Alaska students posted some of the lowest scores in the country in national reading and math test results released Wednesday. The National Assessment of Educational Progress is typically given every two years to fourth and eighth grade students.
Alaska students scored 49th nationally in fourth grade reading and math, and eighth grade reading. Students testing in eighth grade math ranked 46th.
Nearly half a million students were tested between January and March of last year. Individual student results can reach or exceed three categories; basic, proficient, and advanced.
Students in the state lost significant ground since the last time the test was given in 2022 — an additional five percent of Alaska students scored below basic in both reading and math, which is consistent with national trends.
A press release from the Department of Education and Early Development highlights the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic that began when fourth graders who took the test last year were in kindergarten.
“The need for a laser focus on high quality instruction and educational experiences is paramount to our students’ achievement,” Education Commissioner Deena Bishop said in the release. “To accelerate our learning, we must use money differently.”
Overall, the national results show that students are not making the progress needed to make up for lost learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the gap between the highest-performing and lowest-performing students is widening.
Alaska Department of Education Public Information Officer Bryan Zadalis said the results should be a call to action.
“Learning achievement must be a focus for our students as we invest in our schools. The return on the investment must be part of the conversation,” Zadalis wrote in an email. “Other states that have passed strong legislation for early learning and educational expectations in their schools are now seeing results in their students’ achievement. It has taken time, but the focus on students and their success is paramount to Alaska’s future.”
A press release from the National Center for Education Statistics said the number of eighth graders who scored below the threshold for “basic” learners is the largest in the history of the nationwide assessment in math, which dates back to 1969.
