Some assessment scores inch closer to pre-pandemic levels

CONCORD, NH — Recent assessment scores are showing a slight acceleration of growth for New Hampshire students in many grade levels, but not enough to make up lost academic ground since the pandemic. New Hampshire’s preliminary performance scores from 2024 indicate slow and modest improvements in several areas compared to last year’s assessment results, however math scores, in general, are failing to keep pace.

“It is promising to see signs of improvement, especially in areas such as reading and writing where New Hampshire has focused significant investments in supporting the science of reading instruction and curriculum throughout the past several years. Our students are reaping the benefits of these efforts with stronger reading skills and educators that understand the importance of research-based literacy programs,” said Frank Edelblut, education commissioner. “New Hampshire, however, is not immune to the math challenges facing the rest of the nation. While test scores are just one measure of a student’s learning progress, it is apparent that more emphasis needs to be placed on foundational math skills and a solid understanding of math concepts – ensuring that students are prepared for more advanced learning, critical thinking and problem solving.”   

According to preliminary data from the New Hampshire Student Assessment System (NHSAS), students in grades three, four, five, seven and eleven improved slightly or remained static in their English Language Arts (ELA) assessment scores in 2024, with grades six and eight showing slight declines in ELA proficiency levels. Preliminary figures indicate that math assessment scores narrowly grew for grades three, five, seven and eight, with grades four, six and eleven showing declines. 
 
While most student performance advanced from 2023 to 2024, student growth percentiles, which measure the rate of acceleration of learning, are revealing clearer trends. Using 2019 as a baseline, student growth percentiles for reading increased in every grade level this year. Despite the strong reading improvements, student growth percentiles for math appear to be stalling, with the exception of eighth-grade math. Student growth percentiles above 50 describe rates of growth that are higher than what was observed in 2019, while levels below 50 describe lower rates of growth than 2019. 
 
“The 2024 results reveal significant achievements in English language arts, with many grades showing increased proficiency and increased acceleration in student learning. However, while we celebrate these successes, we must also address the areas where challenges persist,” said Dr. Nate Greene, administrator for the New Hampshire Department of Education’s Bureau of Assessment and Accountability. “The slowdown in growth for mathematics and the recent declines in science scores indicate that there is more work to be done. We are dedicated to supporting our educators and providing the necessary resources to enhance student outcomes in mathematics and science, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive academically.”
                                       
New Hampshire previously implemented a Foundations of Reading test for early childhood educators that assesses proficiency in and depth of understanding of the subject of reading and writing development. Early conversations have been ongoing to explore the possibility of a similar Foundations of Math test. 

While NHSAS scores showed modest growth, New Hampshire’s 2024 SAT scores reveal mixed results. According to preliminary data, the junior class (those students now entering their senior year) scored 30 percent proficiency in math compared to 35 percent in 2023 and 37 percent in 2022. The SAT data for reading reveals stronger scores with 63 percent proficiency in 2024 compared to 60 percent proficiency in 2023 and 61 percent in 2022; this was the only category where New Hampshire students closed the covid-gap and recovered to pre-pandemic levels among all assessments and all grade levels. 

In 2024, New Hampshire’s average reading score on the SAT was 509 compared to 506 in 2023. The average math score on the SAT was 481 in 2024 compared to 488 in 2023. The 2024 SAT utilized a staged adaptive approach with a corresponding change to the scoring model, which was new this year. As a result, there may be some variance in scores when compared against the 2023 SAT. In New Hampshire, 10,919 students took the SAT School Day exam in the spring of 2024 with a mean score of 987, outperforming the national mean of 948 across the 1.3 million students who took the SAT School Day exam. Additionally, 29% of New Hampshire students met both the reading and math benchmarks set by College Board, compared to 26% nationwide among other accountability states. 

Last summer, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, often known as the Nation’s Report Card, released its long-term trend results for 13-year-olds. Nationwide, the results provided further evidence that students throughout the country have lost major academic ground in math and reading since the pandemic, coupled with long-term scores that have been declining since 2012. Similar to New Hampshire’s newest assessment scores, the NAEP long-term trend assessment results also showed that declines were worse in math than in reading, underscoring the urgency to accelerate learning in order to adequately prepare students. On average, however, New Hampshire students in both grades four and eight had higher scores than the national average in both reading and math on the 2022 NAEP exam. New Hampshire was most recently tested earlier this year; those NAEP results are expected to be available in early 2025.