{"id":850,"date":"2022-10-24T12:52:13","date_gmt":"2022-10-24T12:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wptest.mdek12.org\/testsite2\/2022\/10\/24\/mississippi-maintains-naep-4th-grade-reading-gains-despite-national-decline-in-all-subjects_20221024\/"},"modified":"2024-08-08T14:18:23","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T14:18:23","slug":"mississippi-maintains-naep-4th-grade-reading-gains-despite-national-decline-in-all-subjects_20221024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpdev01.mdek12.org\/communications\/2022\/10\/24\/mississippi-maintains-naep-4th-grade-reading-gains-despite-national-decline-in-all-subjects_20221024\/","title":{"rendered":"Mississippi maintains NAEP 4th grade reading gains despite national decline in all subjects"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEWS RELEASE<\/strong><\/p>\n

For Immediate Release: Oct. 24, 2022<\/p>\n

JACKSON, Miss. \u2013 Mississippi maintained its historic gains in 4th grade reading on the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), while scores nationally dropped in all four NAEP subjects and grades.<\/p>\n

The 2022 NAEP results provide the first national measure of student learning since the start of the pandemic. Known as the Nation\u2019s Report Card, NAEP measures student performance in 4th and 8th grade reading and math in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. <\/p>\n

The 2022 results show Mississippi 4th graders scored at the national average in both reading and math. Mississippi\u2019s economically disadvantaged 4th graders achieved higher scores in reading and math than their peers nationally and in the South. This achievement holds steady among black, white and Hispanic students living in poverty.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 2022 NAEP scores prove the resilience of Mississippi students and the ability of Mississippi educators to provide high-quality instruction despite the challenges of the pandemic,\u201d said Dr. Kim Benton, state superintendent of education, interim. \u201cWhile our state\u2019s scores are encouraging, they also underscore the need to press forward to ensure all students achieve proficiency. In particular, we have more work to do in 8th grade reading and math to bring student performance up to the national average and then continue to improve.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 8th grade, Mississippi scores dropped three points in reading and eight points in math, which matches the decline nationally in both subjects. Mississippi 4th graders dropped seven points in math, which is statistically equivalent to the five-point decline nationally.<\/p>\n

While pandemic disruptions are believed to have affected this year\u2019s national decline on NAEP, scores have been falling over the past decade in most states. Despite this national trend, Mississippi is a leader among the few states that have shown improvements on one or more NAEP assessments over the past decade. Specifically:<\/p>\n