NYC Math Scores Drop Amid Pandemic Slide: Study

NEW YORK CITY — New York City youngsters' math scores suffered in 2022 amid upheaval from the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study known as the Nation’s Report Card.

The city's fourth graders scored an average of 222 on math assessments last year, which shows they're behind other public school students in larger cities, the study found. The average nationwide was 227.

But the dip in math scores wasn't matched in reading, or in all grades.

Math scores and reading scores for eighth graders, as well reading results for fourth graders, were ranked as roughly average for New York City student, the study found.

Here's what the report card shows:

• 23 percent of fourth graders scored at or above the National Assessment of Educational Progress proficient level in math, which is considered to show solid academic performance over challenging subject matter. That's smaller than the 32 percent from 2022.
• 60 percent of fourth graders scored at or above the basic level in math, which is the lowest level on the Report Card. The percentage was 69 percent in 2019.

Eighth graders in the city scored an average of 269 on math tests in 2022, which is roughly even with the national average.

It's also not significantly different than their 273 average score in 2019.

On those tests:

• 25 percent of eighth graders scored at or above the proficiency level in math. The average was 27 percent in 2019.
• 52 percent of eighth graders scored at or above the basic level in math. The average was 58 percent in 2019.

On 2022 reading tests, fourth graders in New York City scored an average of 211, which is not significantly different than their average score before the pandemic. On those tests:

• 26 percent of fourth graders scored at or above the proficiency level in reading. They scored an average of 27 percent in 2019.
• 54 percent of fourth graders scored at or above the basic level in reading. It was 57 percent in 2019.

Eighth graders scored an average of 255 on reading tests in 2022, which is roughly the same as their average score in 2019. On those tests:

• 27 percent of eighth graders scored at or above the proficiency level in reading. Their average scores were 26 percent in 2019.
• 63 percent of eighth graders scored at the basic level in reading, which is the same average as 2019.

The report didn’t break out how New York eighth graders performed on U.S. history and civics tests, but it found a wide drop in scores nationally. This is “a national concern,” said Pegg Carr, the National Center for Education Statistics, in a news release.

“Self-government depends on each generation of students leaving school with a complete understanding of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship,” she said. “But far too many students are struggling to understand and explain the importance of civic participation, how American government functions, and the historical significance of events.”