Nearly half of young New Yorkers statewide are still missing the mark on standardized math and English exams, according to newly released data.
The state Education Department released its yearly report card for public school students in grades 3-8, which showed that only 53% were deemed “proficient” in English Language Arts.
Just a little over half, 57%, made the grade in math for the 2024-25 school year, according to the state data made public Thursday.
The Education Dept.’s budget was around $40 billion, around the same as the New York City Department of Education’s $42.8 billion, with spending per pupil estimated at a whopping $36,293 — even as New York students continue to underperform.
Still, the department touted that the scores for grades 3-8 on the ELA and math tests had improved by 5 percentage points each compared to the previous schoolyear.
“Today’s results reflect the challenges and progress in our schools, and they reaffirm the importance of the work underway through NY Inspires,” said Chancellor Lester W. Young Jr., in a statement accompanying the report card.
“Our commitment remains steadfast: every student in New York deserves access to rigorous instruction, high-quality learning materials, and exceptional educators,” he said.
When it came to the National Assessment of Education Progress — a countrywide exam widely known as “the nation’s report card” — only 22% of 4th graders and 26% of 8th graders reached proficiency in reading in the Empire State.
Just 29% of 4th graders and 18% of 8th graders were considered proficient in math on the NAEP.
The results were relatively flat compared to the most recent dataset from 2022.
The state science exam, which is only given to students in grades 5 and 8, saw the most impressive gains, with 51% of pupils scoring proficient, up from 35% the previous school year, the report showed.
In the city, the numbers were slightly more promising – with 56.3% of 3rd through 8th graders deemed “proficient” in ELA and 56.9% in math in 2024-25, according to data released in August.
One area the Big Apple lagged behind the state in was science – with grades 5 and 8 coming in at just 48% proficient, up from 41% the year before.
Questions are swirling around the future of the city’s education system as the New Yorkers await the transition of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who campaigned on ending mayoral control of the largest public school system in the country and does not support allowing more charter schools to open.
Charter schools in the city told blew their district counterparts out of the water – with 67.5% of students scoring proficient in ELA and 68.6% in math, data showed.
“The glass is kind of half full because we can see evidence in some cases of improvements but there still are a lot of kids who are struggling,” said Columbia Teachers College Professor Aaron Pallas.
“The solutions to that haven’t yet been bottled,” he said, noting that he would like to see consistent improvements over the next few years to remain “cautiously optimistic.”
Pallas stressed the most urgent issue was ensuring “100% reading proficiency” among young students before they enter the 3rd grade, touting existing programs like NYC Reads and NYC Solves aimed at promoting early skill development.
“I’m intrigued by the prospect of keeping these curricular initiatives going in the new administration,” Pallas said.
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