AFT Welcomes Good News in NAEP Scores, Warns of Troubling Signs
Union Analysis Shows Slower Achievement Growth Since NCLB Passage,
Stagnant Eighth-Grade Reading Results

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Federation of Teachers congratulates educators, students and parents on the good news found in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) math and reading results released today. The NAEP results show increases in student scores in fourth- and eighth-grade mathematics and in fourth-grade reading since 2003. Eighth-grade reading results are unchanged since 2003.

An AFT analysis of the results reveals that many scores were rising faster before the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was enacted in 2002. “The slowing of the increases is troubling, and the essentially flat eighth-grade reading scores suggest there is a cloud on the horizon,” AFT Executive Vice President Antonia Cortese said, noting that NCLB has serious flaws that need to be addressed. “Our members tell us that the ‘teach to the test’ mindset fostered by NCLB is interfering with their ability to teach a well-rounded, rigorous curriculum. We need to get NCLB right.”

“Teachers, students, parents and the entire school community deserve credit for the improved scores, including the continued closing of achievement gaps,” Cortese added. “The fact that these trends date back to the early 1990s shows that states’ long-standing commitment to education is paying dividends. Unfortunately, many schools making similar or greater progress are labeled ‘failing’ under NCLB’s flawed accountability system—which is just another reason why we need to fix the law.”

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