Edelblut Statement on NAEP Grade 12 Report

CONCORD- New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut, who is a member of the National Assessment Governing Board, issued the following statement on today’s release of the NEAP Grade 12 Report:

“Since I have held this role, the department has been laser focused on creating educational options and choices that work for students and families. The release today of the NAEP results simply highlights what has been known in education for decades. Minority and economically disadvantaged students are falling farther behind every year. We simply cannot continue to do the same things, or even substantially the same things, year after year and expect a different result.

Today’s report shows another year of stagnant results. Our seniors scores in math and reading are simply not improving. More troubling is that the achievement gap between high performing students and low performing students is increasing.

While New Hampshire does not participate in the Grade 12 NAEP assessment, today’s report card reflects results we’ve seen from other assessments in our state. The status quo serves some students very well, but leaves others behind. This is consistent with some of the lessons we have learned through this pandemic.

We need to be willing to explore new ways to reach students that aren’t being served by our current system. Doing things the way they’ve always been done is simply not acceptable. Let’s be open to innovation so that we can reach those students who need a different path to bright futures.”

NAEP Grade 12 Report- 2019