Disappointment: Kentucky’s 2017 NAEP Reading and Math Results

| Post By Susan Perkins Weston |

The latest results from the National Assessment for Educational Progress, released today, show Kentucky’s students with:

• A declining average scale score in fourth grade reading compared to 2015
• No significant change in eighth grade reading, fourth grade mathematics and eighth grade mathematics compared to 2015

Looking at national results, Kentucky students’ 2017 results were:

• Above national averages in fourth grade reading
• In line with national averages in eighth grade reading and fourth grade mathematics
• Below national average eighth grade mathematics.

One more way to state concern about these overall results is to look at how Kentucky’s rank among the 50 states is changed by these results. In this year’s NAEP reporting, Kentucky results are:

• 17th in grade 4 reading, down from 8th in 2015)
• 31st in grade 8 reading, down from 19th in 2015)
• 29th in grade 4 mathematics, down from 21st in 2015)
• 37th in grade 8 math, a small improvement over 39th in 2015

Discussions on why Kentucky was not able to show important improvement in these results will be deeply important in the coming days and weeks. For now, it’s worth starting with a simple recognition that these results are a disappointment.

Upcoming posts will share results for student groups and the full NAEP results are available now from the NAEP Data Explorer here.