Johnson on NAEP scores: Need to strengthen history instruction, provide resources
In a Purdue University News video, Chrystal Johnson, associate professor of social studies education, explained what the recently released 8th grade history scores mean and what educators and policymakers can learn from them.
Chrystal Johnson
The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, showed a decline in U.S. History scores for 8th grade students in 2022. Johnson said that last year’s scores declined by 5 points compared to 2018 and 9 points compared to 2014. She pointed out that compared to scores in 1994, the first year the NAEP tested history, the 2022 score is the same. This suggests that U.S. history scores have reverted back to where they were in 1994. She added that when comparing history scores between different school types, there was no significant change when it came to charter schools, while public schools experienced a decline compared to previous years.
According to Johnson, the NAEP scores cannot be used to establish a trend in education, but instead provide a snapshot of the current state of learning in the country.
Johnson said that teachers, policymakers, and the field of education should examine why this decline is happening in some areas rather than others. She hopes that this data will encourage lawmakers to strengthen history instruction in schools and to provide resources for teachers to improve student outcomes.
Source: Chrystal Johnson, johnsocs@purdue.edu