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The 'Nation's Report Card' Is Out: Here's What the Results Tell Us about America's Schools. Issue Brief

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Title: The 'Nation's Report Card' Is Out: Here's What the Results Tell Us about America's Schools. Issue Brief
Language: English
Authors: Jennifer Weber, Manhattan Institute (MI)
Source: Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. 2025.
Availability: Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Tel: 212-599-7000; Fax: 212-599-3494; Web site: http://www.manhattan-institute.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 18
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Elementary Education
Grade 4
Intermediate Grades
Grade 8
Junior High Schools
Middle Schools
Secondary Education
Descriptors: National Competency Tests, Educational Legislation, Federal Legislation, Elementary Secondary Education, Reading Achievement, Reading Tests, Mathematics Achievement, Mathematics Tests, Common Core State Standards, Expenditure per Student, Reading Skills, Educational Trends, Grade 4, Grade 8, Urban Schools, Racial Factors, Public Schools, Charter Schools, Collective Bargaining, Economic Factors
Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: No Child Left Behind Act 2001, Every Student Succeeds Act 2015
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: National Assessment of Educational Progress
Abstract: For over 50 years, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Nation's Report Card, has measured student achievement in reading and math across the United States. The recently released 2024 results confirm a long-term crisis in education, with student performance stagnating or declining despite decades of federal spending and education reform initiatives. Federal interventions such as No Child Left Behind (2002), Common Core (2010), and Every Student Succeeds Act (2015) were designed to improve student academic outcomes. While No Child Left Behind (NCLB) drove improvements in student achievement initially, NAEP scores indicate that progress stalled under Common Core and declined further after Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) weakened accountability measures. More funding has not made a difference. Even as national per-pupil spending has exceeded $17,000 on average per student, reading proficiency has remained unchanged, and math scores are at their lowest in two decades. This paper examines the factors contributing to these declines and proposes evidence-based solutions to improve student achievement.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED676178
Database: ERIC
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  Data: For over 50 years, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Nation's Report Card, has measured student achievement in reading and math across the United States. The recently released 2024 results confirm a long-term crisis in education, with student performance stagnating or declining despite decades of federal spending and education reform initiatives. Federal interventions such as No Child Left Behind (2002), Common Core (2010), and Every Student Succeeds Act (2015) were designed to improve student academic outcomes. While No Child Left Behind (NCLB) drove improvements in student achievement initially, NAEP scores indicate that progress stalled under Common Core and declined further after Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) weakened accountability measures. More funding has not made a difference. Even as national per-pupil spending has exceeded $17,000 on average per student, reading proficiency has remained unchanged, and math scores are at their lowest in two decades. This paper examines the factors contributing to these declines and proposes evidence-based solutions to improve student achievement.
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PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED676178
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 18
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      – SubjectFull: National Competency Tests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Legislation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Federal Legislation
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      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
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      – SubjectFull: Reading Achievement
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      – SubjectFull: Mathematics Achievement
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      – SubjectFull: Common Core State Standards
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      – SubjectFull: Expenditure per Student
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      – SubjectFull: Reading Skills
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Trends
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 4
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 8
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      – SubjectFull: Urban Schools
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      – SubjectFull: Racial Factors
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      – SubjectFull: Public Schools
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      – SubjectFull: Charter Schools
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      – SubjectFull: Collective Bargaining
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      – SubjectFull: Economic Factors
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      – SubjectFull: No Child Left Behind Act 2001
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      – SubjectFull: Every Student Succeeds Act 2015
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      – SubjectFull: National Assessment of Educational Progress
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      – TitleFull: The 'Nation's Report Card' Is Out: Here's What the Results Tell Us about America's Schools. Issue Brief
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