Yes, today's students are doing better than those who came before them. But the improvements have come at a snail's pace. The 2013 Nation's Report Card released Thursday finds that the vast majority of the students still are not demonstrating solid academic performance in either math or reading. ... Overall, just 42 percent of fourth-graders and 35 percent of eighth-graders scored at or above the proficient level in math. In reading, 35 percent of fourth graders and 36 percent of eighth graders hit that mark. ...
This test specifically looked at the performance of American children, but the results from other recent assessments and studies have shown American children and adults scoring below peers in many other countries.
In Oklahoma, state superintendent Janet Barresi was pleased that some Oklahoma scores were on the upswing. "Overall, however, the NAEP report confirms what we’ve long known," she said. "Oklahoma students lag behind their national counterparts in these key subject areas."
The percentage of Oklahoma students scoring at or above proficiency is 36 percent in fourth-grade math and 25 percent in eighth-grade math, according to a press release from the state department of education. In reading, the percentage of Oklahoma students scoring at or above proficient is 30 percent in fourth grade and 29 percent in eighth-grade.