UPDATES ON EDUCATION RESEARCH AND POLICY
NEW POSTS WEEKLY!
We want to help lawmakers, educators, and families make decisions about education by providing updates on national, regional and Missouri-specific research. While we strive to be objective, we want to facilitate discussion and will occasionally offer our own views on this blog.
3 Things We Learned About 9-Year-Olds From the 2025 NAEP Long-Term Trends Report
In 2025, NAEP administered its quadrennial Long-Term Trends Assessment for 9- and 13-year-olds. Today, we are going to be looking at three things we learned about 9-year-olds from the recently released results.
3 Things We Learned About 13-Year-Olds From the 2025 NAEP Long-Term Trends Report
In 2025, NAEP administered its quadrennial Long-Term Trends Assessment for 9- and 13-year-olds. Today, we are going to be looking at three things we learned about 13-year-olds from the recently released results.
A Tale of Two Tests
When it comes to student achievement in Missouri, the story depends on which test you’re reading. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Missouri students—like students across the country—have faced significant academic challenges. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often referred to as the "Nation’s Report Card," tells us that reading and math scores in Missouri have dropped dramatically for both 4th and 8th graders. But a look at the state’s own MAP (Missouri Assessment Program) test results paints a different picture: only slight declines, and in some cases, no decline at all.
Key Takeaways from the Nation’s Report Card
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam has been given to students since 1969. This nationwide assessment produces important metrics about our country’s students. Here, we discuss nationwide and Missouri-specific trends from the 2024 data release.