Colorado students saw slight improvements in mathematics and reading scores in 2024, according to the results of the 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress test.

Released Wednesday, the “Nation’s Report Card” reported that fourth-grade reading scores actually declined from 2022, while math scores had marginal improvement. For eighth-graders, both math and reading scores improved slightly.

Even with improvements, the majority of students are still struggling with proficiency in either reading or math.

Across the state, the report found that 64 percent of fourth-graders cannot read proficiently while 58 percent aren't proficient in math. Of eighth-graders, 65 percent cannot read proficiently and 68 percent aren't proficient in math. Yet, these Colorado percentages still outperformed many other states and the national averages.

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Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who chairs the National Governors Association, issued a bipartisan statement on the test’s results.

While many have been concerned with students’ testing in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the report actually shows that the decline in Colorado was happening for many years prior to the pandemic.

For both fourth and eighth graders, the best testing results were between 2011 and 2013. Polis commented on this long-standing trend.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for education,” said Polis. “Test scores confirm students are still struggling, but that’s not the whole story. Reading and math scores were declining even before the pandemic – especially for the lowest-performing students. Our challenge isn’t just to get back to normal; it’s to reverse decades of deterioration.”

To address these education issues, Polis called for states to join the Let’s Get Ready initiative, which encourages governors to look to “innovative education policies.”

“Free early childhood education, tutoring and afterschool programs, innovative charter schools – everything should be on the table to ensure every student can succeed no matter their zip code,” Polis said.

The report came as Colorado is currently at a crossroads of deciding whether to continue to allocate more money into its current education systems.

Recently, two studies were released calling for Colorado to spend billions more on K-12 education programs, while experts say more money isn’t the solution.