Opportunities in Education
When fourth-graders took the mathematics assessment in January – March, 2019, 2022, and 2024, they were asked the number of days they were absent from school in the month prior to taking the assessment. The response options were none, 1 or 2 days, 3 or 4 days, 5 to 10 days, and more than 10 days.
A decrease in absenteeism in 2024 compared to 2022 was noted in the highest levels of absenteeism (5 to 10 days or more than 10 days); a smaller percentage of fourth-graders reported missing 5 or more days in the last month in 2024 (15 percent) than in 2022 (21 percent). The percentage of students missing 5 or more days in the last month was larger in 2024 than in 2019 (11 percent).
Figure Percentage distribution of fourth-grade students in NAEP mathematics by the reported number of days they were absent from school in the previous month: 2019, 2022, and 2024
A larger percentage of lower-performing students reported being absent from school for 3 or more days
In 2024, the percentage of lower-performing students (those scoring below the 25th percentile) who reported missing 3 or more days of school in the past month (45 percent) was larger than the percentage of higher-performing students (those scoring at or above the 75th percentile) who reported missing 3 or more days (19 percent). A larger percentage of higher-performing students (49 percent) than lower-performing students (26 percent) reported they were not absent from school in the past month.
Figure Percentage distribution of fourth-grade students in NAEP mathematics by performance level and by the reported number of days they were absent from school in the previous month: 2024
School administrators were asked to indicate the percentage of teachers absent on an average day in 2019, 2022, and 2024. The response options were 0‒2%, 3‒5%, 6‒10%, and more than 10%. The percentage of fourth-grade students whose school administrators indicated 6% or more of teachers were absent on an average day was lower in 2024 (12 percent) compared to 2022 (16 percent) but was higher than in 2019 (9 percent). The percentage of fourth-graders whose school administrators indicated 0‒2% of teachers were absent on an average day in 2024 (55 percent) was lower than in 2019 (62 percent) but not significantly different compared to 2022.
Figure Percentage distribution of fourth-grade students in NAEP mathematics by school reported percentage of teachers absent on an average day: 2019, 2022, and 2024
Larger percentage of lower-performing students attended schools with 6% or more teacher absenteeism
In 2024, a larger percentage of lower-performing fourth-graders (those scoring below the 25th percentile) had school administrators who reported 6% or more of teachers were absent on an average day (15 percent) when compared to higher-performing students scoring at or above the 75th percentile (11 percent). The percentage of lower-performing fourth-graders whose school administrators indicated 0‒2% of teachers were absent on an average day in 2024 (52 percent) was smaller compared to their higher performing peers (57%).
Figure Percentage distribution of fourth-grade students in NAEP mathematics by performance level and by school reported percentage of teachers absent on an average day: 2024
The teachers of fourth-graders who took the mathematics assessment were asked to indicate the degree to which the statement “I am satisfied with being a teacher at my school” applied to them. The response options ranged from not at all like me to exactly like me. The percentage of students in 2024 with teachers who responded exactly like me (46 percent) was not significantly different from 2022 or 2019.
Figure Percentage distribution of fourth-grade students in NAEP mathematics by how their teachers responded to a statement about being satisfied with teaching at their current school: 2019, 2022, and 2024
Smaller percentage of lower-performing students had teachers who agreed exactly they were satisfied with being a teacher at their school
In 2024, a smaller percentage of lower-performing fourth-graders (41 percent) had teachers who reported that the statement “I am satisfied with being a teacher at this school” exactly applied to them compared to their higher-performing peers (49 percent).
Figure Percentage distribution of fourth-grade students in NAEP mathematics by performance level and by how their teachers responded to a statement about being satisfied with teaching at their current school: 2024
When fourth-graders took the mathematics assessment, they answered questions about their confidence in performing four mathematics-related tasks, such as estimating the weight of five apples using pounds or finding the amount of carpet needed to cover a floor if its length and width are known. Students’ responses to these questions can be combined to create an index that focuses on their confidence in their mathematics knowledge and skills. Read more about the NAEP survey questionnaire indices.
A larger percentage of fourth-graders reported having a high level of confidence in their mathematics knowledge and skills in 2024 (46 percent) than in 2022 (41 percent), while the percentage in 2024 was not significantly different from 2019.
