For Immediate Release: October 24, 2022
Contact: Ted Fisher, aoe.publicinformation@vermont.gov

MONTPELIER, Vt. – The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) today released the nationwide performance results from the 2022 assessments in reading and mathematics. The NAEP is administered every two years to students in grades Four and Eight across the nation. This administration comes after the postponement of the 2021 NAEP due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While still navigating pandemic conditions, 202 schools in Vermont participated in the assessment.

Grade 8 students in Vermont scored above the national average in reading and math, and Grade 4 reading and math performance was not significantly different from the national average. However, while Vermont students continued to perform at or above the national average, students showed a decline in average scale scores compared to Vermont’s 2019 results. While it is fair to conclude that the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are reflected in student performance, that explanation does not tell the whole story. Vermont students’ performance on NAEP has been generally declining for over a decade.

“This year’s scores reinforce a longstanding trend,” said Secretary of Education Dan French. “They are an important reminder that, before the pandemic, we weren’t where we wanted to be. Our task with Education Recovery is not to return our education system to where it was in 2019, rather to build the 21st Century education system, grounded in quality and equity, that Vermont and Vermonters need to succeed, compete and thrive in the future.”

Nationally, average reading and math scores declined compared to 2019. Reading scores for both Grade 4 and 8 students decreased nationwide by three points, and math scores decreased by 4 points in Grade 4 and 8 points in grade 8. Compared to 2019, average reading scores for Grade 8 declined in 33 states and were not statistically different in 18 states. Average scores for students with disabilities were relatively stable across the nation, compared to other categories.

In Vermont:

• Grade 4 and 8 reading and math average scores declined since 2019.
• Grade 8 reading and math scores were higher than the national average.
• Grade 4 reading and math average scores (217 and 234) were not significantly different than the national average (216 and 235).
• In terms of proficiency, a greater percentage of Grade 8 students (34%) scored at or above NAEP proficient than at the national level, but the percentage of students who performed at or above NAEP proficient decreased since 2019 (3% for reading, 8% for math).

NAEP is the largest nationally representative assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. NAEP provides state and national level results, but does not report results for individual students, classrooms, schools or school districts. Not all students participate in NAEP nationwide, though the proportion of Vermont students who participate is higher relative to many other states.

Because NAEP results are state-level averages, the U.S. Department of Education cautions against using them to make causal inferences.

“It’s important to recognize what NAEP can and cannot tell us,” said Deputy Secretary Heather Bouchey. “These results are a useful general barometer, but can’t tell us specifics as we work to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, they remind us that we aren’t where we want to be, and there is work to be done to make sure all Vermont students achieve their educational goals.”

Vermont’s NAEP results are publicly available on the NAEP website.

About the National Assessment of Educational Progress

NAEP is the largest nationally representative assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. Assessments are conducted periodically in various subjects, including reading, language arts, mathematics, science and the arts. NAEP provides state and national level results, but does not report results for individual students, classrooms, schools or school districts. Because NAEP results are state level averages, The US Department of Education cautions against using them to make causal inferences.

NAEP results can be found at nationsreportcard.gov

About the Vermont Agency of Education

The Agency of Education implements state and federal laws, policies, and regulations to ensure all Vermont learners have equitable access to high-quality learning opportunities. The Agency accomplishes this mission through the provision of its leadership, support, and oversight of Vermont’s public education system.

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