New data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that Florida’s reading and math scores have reached their lowest point in over two decades.
The latest results from the nation’s report card reveal that, nationally, children have struggled to recover their reading skills following the COVID-19 pandemic and have made little progress in math.
In Florida, eighth graders faced challenges on the national math test, marking the state’s lowest math scores in 20 years. The reading scores for these middle schoolers also dropped to the lowest level in over 25 years.
The report also shows that Florida’s fourth-grade reading score hit its lowest point since 2003, and while students' math scores remained steady compared to two years ago, they still fall short of pre-pandemic levels.
The results highlight growing inequality, with high-performing students starting to recover but lower-performing students falling further behind.
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The pandemic's effects, including school closures and the shift to online learning, continue to affect children's academic performance.
The exam results are based on tests given to a sample of public school students across the country, with scores primarily reported for states. However, 26 large school districts, including Orange County Public Schools, also participated and received their scores.
OCPS performed better than most other districts on all tests in its first year of participation.
Data indicates that students’ enthusiasm for reading is on the decline, with most reading now occurring on phones. This shift may be contributing to the ongoing downward trend in scores, according to experts.
Although Florida remains a leader in fourth-grade reading, its scores have declined from 2022 and the pre-pandemic highs of 2017. Only Massachusetts and Department of Defense schools outperformed Florida in 2024 fourth-grade reading tests.
However, Florida's eighth-grade reading scores fell in 2024, performing worse than 27 other states. The state's score dropped below the national average for the first time since 2015.
Florida’s eighth-grade math scores also lagged behind those of 27 other states, returning to levels seen in 2003, effectively erasing 20 years of progress. This stands in stark contrast to the relative success of Florida’s fourth graders, who outperformed students in many other states.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) also categorizes performance into achievement levels: "basic," "proficient," and "advanced." Nationally, fourth-grade reading performance has worsened since the pandemic, with 40% of fourth graders scoring below "basic" — the highest percentage in 20 years.
For eighth graders, the percentage reading below the "basic" level in 2024 reached a historic 33%, the largest in the test’s history.
The achievement gap, or disparity between student groups, also reached unprecedented levels, with higher-performing students making gains while lower-performing students continued to fall behind.
In Florida, the racial achievement gap has grown since 2022, with Black and Hispanic students performing worse on average than their white and Asian peers.
In 2024, 18% of Black fourth graders, 31% of Hispanic students, 41% of white students, and 54% of Asian students scored at a "proficient" level in reading, all of which represent smaller percentages compared to two years ago.
These results fuel ongoing debates over the impact of pandemic school closures, with some studies suggesting longer closures led to greater academic setbacks.
The areas that were slower to reopen were often urban and Democratic-led, while rural and Republican-led areas tended to reopen more quickly.
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