Washington state’s fourth and eighth graders are among the best in the country when it comes to reading and math, according to the Nation’s Report Card released by the National Assessment for Education Progress Thursday.
The annual report card compares math and reading scores of each state’s fourth- and eighth-grade students.
This year’s results reflect Washington state’s history of above-average scores, said the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
“We don’t tend to perform at the very top, but we’re solid performers,” said Kristen Jaudon with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The state’s reading scores have climbed significantly in recent years, as has the fourth-graders’ math score. At most, five other states scored statistically higher in all four categories.
“We’re proud of how our students are doing and the work that our teachers are doing,” said Washington State Superintendent Randy Dorn.
But there’s still work to do. The data shows an achievement gap between white students and African-American as well as Hispanic students in Washington state.
The widest gap exists between reading scores of native English speakers and English-learning students. Eighth-graders showed a 53-point gap and fourth-graders showed a 50-point game.
“We need to continue finding better ways to help students who need more support,” Dorn said.
