Recent NAEP scores are concerning, but afterschool can help

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) recently released the latest student scores from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card. The results, based on a nationally representative sample of around 465,000 4th and 8th-grade students, paint a troubling picture: students are not making the academic progress needed to recover from learning loss worsened by the pandemic, with those already struggling academically falling even further behind. However, trend data reveals that the pandemic may not be solely to blame for sliding scores.

The average 4th and 8th-grade NAEP reading scores have followed a downward trend since 2019, with both assessments currently 5 points below pre-pandemic levels. Even more concerning is that students’ proficiency in reading reached record lows, with this year marking the greatest percentage of 4th graders testing below NAEP basic (partial mastery of proficient achievement) in 20 years and the largest percentage of 8th graders testing below this benchmark in the assessment’s history.

Declines in 8th-grade math scores are similarly disconcerting. While higher-performing students at the 75th and 90th percentiles increased their scores (+2 and +3 points, respectively), lower-performing students scoring at the 10th and 25th percentiles saw decreases (-3 and -2 points, respectively), canceling out progress driven by higher-performing students. Alarmingly, this gap has been growing steadily for years. For example, in 2015, the score gap between the highest and lowest percentiles in 8th-grade math was 94 points. Today, that gap has widened to 109 points, a difference of 15 points in just under a decade. Although most pronounced in 8th-grade math, the disparities in achievement outcomes trend across all four NAEP assessments, representing worsening opportunity gaps between higher and lower-performing students—a chasm that has been growing since 2013.

Fourth-grade math scores are among the few bright spots in the Nation’s Report Card. Compared to 2022, 4th-grade math has improved by 2 points—a small but significant increase following a 5-point decline from 2019 to 2022. In addition, Alabama’s average 4th-grade math score grew by 6 points, making it the only state in the nation to score higher than its pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Likewise, 14 Trial Urban Districts, such as the District of Columbia Public Schools and Baltimore City Public Schools, have made 4th-grade math progress that well surpasses the national growth rate (10 points and 8 points, respectively).

While there is no easy explanation for dips in student achievement, especially since declines began before the pandemic, education systems are increasingly struggling to facilitate meaningful educational experiences for students inside and outside the classroom. This is partly evidenced by the record-high chronic absenteeism rates and dips in students reporting leisure reading, both of which have been associated with declines in NAEP scores in 2022.

How students spend their time outside of school is equally important as their in-school learning experiences in promoting academic achievement.  A strong body of program evaluation evidence continues to demonstrate why afterschool programs are a necessary partner in efforts to boost academic growth. For instance, an evaluation of Oklahoma’s 21st CCLC programs found that nearly 9 in 10 participating students improved both their ELA and math state test scores (92% and 87%, respectively) compared to the previous school year. Similarly, in Arizona, a statewide evaluation of 21st CCLC programs found that 4th-grade participants scored almost 5 points higher on state math tests than their non-participating peers, while 5th-grade participants scored almost 7 points higher on state math tests than non-participants.

Afterschool programs not only help improve test scores but also energize students, sparking excitement for learning—a key factor in boosting both engagement and performance. An evaluation of Girls Inc. reinforces this, finding that participants were significantly more likely to report enjoyment in subjects like reading and math compared to non-participating students, and they also scored notably higher on math tests.

Just as student achievement is a complex and multifaceted outcome, solutions for improving it must be equally comprehensive. Afterschool programs, with their proven ability to both engage students and improve academic outcomes, should play a key role in efforts to drive student achievement, and it’s up to policymakers, school districts, and communities to make this goal a reality.