Periodically since 1969, the US Department of Education has administered the The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to a representative subset of children enrolled in the fourth, eighth, or twelfth grade in the United States. These subject based assessments are widely used to benchmark a state’s performance both in comparison to other states and in comparison to previous test years.
Since the NAEP is only administered to a subset of schools and students and results are not directly tied to schools, unlike most state assessments, most parents are unaware of the treasure trove of data available from the NAEP assessment. While the national results, known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” can paint a somewhat bleak picture – less than a third of students placed at or above proficient in subjects such as civics, geography, and writing – the NAEP database can provide a snapshot of the state of modern educational reform.
Florida’s NAEP Performance
As an organization rooted in Florida, NAEP’s helpfulness is limited by our state’s limited subject area reporting. What we do know is that while Florida’s scores are generally better than the national average, the majority of Florida students are ranking below proficient, especially as students progress further from the elementary years.
What does this mean for Florida?
Like all states, education in Florida still has room to grow to meet the needs of all students. At the Balkhi Foundation, we understand that a multipoint approach is essential if true change is to be made. This is why we intend to launch our first round of scholarships in Spring 2019 aimed at improving access to supplemental technology education and college education for those students who have shown the ability to achieve despite the educational challenges that surround them.
If you support this mission and want to help fund the bright minds of tomorrow, please donate to our scholarship fund. Your tax deductible gift today can make a world of difference in a child’s education.
