N.H. students buck national trend in latest Nation's Report Card
Fourth- and eighth-graders took the test in reading and math. In reading, both groups scored in the top 10 percent of the nation. In math scores, New Hampshire fourth-graders were in the top 12 percent, while eighth-graders were in the top 20 percent.
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New Hampshire's Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said in a statement the results show that New Hampshire students are getting back on track after disruptions to education and learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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'While we like the direction the scores are heading, especially since New Hampshire has been able to buck the national trends, we would still like to see bigger gains across the board,' he said.
Edelblut said higher performing students are making gains, which masks how disadvantaged and low-performing students continue to lose ground. Not all students are tested. A
'We must work to close that gap for the benefit of all students,' he said.
Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the US Department of Education that conducts education data analysis, said in a statement that New Hampshire stands out because it is scoring above the national average in both grades and subjects.
'The Granite State's NAEP results are also encouraging as it has not experienced the pervasive declines in reading that we've seen in the last two years,' she said.
Even though fourth- and eighth-graders scored in the top 10 percent of the nation for reading, fourth grade scores went down slightly compared to 2022. Math scores increased for both grade levels.
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Christina Pretorius, policy director at Reaching Higher NH, a nonprofit education think tank, said the trends are encouraging.
'Our students continue to do well in math, reading, and science, and have made significant gains since the pandemic,' she said.
She said federal pandemic relief funding has helped schools provide one-on-one support for students through math and reading specialists, in addition to mental and emotional health support, and updated technology.
While she said those efforts are paying off, there's no indication the funding will be renewed, which leaves a question about what comes next, and whether the state will sustain those investments.
Here's how New Hampshire students compare to neighboring Massachusetts and to the rest of the nation:
4th Grade Reading
N.H. Score: 221
N.H. Proficiency Rate: 36 percent
National Score: 214
National Proficiency Rate: 31 percent
Mass. Score: 225
Mass. Proficiency Rate: 40 percent
4th Grade Math
N.H. Score: 242
N.H. Proficiency Rate: 43 percent
National Score: 237
National Proficiency Rate: 39 percent
Mass. Score: 246
Mass. Proficiency Rate: 51 percent
8th Grade Reading
N.H. Score: 264
N.H. Proficiency Rate: 34 percent
National Score: 257
National Proficiency Rate: 30 percent
Mass. Score: 268
Mass. Proficiency Rate: 40 percent
8th Grade Math
N.H. Score: 280
N.H. Proficiency Rate: 32 percent
National Score: 272
National Proficiency Rate: 28 percent
Mass. Score: 283
Mass. Proficiency Rate: 37 percent
A version of this story first appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, our free newsletter focused on the news you need to know about New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles from other places. If you'd like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday,
Amanda Gokee can be reached at
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