After spending billions in schools, some states deliver progress on NAEP. Others don't.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today's release of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows that some states are now seeing post-pandemic academic progress while average scores continue to fall in others, even as billions were deployed for school recovery. That stark contrast across states raises questions about each state's capacity to ensure investments deliver measurable benefits for students.

Of particular interest are 4^th grade reading scores (which serve as a foundational measure of elementary learning) and 8^th grade math scores (which predict lifetime outcomes and future state economic growth).

States that showed growth in both sets of scores include the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and West Virginia.

States where scores continued to decline in both areas include Arizona, California, Florida, Oregon, Texas and Washington.

In 2020 and 2021, Congress deployed a massive $190 billion to aid in school recovery. "Now that money is gone and some states have little or nothing to show for it," said Dr. Marguerite Roza, director of Georgetown University's Edunomics Lab. "That's a missed opportunity that could stay with kids for the rest of their lives."

Edunomics Lab's state-by-state analysis of NAEP scores alongside per-pupil spending shows that the relationship between money and outcomes has been eroding in many states for some time.

For example, the federal government sent an eye-popping $11 billion to Florida schools and $3 billion to schools in Washington state, and yet in both, NAEP scores continue to sink.

In contrast, Mississippi—long considered a laggard in schooling—is seeing gains in its scores, both recently and over the last decade. "Other states should take note," said Roza.

"Today's NAEP scores remind us that states matter when it comes to ensuring that investments deliver academic value," said Dr. Roza. Looking forward, most states will see tighter funding for public education. For state leaders "the task ahead will be to find a way to leverage available dollars to deliver more value for students."

Edunomics Lab, a leader in education finance and return-on-investment analysis, offers resources to support state and district leaders in navigating these challenges. From training programs to free webinars and tools, Edunomics Lab is committed to helping systems make data-driven decisions to benefit students.

Spending and scores profiles for every state can be found here.

About Edunomics Lab:
Edunomics Lab is a university-based research center dedicated to exploring and modeling complex education fiscal decisions and growing the capacity of education leaders on the topic of education finance. The center is part of Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy. 

Website: edunomicslab.org

SOURCE Edunomics Lab