New Hampshire’s high ‘National Report Card’ scores hailed as good news post-pandemic

By ETHAN DEWITT

New Hampshire Bulletin

Published: 02-03-2025 10:00 AM

New Hampshire is in the top 10% of states when it comes to fourth-grade and eighth-grade reading, according to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress report, released Wednesday. 

And the Granite State is in the top 12% for fourth-grade and eighth-grade math scores, the same report says.

The numbers show New Hampshire is an outlier compared to the rest of the country; nationwide, scores fell on average. And they indicated the state has made some gains since a year of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic drove down test scores. 

But despite the positive signs, Department of Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said the test scores show there is still room for improvement.

“While we like the direction the scores are heading, especially since New Hampshire has been able to buck the national trends, we would still like to see bigger gains across the board,” Edelblut said in a statement. “What might not be readily apparent is that our higher performing students are making gains while our disadvantaged or low performing students continue to lose ground and are not recovering as quickly. We must work to close that gap for the benefit of all students.”

The results showed that in 2024, math scores for New Hampshire fourth graders were 242, up from 239 in 2022, and for eighth graders were 280, up from 279 in 2022

Eighth-grade reading scores in New Hampshire increased from 263 in 2022 to 264 in 2024, while they decreased for fourth graders from 223 in 2022 to 221 in 2024,

All of the scores outperformed the national average.

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To Megan Tuttle, president of the National Education Association of New Hampshire, the state’s largest teachers union, the numbers are indicative of the effort schools and teachers have put in to close learning gaps during the pandemic.

“That’s a huge testament to the hard work of the New Hampshire educators, of the students, obviously, and all the families that are doing what they’ve always done, you know, despite all the challenges we’re facing,” she said.