WASHINGTON (October 30, 2019) – Today, Ary Amerikaner, vice president for P-12 policy, practice, and research at The Education Trust, issued the following statement on the release of the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP.

“Today’s NAEP results provide more evidence of how deeply we shortchange students from low-income families and Black and Latino students. While the nation has witnessed significant progress for all groups of students over the last 30 years and many of our largest urban school districts are moving steadily to raise student achievement, we have miles to go to close opportunity gaps and the achievement gaps they create.

“Until we adopt policies and make investments that center the needs of historically underserved students, including students from low-income families, Black students, and Latino students, it’s unrealistic to expect these gaps to close. While the NAEP results are disappointing, we’ve seen across states and districts that progress is possible. Today we call on national, state, and local leaders to take these data seriously, and to take bold action to address persistent inequities in access to strong and diverse educators, advanced coursework, high-quality early childhood education, school funding, and other essential supports provided inside and outside the classroom.”

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