The U.S. Department of Education’s national report card released this week showed an increase in Iowa’s reading scores, but a drop in math.
Iowa Department of Education director McKenzie Snow says the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP or nape) covers fourth and eighth graders. “Our math ranking fell significantly to 30th in the nation in fourth grade math and 23rd in the nation in eighth grade math,” she says. Snow says it wasn’t just a drop in Iowa’s math performance that lowered the ranking, other states made progress. “It’s a mix of both. There’s both progress of other states in recovering learning loss experienced during the pandemic, and a drop in achievement on the NAEP (nape) assessment among Iowa’s fourth and eighth graders in math,” Snow says.
Snow says the numbers show the need for the statewide evidence-based mathematics instruction the governor has proposed. “It includes strong intervention structures and personalized math plans for those students in need of support. It supports our educators, both in service and pre-service, with evidence-based professional development in those schools most in need of support, as well as strong teacher preparation and evidence-based math instruction,” she says. Snow says the program also extends beyond the classroom. “It supports family-centered resources that help advance a child’s math development at home,” she says.
Snow says the evidenced-based math teaching would be similar to what’s been done with reading. Iowa’s reading ranking went from 22nd to tenth. “We are also in the top five of all states for improvement since 2022 again in eighth grade reading for all students and for students from low-income backgrounds,” Snow says. The Governor proposed the evidence-based math program in her Condition of the State Address, but Snow says it has not yet been introduced in the Legislature.
You can see more on the report card at: www.nationsreportcard.gov.