Ohio’s reading scores among fourth-grade students remained above the national average despite continual post-pandemic dips in 2024, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

The scores, collected and released by the National Center for Education Statistics earlier this week, focused on students in fourth and eighth grade and their success in areas such as math and reading through assessments conducted every two years, according to the organization’s handbook of survey methods.

While NCES has been collecting data since 1971, data for the state dates back to 2002, as that was when they began monitoring large urban school districts. The snapshot reports for 2024 and past years use it as a reference point.

In the report for the state, its average reading score of 216 — albeit lower than it was in 2022 (219) and six points lower than it was in 2002 — was still higher than states and jurisdictions such as Washington D.C., Michigan and West Virginia and the national average of 214.

The report also notes score gaps for student groups, pointing out that boy students in Ohio scored lower than girl students by 10 points, down four points from 2022.

Students who identified as economically disadvantaged had an average score that was 27 points lower than those who did not. This performance gap was deemed to not have been significantly different than it was in 2002 (24 points).

While the data didn’t show scores by school district, local superintendents understand the roles their districts play in making up the state’s average.

LIBERTY

Liberty Superintendent Brian Knight acknowledged the national downward trend that started in 2017 but has only steepened since the pandemic.

Knight said they’ve instituted professional development programs that allow their teachers in all subjects to have a say in the ELA and reading pathways, as reading is needed for math, social studies and science too.

“The other part that we focused on was not just the reading, but making sure comprehension is there because a lot of kids can read stuff,” Knight said. “But then if you ask them to recite back what it means, they’re not able to do it. Relate it to real-life situations and applications, and they grasp a stronger understanding.”

POLAND

Poland Superintendent Craig Hockenberry said districts rely on the state average because as educational leaders, they’re trying to continually get over it.

Hockenberry said they’ve invested “a lot of money and resources” into early childhood education.

“Before kindergarten, how do we get these kids in a seat and getting high level instruction at a very young age? Some of these kids are staying in our preschool for two full years before they hit a kindergarten seat,” Hockenberry said. “So we’re working on all of those things early and getting the kids prepared. So I think the biggest thing we’re working on is the expansion of early childhood (education).”

Hockenberry said the district has been working to make preschool affordable, as he knows it isn’t mandatory, as well as trying to make it work with parents’ schedules.

He said they also have been working to emphasize the connection literacy has to so many other things in life, by training teachers in all subject areas.

“Everybody’s getting trained in it (literacy). So if you’re a math teacher, you’re getting trained in literacy,” Hockenberry said. “And I think that’s a common theme across all the school districts in the state of Ohio, and it’s really starting to pay dividends, which has been great.”