Statement from All4Ed CEO Dr. Amy Loyd on the release of the National Assessment of Educational Progress Report 

January 29, 2025

“Today’s release of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) underscores the significant challenges our nation’s students continue to face and the urgent need for collective action to support all our students, especially those who are struggling. The results are a sobering reminder that too many of our children are not meeting the academic benchmarks critical to their success in school, work, and life, and the gaps between students who are high-performing and lower-performing continue to grow. 

“Given how deeply concerning these results are, they must serve as a call to action for policymakers, educators, and communities to come together and redouble efforts to support our nation’s students, particularly our lowest-performing students who have been falling behind for over a decade. Further, recovery from the academic disruptions of recent years requires a long-term commitment to equity, innovation, real-world connections, and investment in our nation’s public schools—and a rejection of efforts to cut or divert critical funding and resources from public education. 

“Although students made limited progress in math since 2022, reading scores continued to decline, and many of the gains on NAEP were driven by the highest-performing students. Nearly 40% of 8th graders scored below NAEP “Basic,” the lowest level, in math in 2024, and one-third did so in reading—the highest share ever reported. Given that only a few districts and states, like Louisiana, have bucked these trends, today’s results reveal an urgent need to learn from these communities and scale up their successes.  

“At All4Ed, we believe every student deserves access to a high-quality public education that prepares them to thrive in college, career, and community. This means focusing on proven strategies such as targeted academic interventions, college and career pathwaysmental health supports, high-quality instructional materials, and expanded learning opportunities. It also means addressing disparities that disproportionately impact students from underserved communities, students of color, and those from low-income backgrounds. 

“Importantly, All4Ed recently released the results of our bipartisan national education exit poll, which found that 72% of voters—regardless of political affiliation—express strong support for public schools, and a majority favor increasing federal education funding to better meet the needs of students. Additionally, when asked to choose, 68% of voters would increase funding for public schools, compared to only 24% who would increase funding for vouchers. These same voters also overwhelmingly favor connecting education to jobs and careers, emphasizing the importance of aligning and combining academic preparation in high school with higher education and workforce opportunities. 

“NAEP scores are not just numbers; they represent real children, families, and educators navigating challenges daily. We cannot afford to let these results define and diminish the future of public education. Instead, they must inspire all of us to act with urgency and commitment to ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed in our public schools and beyond. 

“The stakes are high, but so is our resolve. Together, we can and must do better for our nation’s students.” 

###