Maryland improves in national rankings in fourth grade, eighth grade reading
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Maryland standardized reading test scores for fourth graders jumped from 40th in the nation in 2022 to 20th place in 2024, according to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress report released Wednesday.
The NAEP, often referred to as the Nation's Report Card, also said reading scores for Maryland eighth graders improved from 25th to 21st during the same period.
State Superintendent Carey Wright said one reason for the gains is the fact that it has been a statewide priority to incorporate the science of reading in all 24 school systems, starting this school year. The program, which Wright led during her tenure as state schools chief in Mississippi, focuses on teaching students based on phonics, comprehension and vocabulary.
'You've got teachers and leaders that have been out there working on this already. Hats off to them,' Wright said Wednesday.
It helped that the state Department of Education received a four-year, $6.8 million grant from the nonprofit Ibis Group of Washington, D.C. That includes $5.3 in online training for paraprofessionals, teachers and other staff in the science of reading program, and $1.5 million for Johns Hopkins University and the department to research the impact of teacher efficacy, teacher background knowledge and literacy leadership development.
Wright said the NAEP assessment is a big deal because it represents the only test in the nation that states can use to compare results and 'gives you a sense of where the bright spots are.'
What happens when a school district commits to the 'Science of Learning'
NAEP is a congressionally mandated program conducted to assess student achievement. Maryland students are assessed every two years, in fourth and eighth grades, for reading and math. Science testing results are scheduled to be released later this year.
The highest score that can be reached is 500.
Maryland's average fourth grade reading score was 216, compared to 212 in 2022. The average reading score in eighth grade was 258 in 2024, one point less than it was in 2022.
The state's math rankings nationally for fourth and eighth grade students slightly increased from 42nd in 2022 for both grades. Last year the fourth graders improved to 39th place and eighth grade scores rose to 38th.
The average math score for fourth graders was 234, compared to 229 in 2022; the average score for eighth-grade students was 268, one point lower than the score in 2022.
State Board of Education President Joshua Michael said those eighth-grade students are now ninth graders in high school.
One plan to improve scores is to boost college and career readiness, one of the five pillars, or priorities, in the Blueprint for Maryland's Future education reform plan. Local school officials have said one gain made in the Blueprint plan has been expanded opportunities for high school students to take college courses locally for free, a plan known as dual enrollment.
'We're bouncing back … in making some progress. We have a lot of work to do moving forward,' Michael said.
Trish Brennan-Gac, executive director of Maryland READS, said in a statement the NAEP results show the state is 'on the right track.'
'While we have not yet reached our ultimate goal, Maryland READS draws inspiration and motivation from the progress we've made on this journey,' she said. 'We are committed to closing the literacy gap, and this is just the beginning.'
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