Only a third of NYC 4th graders deemed ‘proficient’ in math as Big Apple students lag behind state, national averages: test scores

They’re barely making the grade.

New York City fourth and eighth graders still lag behind state and national averages in math and reading, according to the “Nation’s Report Card” released Wednesday.

The national exam — officially known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress — showed that only 33% of Big Apple fourth graders scored proficient in math last year.

That was still an improvement from city fourth graders’ disastrous showing in 2022 amid remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city’s eighth grade math scores remained effectively flat, as did fourth and eighth grade reading, the 2024 results show.

“We need to rethink schools from top to the bottom,” Eric Nadelstern, former deputy chancellor under then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said about the NAEP results.

Still, Nadelstern said he’s not surprised by the 2024 NAEP results, given how students fell behind during the pandemic and are climbing their way back.

The struggle is vividly illustrated in the results, which broadly show city students returning to pre-COVID levels — all while maintaining a years-long gap below state and national averages, as shown in data compiled by Chalkbeat NYC.

The results are a big rebound from 2022, when fourth grade math scores plummeted to 23%.

In 2019, 32% of fourth graders scored proficient in math.

They’re still below state and national averages on math — which stood at 39% and 37%, respectively, last year.

The city’s fourth graders were 28% proficient in reading last year, up slightly from 26% on the exam in 2022, the results show.

The fourth grade state and national proficiency averages last year stood at 30% and 31%, respectively.

More troubling was the huge racial gap in test scores within New York City.

Only 16% of black and Hispanic fourth grade students were proficient in math, compared to 53% of white students and 58% of Asian students, the results show.

“We hoped to see post-pandemic improvement—but the reality is that it hasn’t happened,” said Marielys Divanne, Executive Director of Educators for Excellence–New York.

“We cannot afford to be passive in the face of these disparities.”

“The kids who fell behind the most are the ones who are most marginalized,” Nadelstern said, referring to lower-income black and Hispanic students.

City Department of Education spokesperson Chyann Tull waved off The Post’s questions about low test scores.

She said that the latest NAEP results “underscore the resilience” of Big Apple students and educators navigating the “unprecedented challenges of recent years.”

“Our test scores have returned to pre-pandemic levels, and this stability reflects the extraordinary efforts of our schools to support learning recovery and maintain high standards for all students,” she said.

“We congratulate our students, families, and educators who are outpacing the state in Reading scores and recovering in Math. While there is still so much to be done, we remain committed to building on this foundation and fostering continued growth citywide.”