By james art 
- The results of the Nation’s “Map of the Nation” reveal a decline in the evaluations of reading of the eighth grade of Utah.
- Utah students holding a stable mathematics.
- National education observers sound an alarm to reduce reading skills, especially among low -performing students.
The evaluation of the overall performance of students in Utah of a recent national test is similar to countless reports of the conference on parent teachers: generally doing well-but some areas need improvement.
Earlier this week, the results of the National Educational Progress were released 2024- known as the “Nation’s Map”- revealed mostly stable results for students from the fourth and eighth grades of Utah, who participated in the test.
In fact, only three countries or jurisdictions are superior to Beehive students.
But the decline in eighth grade reading assessments in Utah – reflecting national trends in the reduction of read performances – caught the attention of state leaders of education.
“More children fall under the skill, emphasizing the critical need to double effective reading and support interventions for our students,” said the state head of public instructions Sydnee Dickson at the Utah State Council for Education.
In other areas such as mathematics, students in Utah behave steadily.
“Fourth grade reading levels have remained unchanged and no other significant changes are observed in the results of the state,” the Board of Education report notes.
The male from Utah outperformed their colleagues from Utah in mathematics in both the fourth and eighth grade.
Conversely, the females of Utah marked higher than the Utah boys in reading both in the fourth and eighth grade.
Approximately 2000 students from the fourth and eighth grades UTAH participated last year in the mathematics of the National Group for Evaluation and Reading the test. The same tests were administered in 2024 to students in all states, Colombia County and Defense Schools.
The 2024 reading group assessment included literacy and information texts to assess the students’ understanding skills.
Meanwhile, mathematical assessments measure the knowledge and skills of students in mathematics-and their ability to solve problems in mathematical and real contexts.
Key results from Utah: Mathematics
- In 2024, the average mathematics score by fourth grade students in Utah was 242 – higher than the average of 237 for students in the country.
- The average score for fourth grade students in Utah in 2024 (242) does not differ significantly from their average result in 2022 (240).
- The average mathematical result for fourth grade men in Utah is 245. For women, 238.
- In 2024, the average mathematical result of eighth grade students in Utah was 282 – higher than the average of 272 for students in the country.
- The average mathematical result for the eighth -graders of Utah (282) does not differ significantly from their average result in 2022 (282).
- The average mathematical result for eighth grade men in Utah is 283. For women, 280.
Key results from Utah: Reading
- In 2024, the average reading result from fourth grade students in Utah was 219 – higher than the average of 214 for students in the country.
- The average reading score for fourth grade students in Utah in 2024 (219) does not differ significantly from their average result in 2022 (221).
- The average reading score for fourth grade students in Utah is 223. For men, 216.
- In 2024, the average result of reading eighth grade students in Utah was 261 – higher than the average of 257 for students in the country.
- The average reading score for eighth grade students in Utah (261) is a lower than their average in 2022 (265).
- The average reading estimate for eighth grade women in Utah is 265. For men, 258.
Sightseeing the challenges of reading Utah
In response to the results of the NAEP, the State Education Council is committed to identifying the reasons for reducing reading results – while applying “targeted efforts and proven strategies.
“Our focus is on providing measurable improvements in reading results, working with schools for equipment and students with tools and targeted training,” says Darin Nielsen, Deputy Chief of Student Training in the State Council.
“We are committed to implementing evidence-based programs that relate to the challenges to reading, providing intense support where it is most necessary and tracking progress to make sure that every student has the opportunity to improve and succeed. “
Across the country: “News aren’t good”
In the United States, reading results are reduced.
The national results of the 2024 national assessment show an average downturn in two points, for both the fourth and eight Graces across the country, while maintaining a constant decline in the topic preceding the Covid-19 interruptions of the era, according to the Education Week report S
In mathematics, the results of eighth grade were unchanged since 2022, the last time the test was given. The results of fourth -graders grew by two points, but remained under their work in a similar test administered in 2019.
“The news is not good,” says Peggy Carr, the Commissioner of the National Education Statistics Center, which administers NAEP, in the report of the Education Week.
“We do not see the progress we need to regain the land that our students lost during the pandemic, and when we see signs of recovery, they are mostly in mathematics and largely guided by highly efficient students,” added added Carr. “Low -content students are fighting, especially in reading.”
Utah Legislative Audit: Execution Gaps among Student Groups
Car’s words sounded local concerns shared last month by state auditors in a report presented at the legislative subcommittee of Utah’s legislative audit.
The audit revealed “A gap across the country between the presentation of students who are in a group that traditionally struggles with academic skills, and those who are not.”
The report classifies the “Lower Students -Group” such as those who are more than the typical chance of presenting themselves under the command of “and who are in economic disadvantaged position, study English or racial or ethnic minorities.”
Such “smaller groups of students” often need the biggest growth and support, is added to the report.
The auditors have reviewed five years of data showing how many Utah students have moved from “under the attempts” to “possessors” and vice versa.
“Looking at the net percentage of skills, changing each for five years, the percentage of students who have changed their status of proficiency remain problematically low,” the report notes. “Both the observations of the state and the local educational agency create a case of school districts and charter schools to re -evaluate the effectiveness of their students’ intervention programs.”
Local educational agencies such as school districts and charter schools, the report is recommended, it must make an effort to identify students “and to intervene quickly at the first signs of difficulty.”