2024 NAEP Results

February 7, 2025

Last week, results from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) became available. NAEP is administered every two years and serves as a common metric for states and selected urban districts. While the need for increased student support is evident across the nation, there are some positive results and trends for students in the communities Heart Math Tutoring serves.

The Big Picture

This year, 41% of fourth graders in North Carolina and 40% in South Carolina tested at or above NAEP proficient level on the mathematics assessment, an increase from 35% and 34% respectively in 2022. Charlotte receives district-specific data as part of a Trial Urban District Assessment and saw an increase to 43% of Charlotte fourth graders showing proficiency in math, compared to 35% in 2022. Overall, fourth graders in the Carolinas had higher math proficiency rates compared with the nation (39%), but considering the skills students need for long-term success, there is much need for more math support. 

Post-Pandemic Trends

Addressing missed instruction and learning loss resulting from the COVID-19 Pandemic has been a primary focus of state and district-level school leaders since 2020. Unfortunately, the 2024 NAEP results show concerning trends for reading and math proficiency rates for 4^th and 8^th graders are still lower nationally than in 2019. However, at Heart, we know that all students can learn math at high levels, and we are optimistic about the positive increase from 2022 proficiency levels and South Carolina students surpassing the 2019 proficiency level (36%) with 40% of SC fourth graders now testing proficient in math.

Additionally, fourth grade students across the United States self-reported on the NAEP student survey that their confidence in math is similar to pre-pandemic rates with 46% of fourth graders having a high-level of confidence in their ability to perform mathematical tasks compared to 41% in 2022 and 47% in 2019.

Student Groups

Students considered economically disadvantaged (EDS) in North and South Carolina made strides in math assessment scores with 27% of NC fourth graders and 28% of SC fourth graders testing proficient up from only 14% and 21% respectively in 2022; Charlotte showed similar increases for EDS.

However, there are concerning gaps between the performance of EDS and their non-EDS peers (see graph below), reflecting barriers to resources for economically disadvantaged students and schools. These widening gaps mirror those in the achievement between high-performing students and low-performing students. For NC and SC fourth graders, those who tested in the 90^th percentile showed a 3 and 4 point score increase respectively from 2022, while those in the 10^th percentile did not show growth from 2022 (See chart here).

What’s Next

Addressing the need for math proficiency must start early. Without foundational math skills, scores decline as course difficulty increases (see graph below). Many students leave eighth grade below grade level in math and are unprepared for Math I (algebra); students who do not pass algebra have only a one in five chance of graduating from high school, which can impact their career and postsecondary opportunities.

At Heart, we want all students to feel empowered and prepared to pursue any opportunity they choose, and we know that our communities’ teachers, families and schools are working hard to ensure all students succeed. We are grateful to our tutors and partners for their role in helping students fill critical gaps in their math skills, and we look forward to continuing to work together to support elementary students in building foundational math skills and the confidence needed for long-term success.

Read more about 2024 NAEP results below.

NAEP Results

State & Local Media:

NC Department of Public Instruction Press Release

SC Department of Education Press Release

Charlotte Observer, CMS reading scores in line with national decline while math sees improvement, data shows

The Post and Courier, Nation’s Report Card has been released. See how SC kids rank at math and reading

National Media:

The 74, New NAEP Scores Dash Hope of Post-COVID Learning Recovery

NPR, Nearly 5 years after schools closed, the nation gets a new report card

Chalkbeat, NAEP scores show disheartening trends for the lowest-performing students