Good Reason Houston announces NAEP 2024 results

Good Reason Houston announced that the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results indicated an increase in the percentage of students at or above proficient levels in all subjects across all grade levels. The announcement was made in a media advisory on January 29.

According to Good Reason Houston, fourth-grade students demonstrated greater progress than their peers in large urban districts, as well as state and national averages. Despite these gains, equity gaps persist, with Houston ranking among the top districts in the nation for achievement disparities based on socioeconomic status and race.

"Sometimes when we tell people Good Reason Houston wants Houston to be the leading education city in the nation, they make it seem like that’s unattainable," said Good Reason Houston CEO Cary Wright. "But when we see a national report card that shows Houston ISD students improving at an astounding rate when compared to their peer urban districts around the country, we know it's not out of reach. With only 17% of the most recent cohort of HISD high school graduates earning a living wage six years after graduation, we must improve this outcome."

The NAEP, also known as The Nation's Report Card, provides data on student academic achievement across various subjects. Established in 1969, it offers valuable insights that influence education policies and practices. NAEP is overseen by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and managed by the U.S. Department of Education, with policy direction from the independent National Assessment Governing Board. Results are available at national, state, and district levels, covering 27 urban areas.

Good Reason Houston is a nonpartisan education nonprofit focused on improving public education in the Houston region. The organization works to ensure that every child in every neighborhood has access to a world-class public school and is prepared for the future. It collaborates with 25 public school systems, serving 700,000 students across nearly 900 schools.