The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) release of student achievement results in January 2025 represents one of the most consequential education stories in recent years. The results gave us clear evidence that we are not doing as well as we want with student achievement overall or with narrowing the gap between high performers and those scoring at NAEP’s “Below Basic” level.
Over the course of 2025, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR) convened a series of webinars we called “Decoding NAEP.” Over nine webinars, we brought together 50 education thought leaders — including distinguished policymakers, advocates, researchers, and educators from across the ideological spectrum — to discuss the NAEP results, what they tell us and where they point us, especially with respect to raising achievement among students from economically fragile families and historically marginalized communities. These conversations occurred amidst fierce disagreement over the appropriate federal role in education generally. Though views differed, a shared conviction emerged:
NAEP remains the nation’s benchmark of student achievement, the one consistent instrument capable of showing both how far we’ve come and how far we have to go.
As a follow-up to the webinars, CGLR put together this report not to issue a verdict with iron-clad findings. Instead, this report represents a call to broaden the discussion further; to draw more thought, research, policy, and practice leaders toward open-ended curiosity about how we will boost student achievement; and, beyond dialogue, to prompt the kind of bold, sustained action that will improve outcomes for our children. The panelists in this series challenge us all to approach NAEP as a catalyst for problem-solving rather than a scoreboard of disappointment.
CGLR’s hope, expectation, and determination is that the takeaways from this report will fuel the continuation of the conversation and will engage more thought, policy, research, and practice leaders as well as an even larger audience than the 1,072 individuals who attended one or more of these conversations. We encourage you to join us in conversation on LinkedIn about this report and the insights it outlines, as well as in future GLR Learning Tuesdays sessions that will continue to explore the best science, ideas, and programs to drive early school success for children in economically challenged, fragile, and otherwise marginalized families — including future sessions on NAEP.
“I am heartbroken about how little you hear about educational outcomes from our leaders. That’s both sides of the aisle.”
“Behind every data point is a face. And if you don’t know who that face is, you’re not going to be able to figure out what that child needs.”
“I don’t think we should ever stop paying attention to data, collecting data, or disaggregating and discussing data.”
“The states that get results are willing to make school districts do things.”
“It’s wonderful to watch parents harness this data, make it actionable, and call for change.”
“Point number one, I will stand on the rooftop and share: NAEP matters.”
“We have to keep reminding people what’s at stake and where we are at. We can’t do it enough.”
“The bottom line is we know what works.”
Chapter 1:
UNDERSTANDING NAEP
Draws on panelists’ historical perspective to affirm NAEP’s importance as “the Nation’s Report Card” and recount how NAEP has played a critical role in past improvements in student achievement — and can do so again.
Chapter 2:
ENGAGING with NAEP
Synthesizes panelists’ expertise into seven time-tested lessons for interpreting and acting on NAEP results every two years in a way that harnesses NAEP’s power as an engine for improving student achievement, closing achievement gaps, and combating the fatalism that stands in the way of progress.
CHAPTER 3:
NAEP 2024 REFRAMED
Reflects panelists’ detailed analyses of the 2024 NAEP results. It spotlights the specific success stories that show that positive change is possible when we refuse to accept anything less than increasing achievement. In closing, the report outlines the actions that NAEP 2024 points us toward and includes observations on how we might move forward.
