SALT LAKE CITY — The Nation's Report Card shows nationwide declines in both math and reading, with 12th-grade reading scores falling to their lowest level since 1992.
"Education is so important, and so hearing about those numbers is alarming," Jessica Garrett, a parent living in Highland, said.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation's Report Card, is the only standardized test that allows comparisons across states. While Utah did not have a large enough sample of 12th graders to report the state's results, the assessment included data for 8th graders.
So, how are Utah students doing compared to the national average?
In 2024, Utah’s eighth graders came out ahead of the national average in both math and reading. They scored 282 in math, which is 10 points higher than the national score, and about the same as two years ago. In reading, Utah students averaged 261, just a bit higher than the national score of 257, down a few points from 2022.
Clint Gardner, director of student writing and reading centers at Salt Lake Community College, says he's noticed a trend over the last 10 years. "We're getting more requests for writing and reading than say 15 years ago," Gardner said. "More requests for reading tutoring, and that includes things like helping to understand assignments and understanding what they're supposed to do. A lot of our students are struggling with the more difficult text they encounter in college."
He says families should encourage their kids to read books, even longer books that take more time, and ones they enjoy. “I don’t think students' skill-wise are any different than they were back then," he said. "I think their experiences are different. The way we consume text is out of the internet now. I think things are a lot shorter, there’s a lot of stuff on screens.”
The Garrett family says they're reflecting on how they can be a part of the solution. “Knowing that the trends are going down, there is an element of what is my role and what am I going to do?" Garrett said.
