The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) provides vital information about student achievement and learning experiences in the United States.
NAEP is congressionally mandated and managed by NCES within the U.S. Department of Education. NAEP is a U.S. Department of Education program, congressionally authorized to measure student achievement. The results of NAEP are released as The Nation’s Report Card, and are available for the nation, states, and in some cases, urban districts. Teachers, principals, parents, policymakers, and researcher
05/28/2026
DYK? NCES reports the long-term trend results as average scores and the percentages of students reaching specific performance levels. Those levels are different from the achievement levels—NAEP Basic, Proficient, Advanced—that we use to report results for the grade-based NAEP assessments.
Here’s a look at what 9- and 13-year-old students are likely able to demonstrate at the different performance levels on the long-term trend assessments. ⬇️
05/26/2026
In 2023, we learned that 14% of 13-year-olds read for fun almost every day, down from 35% in 1984. What do you think the results will show for 2025?
Find that answer—and much more—when we release the latest long-term trend results for 9- and 13-year-olds on June 10.
05/23/2026
"They moved because they have heard the gold had been found."
That's how a 4th-grader correctly answered a NAEP U.S. history question about our country's westward expansion.
As we approach America’s 250th birthday, use this worksheet to see how your students would respond to that question and others.
Coming June 10: The latest national look at math and reading achievement for 9- and 13-year-old students
Before the 2025 data are released, review highlights from 2022 and 2020:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbecj91JBQA&list=PLkEhwZQdyNEFuWxdoX31GrKVxMTE6upb5&index=2
05/19/2026
Averages ≠ the full picture
📊 In 2024, the average grade 4 math score for students in the low SES category was 221 (vs. 237 nationally).
But looking at the full distribution of scores, we learn that 32% scored *above* the national average.
Distributions like these help reveal variation in scores, not just gaps.
The National Center for Education Statistics began conducting the NAEP long-term trend assessments nearly 60 years ago. What's the difference between the long-term trend and main NAEP assessments? Find out in this overview. ⬇️
05/15/2026
News from our Governing Board: The NAEP Trial Urban District Assessment is no longer a “trial.” The TUDA program has provided vital information for several urban districts for more than 20 years and will now officially be known as the “Trends in Urban District Assessment.”
Since 2002, TUDA has provided urban districts with critical information that allows them to look at progress over time. Today, 20+ districts participate. The Board is expanding eligibility to provide opportunities to more communities and giving the program a new name (same acronym): Trends in Urban District Assessment.
05/12/2026
Q: How do states' standards for proficient performance in math and reading compare to the NAEP achievement levels?
A: In 2022, most states had standards at or above the NAEP Basic achievement level in math and reading.
05/09/2026
How did students' in-person learning experiences in 2021 connect to assessment results in 2022? The [tag] National Center for Education Statistics has released a new NAEP report and data file to help researchers explore this question:
05/07/2026
Let's talk about distributions. 📊
NAEP averages are useful, but they don’t tell the full story. Distribution charts show the range of scores *within* student groups—and how much scores overlap from one group to another.
Simply put, data like these help us paint a more complete picture of student achievement across the country.
Start exploring the NAEP distribution charts for grade 4 math: https://nationsreportcard.gov/reports/mathematics/2024/g4_8/performance-by-student-group/?grade=4 -group-score-distributions