Results Reveal Ongoing Decline in Reading and Math Outcomes

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – This morning, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released results from the 2024 reading and mathematics assessment for 4th and 8th grade students. According to the data, New Mexico ranks last of all 50 states in every measure, with scores significantly declining in the past decade compared to 2013. Average scale scores also reached historic lows in grade 4 and 8 reading, and grade 8 math.

The NAEP results released today reveal the following in New Mexico:

  • 4th grade reading proficiency: 20%
  • 4th grade mathematics proficiency: 23%
  • 8th grade reading proficiency: 19%:
  • 8th grade mathematics proficiency: 14%

 

“This data is not just troubling— it is a wake-up call. Our state’s education crisis is worsening and our most vulnerable students are falling even further behind,” said Amanda Aragon, Executive Director of NewMexicoKidsCAN. “Despite having a sophisticated data system capable of pinpointing the exact classrooms, schools and districts where these students are, we are failing to act. We must use the data we have to implement systematic, targeted interventions to get students back on track, now.”

The results also show historically low scale scores for New Mexico students. Scale scores are reported as average scores on a 0-500 scale. In grade 8 math, the scale score was 256, marking the lowest score since 1990. The grade 8 reading scale score was 245, the lowest score recorded. For grade 4 reading, the scale score was 201, also the lowest recorded. Although grade 4 math saw a slight increase to 224 from 221 in 2022, the score still reflects an overall decline from 233 in 2013.

Across the nation, scores in all tested grades and subjects remain below pre-pandemic levels. Reading scores have decreased in both 4th and 8th grades, with national average scores at 215 for grade 4 reading and 258 for grade 8 reading. National math scores show an increase to 237 for 4th grade but remain the same at 274 for 8th grade. National data also highlights that gaps between higher-performing and lower-performing students continue to widen, and overall, U.S. students have yet to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

“This data release comes at a pivotal moment—during the New Mexico Legislative Session. Our lawmakers have the opportunity to take action and provide our students with the interventions and resources they need,” added Aragon. “As a state, we must confront what these results mean for our communities, our economy, and our children’s futures. We must declare ‘enough’ with 50th and demand change.”

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.

Dominica Chavez is the Advocacy Manager at NewMexicoKidsCAN. A native of New Mexico, she left home to pursue higher education and recently returned with the goal of building a better New Mexico.

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