By: APS Office of Communications and Public Engagement
APS is the only large city school district to make significant progress in fourth-grade reading, with a 6.9-point increase from 2022 to 2024
ATLANTA – Atlanta Public Schools students are making progress and in some instances outpacing their peers in other large urban districts, according to the results of the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as “the nation’s report card.”
Atlanta Public Schools is the only large city school district to make significant progress in fourth-grade reading, with a 6.9-point increase from 2022 to 2024. Additionally,
- APS is the only large urban district to see an increase in fourth-grade reading for students performing in the 75th percentile or above (high-performing students) from 2022 to 2024.
- The district’s gain in reading was significantly greater than the state of Georgia, other large urban school districts, and public schools nationally which significantly declined.
- APS also experienced a significant increase in fourth-grade mathematics performance, with nominally greater gains compared to Georgia, large urban school districts, and public schools nationally.
- In eighth grade reading, APS students’ performance held steady with a score change comparable to Georgia.
“The district’s strong performance on NAEP is a testament to the board, administration, and staff remaining steadfast in the pursuit of their goals for improving outcomes for all students in the district,” said Council of Great City Schools Executive Director Ray Hart.
While he is encouraged by the results, APS Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson said there is still more work to be done.
“This is evidence that the hard work of our principals, teachers, and students is paying off,” Johnson said. “While we are certainly proud of these results, we also realize that we still have a significant journey ahead of us. Our goal is to become consistently the top-performing urban school district in the country. With the resources and talent we have in Atlanta Public Schools, I am confident that we will achieve that goal.”
More information on NAEP
- The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is known as “the nation’s report card” because it offers a window into the state of the nation’s K-12 education system and what our children are learning. The results provide educators, policymakers, elected officials, and parents across the country with invaluable information regarding how our children are doing compared to other children in large urban districts, other states, and the nation.
- NAEP provides an essential measurement of student achievement in the United States. In mathematics, reading, science, and writing, academic achievement is reported for selected urban districts as well as for the nation and the states.
- Initially NAEP assessed and compared states.
- In 2001, after discussion among the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the National Assessment Governing Board (Governing Board), and the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS), Congress appropriated funds for a district-level NAEP assessment on a trial basis to focus attention on urban K-12 education and academic achievement in urban districts. This was called the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA).
- In 2002, in collaboration with NCES and CGCS, the Governing Board began inviting districts that meet certain selection criteria to volunteer to participate in TUDA. Selection criteria are based on district size, percentages of African American or Hispanic students, and percentages of students eligible for the free and reduced-price lunch program.
- When TUDA began in 2002, Atlanta Public Schools was one of six urban districts to participate in the NAEP reading and writing assessments.
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About Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia, serving approximately 50,000 students across 87 learning sites, including 59 neighborhood schools, five partner schools, 19 charter schools, two citywide single-gender academies, and two alternative programs. To learn more about Atlanta Public Schools, where there is Excellence Everywhere, follow us on social media – Twitter (@apsupdate), Facebook (Atlanta Public Schools), and Instagram (apsupdate) – or visit us online at www.atlantapublicschools.us.