional NAEP analysis can be found here: https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/.
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About NewMexicoKidsCAN: Launched in 2018, NewMexicoKidsCAN is a local non-profit organization that advocates for community-informed, student-centered and research-backed education policies. Connecting policy, instructional practice and politics the organization works to reimagine what is possible in New Mexico’s public education system to ensure New Mexico students become the future community, civic and business leaders New Mexico needs.