Nation’s Report Card: Idaho

Idaho students made no significant improvements in math and reading scores on the latest Nation’s Report Card.

Fourth-graders showed no improvements in math or reading, while eighth-graders’ scores stayed flat in math but slightly improved in reading.

The results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress were released Tuesday. The exams, given to a cross-section of students nationwide, are considered one of the most reliable ways of comparing academic performance across the state.

Roughly 40 percent of Idaho’s fourth-grade students are proficient in math and reading. For eighth-grade students, 35 percent are proficient in math and 39 percent are proficient in reading.

Overall, Idaho’s students scored just a little higher than the national average.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra says she’s encouraged to see positive progress in some areas, but added the state has more work to do help prove results for students.