Mohamed Bughrara

As students in Michigan return to normal with in-person school activities, recently released school reports remind us of Michigan’s grade schoolers in the subjects of reading and writing between 2015-2019.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally recognized assessment body for K-12 students. The NAEP assesses 4th, 8th, and 12th graders on various subjects across the United States.  According to the Nation’s Report Card, out of a possible total score of 500, the average score for 4th grade mathematics students across Michigan in 2019 was 236, a four-point decrease from the 2015-2019 average of 240. The average score for 4th grade mathematics students in the state of Michigan in 2015 and 2017 was also 236.  

8th grade students in Michigan scored higher, with a 2017-2019 average score of 280. The average score for 8th grade math students in 2015 was 278, while the national average score for grade 8 students in mathematics in between 2015-2019 was 282.5.

The average score for 4th grade students in reading across the state of Michigan between 2017 and 2019 was 218. In 2015, the average score was 216. All three years, Michigan students scored well below average in reading, overcoming the combined national average of 220 between 2015-2019. 

The average score for grade 8 students in reading for the state of Michigan in 2019 was 263. In 2017, the average score was 265. In 2015, 8th grade students scored 264 out of 500 in reading, 1 point above the national average.