PHOENIX — The first national academic assessment administered since the pandemic shows Arizona's students have made "no significant change" in reading skills.
Results from the recent 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress show not a single state demonstrated a notable improvement in their average test scores.
Almost every state, including Arizona, saw significant declines in math scores and about 30 states saw notable declines in reading compared to the 2019 assessment.
The NAEP math and reading tests are administered once every two years to a sampling of the nation's fourth and eighth graders.
Math scores for Arizona's eighth graders reached their lowest level since 2003, according to the Arizona Department of Education. Reading scores among Arizona's fourth and eighth graders showed almost no change since 2019.
Education officials say the 2022 test results reveal the possible academic gaps that have been caused by pandemic's disruptions over the last couple of years.
“While the effects of the pandemic on student learning are well-documented, Arizona’s educators and students are resilient. And our test scores, particularly in reading, show that,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman in a statement. “Despite challenges during the pandemic, our families and educators worked together to accelerate student learning."
Hoffman, who is running for re-election this year, also noted how Arizona's NAEP results were at, or close, to the national averages.
Other states saw more significant declines in test scores than Arizona. Fourth-graders in Delaware, New Mexico, New York, and Virginia recorded bigger declines in math scores for 2022.
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