NPR

April 27, 2016

A standardized test taken by U.S. high school seniors, known as the Nation’s Report Card or the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), shows an average score in both reading and math one point lower than the previous test taken in 2013. While this isn’t a drop to be too concerned about, this finding is of concern: just under 40 percent of students score at college and career ready on this test, as reported by NPR. This is significant because the NAEP is taken nationwide as a U.S. Department of Education research project, unlike state accountability tests, and it aligns well with the SAT and ACT, which also measure college and career readiness.

Another significant comparison is that in 2015, the high school graduation rate nationwide was 82 percent, not 40 percent. This means that youth who graduated from high school may still not be prepared to succeed in college or a career. The NAEP shows the disparity that our nation’s struggling students may be doing slightly worse, while high achievers may be doing slightly better.

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