SPRINGFIELD — The 2024
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results released today highlight Illinois schools’ strong academic performance, with Illinois’ eighth grade students outperforming the national averages in both reading and math. The achievement of Illinois’ fourth grade students remained on par with national averages. Illinois students’ performance held steady across all subjects and grades from 2022 to 2024, despite the nation showing significant reading declines for students in grades 4 and 8.
NAEP, dubbed “The Nation’s Report Card,” is the only assessment that provides a common measure of what U.S. students know across the nation, providing a unique snapshot of academic progress and a rare opportunity for comparing academic performance across states. The 2024 NAEP results affirm the incredible progress highlighted in the
2024 Illinois Report Card, which showcased Illinois’ highest-ever proficiency rate in English language arts for Grades 3-8, and how Illinois schools weathered and recovered from the pandemic better than most other states.
"Illinois students are proving what we’ve always known — when we support our schools, our kids thrive,”
said Governor JB Pritzker. “The 2024 Nation’s Report Card shows our 8th graders outperforming the national average in both math and reading, a testament to the great strides Illinois students are making academically. Congratulations to our students, parents, dedicated educators and principals whose hard work and dedication made this achievement possible.”
“The latest NAEP results give Illinois students, educators, and families cause to celebrate with steady or increasing results seen on the ‘Nation’s Report Card’,”
said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. “This data is another example, like our state report card and national studies, that Illinois’ students are growing academically.”
The 2024 NAEP was administered to a representative sample of Illinois students from January through March 2024. The “Basic” performance level on the NAEP generally indicates performing at grade level. The “Proficient” performance level indicates a more aspirational level of performance. The “Advanced” level indicates superior achievement.
Eighth Grade Results
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Reading:
- Illinois students achieved an average scale score of 262, surpassing the national average of 257.
- The percentage of Illinois students who performed at or above NAEP Basic was 70% and who performed at or above NAEP Proficient was 33%.
- Only one state outperformed Illinois in eighth grade reading.
- The reading achievement gap for Hispanic students has narrowed by eight scale score points, from 26 in 2003 to 18 in 2024.
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Math:
- Illinois students achieved an average scale score of 277, surpassing the national average of 272.
- The percentage of Illinois students who performed at or above NAEP Basic was 62% and who performed at or above NAEP Proficient was 32% — a six-percentage point improvement over 2022.
- Only four states exceeded Illinois’ performance in eighth grade math.
Fourth Grade Results
- Math:
- Illinois students achieved an average scale score of 236, statistically equivalent to the national average of 237.
- The percentage of Illinois students who performed at or above NAEP Basic was 74% and who performed at or above NAEP Proficient was 38%.
- Reading:
- Illinois students achieved an average scale score of 214, equivalent to the national average of 214.
- The percentage of Illinois students who performed at or above NAEP Basic was 59% and who performed at or above NAEP Proficient was 30%.
Illinois is one of the few states on track to fully invest its federal pandemic relief funds, a reflection of the effectiveness of the state’s learning renewal strategies and their alignment with students’ needs.
Illinois also has supported statewide academic progress via a focus on literacy, adopting the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan in January 2024. In the coming months, ISBE will launch a new statewide effort to develop a numeracy plan to further boost students’ attainment of the math skills needed to thrive in school, career, and life.
About NAEP
NAEP results are based on a representative sample of students, rather than every student in each state. The administration included approximately 150 schools and 2,700-2,800 Illinois students per subject for each grade. These samples reflect the state’s diverse population, including students with disabilities and English learners. Due to the sample size, small fluctuations in scores may not be statistically significant and should be interpreted with caution.
More information is available on the ISBE NAEP & International Assessments webpage.