39%
28%
22%
The NAEP uses a scale of 0-500 points to group 4th and 8th students into three achievement levels (basic, proficient, or advanced). The 12th grade scale is 0-300, but the achievement levels are the same. “Proficient” is the benchmark used to describe students who demonstrate competency with challenging subject matter. However, NAEP proficiency is not the same as being on “grade level,” which is often assessed by other state and district tests. More information on NAEP skill expectations at each grade level is available here.
The NAEP also tests students on other school subjects, like science, civics, and US history, more sporadically. Students in public, private, and charter schools are included in NAEP testing.
Below is an actual question from the 12th grade test in 2024.
Todd is drawing a bar chart to show the monthly sales at his company for last year. He uses the vertical axis to display the amount of sales, in dollars, and the horizontal axis to display the months. He observes that the lowest sales amount in any month was $91,000 and that the highest sales amount in any month was $98,000. Which of the following may result in Todd drawing a misleading bar chart?
In 2024, 9% of 4th graders were advanced in math and 31% were proficient, which means that about 3 out of 5 (61)% scored at basic or below. In 8th and 12th grade, fewer students were proficient or advanced compared to 4th grade, and more (72% and 78%, respectively) students scored at basic or below.
In 2024, proficiency in math was highest among 4th graders and lowest among 12th graders.
Percentage of students at each NAEP achievement level in 4th, 8th, and 12th grade in 2024
How has math proficiency changed over time?
Fourth and 8th graders had higher math proficiency in 2024 compared to 2022. However, neither grade recovered to the level of proficiency from before the COVID-19 pandemic: in 2024, 4th graders were 2 percentage points behind 2019. Eighth graders were 6 percentage points behind. Twelfth graders had lower math proficiency in 2024 compared to 2019 by 2 percentage points, also suggesting some ground lost after the pandemic.
Fourth graders’ math proficiency was highest in 2013 (42%). It was highest for 8th graders in 2011 and 2013 (35%), and highest for 12th graders in 2009 and 2013 (26%).
Math proficiency increased for 4th and 8th graders between 2022 and 2024, and decreased for 12th graders between 2019 and 2024.
Percentage of 4th, 8th, and 12th graders who were proficient in math, 1990–2024
Math proficiency has also varied over time for students of varying demographics. While students in every race and ethnicity group have improved in math proficiency since 1990, the first year for the data, some groups have improved faster than others. This is often referred to as the achievement gap.
Among 4th graders in 2024, Asian/Pacific Islander students had the highest rate of math proficiency. This has been the case since 2003. Additionally, Asian/Pacific Islander and white students have had math proficiency rates that were at least double those of Black and American Indian/Alaska Native students since 2003.
The math proficiency rate for Asian/Pacific Islander students in 4th grade is 3.3 times higher than the groups with the lowest rate (Black and American Indian/Alaska Native) in 2024.
Percentage of 4th and 8th graders who were proficient in math by race/ethnicity, 1990–2024
When looking at differences by gender, male 4th grade students have had math proficiency rates of 2 to 8 percentage points higher than female students in every test year since 2000. Among 8th graders, the gender gap is narrower: the two groups were not statistically different in 2019 and 2015, and in other years, male students’ proficiency was 1 to 4 percentage points higher.
How does math proficiency vary by state?
There was a 28 percentage point difference between Massachusetts, the state with the highest rate of 4th grade math proficiency (51%), and New Mexico, which had the lowest (23%). In 8th grade, there was a 23 percentage point difference between Massachusetts at 37% and New Mexico at 14%.
Fourth graders have also had a higher math proficiency rate nationwide compared to 8th graders for all 11 test years since 2003. In 2024, this was also true for all states and Washington, DC. Two states, Alabama and Florida, had double the rate of 4th grade math proficiency as 8th grade.
Math proficiency was higher among 4th graders than 8th graders in all states and Washington, DC in 2024.
Difference between the percentage of 4th and 8th graders who were proficient in math in 2024, by highest to lowest 4th grade proficiency in each state
It should be noted that students in these grades may have had different educational experiences (due to influential events like the COVID-19 pandemic or major education policy shifts) that could affect these trends. For example, 2024’s 8th graders were in 4th and 5th grade during the main years of the COVID-19 pandemic (the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years), while 2024’s 4th graders were in kindergarten and 1st grade.
How does math proficiency vary within school districts?
The NAEP collected data in a subset of the nation’s largest urban school districts (26 total) in 2024. Miami-Dade County Schools had the highest 4th grade math proficiency at 49% of students. This was seven times higher than the district with the lowest rate of proficiency, Detroit Public Schools, at 7%. Two of the 26 school districts are above the US average of 39%, eight are not statistically different from the US, and 16 are below.
In 8th grade, Miami-Dade County Schools also had the highest proficiency, while Detroit Public Schools had the lowest.
New York City Public Schools, the largest school district in the US, was significantly below the national average in 4th grade in 2024. The district was at the national average for 8th grade.
Among large urban school districts that participated in NAEP, 16 had a 4th grade math proficiency rate below the national average and 2 were above.
Percentage of 4th and 8th graders in each district who were proficient in math in 2024
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
