Scores decline for many student groups in reading, and for nearly all student groups in mathematics

The 2023 average scores in reading declined compared to 2020 for many student groups reported by NAEP; for example, scores were lower for both male and female 13-year-olds, for students eligible and not eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and for students attending schools in the Northeast and the Midwest regions. In mathematics, scores declined compared to 2020 for most student groups; for example, scores were lower for Black, Hispanic, and White 13-year-olds, for students attending schools in all regions of the country, for students eligible and not eligible for the NSLP, and for students at all reported levels of parental education.

See average score results for selected student groups through the drop-down menu selection below. Symbols in the figure indicate the score change between two sets of assessment years: from 2012 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2023. For example, in the figure below for race/ethnicity, the gray diamonds indicate that the 2020 reading score was not significantly different from the 2012 score for any racial/ethnic group with reportable results, and the down arrows indicate that 2023 reading scores declined for White and Black students and for students of Two or More Races in comparison to 2020.

In mathematics, the 11-point score decrease for female students compared to the 7-point decrease for male students resulted in a widening of the Male−Female score gap in comparison to 2020. Also, the 13-point score decrease among Black students compared to the 6-point decrease among White students resulted in a widening of the White−Black score gap from 35 points in 2020 to 42 points in 2023. In reading, there were no statistically significant changes in these score gaps in 2023 compared to 2020.