As Texans review newly released scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), it is essential to remember the funding crisis facing public schools across the state. According to the Legislative Budget Board, funding for public education in constant dollars is $9.8 billion below what it was in 2020.

HD Chambers, the Executive Director of the Texas School Alliance, released the following statement in response to the release of NAEP scores:

“The NAEP results present an incomplete picture of student performance in Texas because it is given to a small number of students in two grades. For Texas students, even though the STAAR is a much better measure of whether students are meeting the state standards required of Texas public schools, it also provides an incomplete picture of student performance.  Legislators and other elected leaders who want to improve overall student performance and have a world class education system should prioritize funding for Texas public schools. The combination of stagnant state funding, high inflation, and the many other challenges our schools are facing each day have left Texas public schools in a funding crisis that inevitably impacts student performance”.

Important context to consider when weighing NAEP scores:

  • NAEP scores are not adjusted for state demographics.
  • The NAEP is not aligned with any state’s standards. By contrast, the STAAR measures student performance on state curriculum standards.
    • The NAEP is only given to a relatively small, randomly selected sample of students in 4th and 8th grade for reading and math.
    • The 2022 4th grade math NAEP was taken by a representative sample of 5,800 students in 260 Texas schools.
  • In contrast, the 2022 4th grade STAAR Math test was administered to approximately 370,000 students enrolled in 4,600 Texas public elementary schools. STAAR tests every student in grades 3-8 each year. 
  • The ‘NAEP Proficient’ achievement level does not represent grade-level performance as determined by states. 

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The Texas School Alliance (TSA) represents 48 of the largest school districts in Texas. TSA districts educate 41% of the state’s students.