Indiana’s fourth- and eighth-grade students continued a years long decline in math and reading scores according to The Nation’s Report Card, averaging scores that were below proficiency but slightly ahead national average.
The report is a product of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which began producing the report in 1969. NAEP math and reading tests are administered every two years but were last taken in 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NAEP reported an overall decline in student performance in the United States from 2019 to 2022, which has been widely attributed to the disruption in classroom teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Much like we’re seeing with our Indiana-specific assessments, we know that students’ learning was significantly impacted by the pandemic,” Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education, said in a statement. “In response, educators, communities and families are now coming together like never before to help students accelerate their learning.”
The Nation’s Report Card measures math and reading on 281 a 500-point scale. A score of 243 is basic, 281 is proficient, and 323 is advanced. Indiana fourth- and eighth-graders scored below proficient in both math and reading. Indiana’s scores in both subjects have been in decline since at least 2015.
Indiana’s grade four math score is 239, down from 247 in 2019. The national average is 235.
The grade four reading score is 217, down from 222 in 2019. The national average is 216.
The grade eight math score is 279, down from 286 in 2019. The national average is 273.
The grade eight reading score is 261, down from 266 in 2019, the national average is 259.
Among fourth-graders, 59% of white students, 18% of black students and 28% of Hispanic students scored at or above the proficient level in math, as did 56% of boys and 40% of girls.
In fourth-grade reading, 48% of white students, 17% of black students, and 34% of Hispanic students scored at or above the proficient level, as did 41% of boys and 42% of girls.
Among eighth-graders, 48% of white students, 7% of black students and 22% of Hispanic students scored at or above the Proficient level in math, as did 40% of boys and 33% of girls.
In eighth-grade reading, 40% of white students, 13% of black students, and 23% of Hispanic students scored at or above the proficient level, as did 29% of boys and 39% of girls.
To address the sharp decline over the past four years, the Indiana DOE began offering grants of $1,000 to be used for tutoring or other academic programs in math and English/Language.
In August, Gov. Eric Holcomb and Jenner announced a $111 program of private and public spending to reverse the decade long slide in reading scores measured by the I-READ assessment, which peaked at 91.4% and now stands at 81.6%.
This article originally appeared on The Center Square.
