New 'disaster' test results show math, reading scores down in U.S., Ohio

Eileen McClory, Springfield News-Sun, Ohio
·2 min read
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Oct. 24—National school test results released Monday showed lower scores in reading and math than prior to the pandemic, and Ohio followed that trend, showing COVID-19′s continued impact on learning.

Ohio's scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), sometimes known as "the nation's report card," were lower than pre-pandemic levels, as expected, according to some Ohio experts in education. These tests were administered in early 2022.

Shannon Cox, the Montgomery County Educational Service Center's superintendent, said there was an expectation that the scores would be lower this year. She said taken in context with other testing data, there's been a clear decline in students' proficiency in reading and math.

"The fact that they are lower than they have been in the last two to three tests isn't necessarily a newsflash," Cox said. "It just does mean that we've got some work to do."

Ohio scored near the middle of the dataset, which includes all 50 U.S. states, plus Puerto Rico and the Department of Defense. No state scored better this year on the test than they did in 2019.

"Because of the pandemic, more students than ever are struggling to achieve math and reading proficiency in Ohio," said Aaron Churchill, Ohio policy director for the Fordham Institute, an education think tank.

The findings are on par with other testing data, including Ohio's own state testing data, which showed students were behind in both reading and math. Poor, Black and Latino students, along with students with disabilities and English language learners, generally did worse on Ohio's state exam.

Churchill called the eighth-grade math results "truly a disaster," as Ohio's proficiency rate in math slid from 38% in 2019 to 29% in 2022. He noted eighth-grade reading proficiency rates fell from 38% to 33% during this same period.

Fourth graders, the other major testing demographic for NAEP, also saw a decline in math proficiency, from 41% to 40%, and in reading, from 36% to 35%.

Churchill called on the state to make sure students get the help they need to be successful in math and reading.

"State leaders must ensure that schools are effectively teaching core academic content, as well as providing extra supports and interventions when students are struggling," Churchill said.