News Release: Despite drops, Colorado's students outscore the nation in reading while the steep decline in math scores mirrors the rest of the U.S.

Oct. 24, 2022

Despite drops, Colorado's students outscore the nation in reading while the steep decline in math scores mirrors the rest of the U.S.

DENVER -- Results from a national math and reading test for fourth and eighth graders showed Colorado students’ scores dropped in most areas when compared to pre-pandemic results, along with the rest of the country, but the state’s students had better reading scores than the national average.

In the first administration of the National Assessment of Educational Progress exams since the pandemic disrupted education in the spring of 2020, scores on average throughout the country fell in both subject areas compared with 2019 results. The national average score declines in mathematics were the largest ever recorded in that subject. The exam, known as the nation’s report card, tests a sampling of fourth- and eighth-grade students across the country in reading and math typically every other year.

Of the sampling in Colorado, scores were higher than the national average in reading but mirrored the steep drop in math seen throughout the rest of the nation.

“The decline in academic performance throughout the country is terribly concerning but is not unexpected due to the challenges from the pandemic,” said Colorado Education Commissioner Katy Anthes. “However, we see glimmers of hope in the fact that Colorado students are already showing improvement on our state-level tests from 2021. And we also are buoyed by the support we have received from COVID relief funds that are targeted to address the lost learning opportunities. The funding along with the incredible work being done by educators and students throughout Colorado gives us confidence that we will continue to raise the level of learning despite these unprecedented challenges.”

Nationally, math scores showed only 26% of eighth graders were proficient in math, compared with 34% in 2019. Thirty-six percent of fourth graders were proficient in math, compared with 41% in 2019.

Reading scores also declined in about half of the states for both grades; however, Colorado’s fourth graders’ scores did not drop significantly from 2019. 

*Statistically significant difference compared to Colorado 2022. 

The NAEP scores mirrored the statewide assessments, the Colorado Measures of Academic Success, which tests third- through eighth-graders in English language arts and math. The CMAS tests were administered to a reduced number of students in 2021 due to the pandemic but were fully administered last spring. Math scores on the 2022 CMAS tests showed improvement over 2021.