2024 Nation's Report Card: How NMSI Moves Forward In Light of 2024 NAEP Scores
Jeremy Anderson; Michelle Stie |
February 4, 2025
The results of the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show a disheartening and growing disparity in the math and literacy outcomes between the highest and lowest performing students, signaling that the educational impact of pandemic-era school closures has not been effectively addressed. However, our Nation’s Report Card does provide us with more direction and clarity on how we can improve our approach to closing these gaps for students furthest from opportunity. We at NMSI are committed to doing whatever is necessary to overcome these challenges and provide our nation’s educators with the resources and support they need to prepare and inspire the next generation of STEM professional and innovators.
An Overview of the 2024 Nation’s Report Card Data
The result from NAEP scores this year highlighted one particularly concerning trend: students in the lowest performing percentiles continued to drop in their math and reading scores, while students in the highest performing percentiles continued to improve in the same areas. Simply put, students with access to opportunities and resources thrive while students furthest from opportunity are left behind. To ensure that all students can earn a living wage and contribute positively to our future workforce, we need to focus on providing them with equitable access to the opportunities and resources they need to reach their highest potential.
In addition to collecting data on performance levels, NAEP asks students to assess their own confidence in their abilities to complete certain tasks in math areas appropriate to their grades. Encouragingly, 4th grade math students have now rebounded back to pre-pandemic levels in their self-efficacy related math skills and abilities. There is still improvement to be made in 8th grade self-efficacy related to the same, but slowly, we are making progress towards pre-pandemic levels there as well. Students’ self confidence is vital to both their academic achievement and willingness to pursue STEM as a career. Though self confidence is trending upward for most students, there is still work to be done across elementary and middle school levels to inspire enthusiasm, confidence, and aspirations in STEM.
Unfortunately, the self-efficacy assessment results follow the same trend as the rest of the NAEP results. The lowest performing students reported much lower relative confidence in their math skills than their higher performing counterparts.
While the overall national results are concerning, individual states are seeing success with innovative policy and instruction initiatives designed to close STEM education gaps. One bright spot is Alabama, whose 4th graders saw a significant improvement in their overall math scores. This increase is partially due to Alabama’s enactment of the Numeracy Act in 2022, which mandated math coaching for all K-5 teachers in the state. Other states are now looking to the Numeracy Act as a guide for their own STEM education policy changes.
How Does The Report Inform Our Work?
Our takeaway from this year’s report is that access to quality professional development for STEM teachers deserves much more attention. Without adequate support, training, and preparation, teachers are left facing the significant learning needs of their students on their own, attempting to fill the gaps in curriculum and education policy with the few resources they can pull together themselves. We have a responsibility to future generations to ensure that all districts, schools, teachers, and students, especially those furthest from opportunity, have access to the resources they need to thrive.
We feel optimistic about the power of targeted, research-based professional development to move the needle on student performance. Research such as our Middle School Longitudinal Study shows that culturally responsive STEM teacher professional development has a great positive impact on student mindset, self-efficacy, and academic achievement, particularly for female students and students of color. Implementing quality professional development in districts across the country will be a big step forward in closing these achievement gaps.
One thing is abundantly clear: we must bring new approaches to addressing our students’ STEM literacy, engagement, and performance. We are committed to working with states, districts, and schools to create vibrant STEM learning environments that help ensure no students are left behind.