Illinois’ eighth-graders outperform national averages in reading and math

Illinois’ eighth-graders outperformed national averages in reading and math, according to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results released Wednesday.

And Illinois fourth-graders were on par with national averages, according to The Nation’s Report Card.

Gov. JB Pritzker called the results “a testament to the great strides Illinois students are making academically,” in a news release.

Illinois students’ performance held steady across all subjects and grades from 2022 to 2024, despite significant reading declines for students in fourth and eighth grades nationwide, the national report card shows.

NAEP provides a common measure of what U.S. students know, offering a snapshot of academic progress and a chance to compare performance across states. The 2024 results confirm student progress highlighted in the 2024 Illinois Report Card.

Illinois recorded the highest-ever proficiency rate in English language arts for students in third through eighth grades in 2024, a remarkable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the state report card shows.

“The latest NAEP results give Illinois students, educators, and families cause to celebrate with steady or increasing results seen on the ‘Nation’s Report Card,’” state Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders said. “This data is another example, like our state report card and national studies, that Illinois’ students are growing academically.”

The NAEP was administered to a representative sample of Illinois students from January through March of 2024. Achieving “basic” on the test indicates performing at grade level. Higher on the scale are the “proficient” and “advanced” performance levels.

Here is how Illinois eighth-graders fared on the national test:

• Reading — Illinois students achieved an average scale score of 262, surpassing the national average of 257; 70% of Illinois students performed at or above NAEP’s basic level and 33% performed at or above proficient. Only Massachusetts outperformed Illinois in eighth grade reading. The reading achievement gap for Hispanic students has narrowed by eight scale score points, from 26 in 2003 to 18 in 2024.

• Math — Illinois students achieved an average scale score of 277, surpassing the national average of 272; 62% of Illinois students performed at or above basic level and 32% performed at or above proficient — a six percentage-point improvement over 2022. Only four states — Utah, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Massachusetts — exceeded Illinois’ performance in eighth grade math.

Illinois has increased its focus on literacy, adopting the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan in January 2024. In the coming months, the Illinois State Board of Education is expected to launch a new statewide effort to develop a numeracy plan to boost students’ math skills.