Figure Percentage distribution of fourth-grade students in NAEP mathematics by students' confidence in mathematics knowledge and skills index score category: 2019, 2022, and 2024
Larger percentage of higher-performing students reported high levels of confidence in their mathematics skills
In 2024, a larger percentage of higher-performing fourth-graders (those scoring at or above the 75th percentile) reported having a high level of confidence in their mathematics knowledge and skills (75 percent) compared to lower-performing students scoring below the 25th percentile (19 percent).
Figure Percentage distribution of fourth-grade students in NAEP mathematics by performance level and by students’ confidence in mathematics knowledge and skills index score category: 2024
The teachers of fourth-graders who took the mathematics assessment were asked to indicate how much emphasis they were placing on five mathematics content areas during the school year. Response options were little or no emphasis, moderate emphasis, and heavy emphasis. Ninety-five percent of fourth-graders had teachers who placed a heavy emphasis on numbers and operations in 2024, and this percentage was lower than in 2022 and 2019 (both 96 percent).
The percentage of fourth-graders with teachers who placed a heavy emphasis on geometry in 2024 (30 percent) was higher in comparison to 2022 (27 percent) and lower than in 2019 (34 percent). The percentage of fourth-graders with teachers who placed a heavy emphasis on data analysis, statistics, and probability in 2024 (23 percent) increased in comparison to 2022 (20 percent) and was not significantly different from 2019.
Figure Percentage distribution of fourth-grade students in NAEP mathematics by how much emphasis their teachers place on various content areas of mathematics: 2019, 2022, and 2024
Larger percentage of higher-performing students had teachers who placed a heavy emphasis on all mathematics content areas except for data analysis, statistics, and probability
In 2024, a larger percentage of higher-performing fourth-graders (those scoring at or above the 75th percentile) had teachers who placed a heavy emphasis on numbers and operations, measurement, geometry, and algebra and functions compared to lower performers (those scoring below the 25th percentile).
Figure Percentage distribution of fourth-grade students in NAEP mathematics whose teachers placed heavy emphasis on various content areas of mathematics, by performance level: 2024
NOTE: The NAEP mathematics scale ranges from 0 to 500. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding or the omission of categories. Although the estimates (e.g., average scores or percentages) are shown as rounded numbers in the charts, the positions of the data points in the graphics are based on the unrounded numbers. Unrounded numbers were used for calculating the differences between the estimates, and for the statistical comparison test when the estimates were compared to each other. Comparison results are based on a statistical significance level set at .05, with appropriate adjustments for multiple comparisons. Not all apparent differences between estimates are statistically significant.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2019, 2022, and 2024 Mathematics Assessments.
Below are selected National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics survey questionnaire results from the 2019, 2022, and 2024 assessments covering aspects of students' educational experiences. The selected results provide trends in student and teacher absenteeism, teacher satisfaction, students’ confidence in mathematics, teachers’ mathematics course emphasis (grade 4 only) and mathematics coursetaking (grade 8 only). Read more about NAEP survey questionnaires.
A special module was added to the 2024 NAEP survey questionnaires to collect information about students’ learning experiences and how educators addressed educational recovery and student development related to learning disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit the Experiences and Opportunities in Education dashboard for survey results related to learning recovery.
NAEP survey questionnaire responses provide additional information for understanding NAEP performance results. Although comparisons in students’ performance are made based on student, teacher, and school characteristics and educational experiences, these results cannot be used to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the characteristics or experiences and student achievement. NAEP is not designed to identify the causes of performance differences. There are many factors that may influence average student achievement, including local educational policies and practices, the quality of teachers, and available resources. Such factors may change over time and vary among student groups; therefore, results must be interpreted with caution.
NAEP reports results using widely accepted statistical standards; findings are reported based on a statistical significance level set at .05, with appropriate adjustments for multiple comparisons. Students are always the unit of analysis when reporting NAEP survey questionnaire responses. The percentages shown are weighted and represent students or students whose teachers or school administrators indicated a specific response on the survey questionnaire. Some student responses are missing as a result of an inability to link students to their teachers’ or school administrators’ responses to the survey questionnaire or as a result of nonresponse from students, teachers, or school administrators. The denominator of the percentages presented excludes all students with missing information in the data for the analysis. The percentage distributions of reported survey response categories could change when students with missing data are included in the denominator. To find missing rates and explore student, teacher, and school questionnaire data further, use the NAEP Data Explorer.