FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: media@edtrust.org 

June 10, 2026 

National Test Scores Show More Needed for Black and Latino Students 

Statement of EdTrust President and CEO Denise Forte on NAEP Long-Term Trend Results 

WASHINGTON – “Americans are waking up to what’s becoming an unfortunately familiar story: test scores, although climbing for some, are failing to show the widespread post-pandemic gains that we need to see for students, particularly Black and Latino students and those from low-income backgrounds.  

“It’s encouraging to see that schools are adequately supporting younger students such that scores are rebounding for nine-year-olds, but we cannot ignore that scores for middle school students are stagnant at pre-COVID levels. We also must confront the fact that too many Black and Latino students and those from low-income backgrounds are not receiving the kind of equitable education that supports them to realize their full potential for success. Consider: 

• While 71% of all nine-year-olds demonstrated foundational reading skills, that’s just 60% for Black students and those from low-income backgrounds  

• Although 84% of all nine-year-olds demonstrated foundational math skills, that’s true of only 77% of Latino students, and 76% of those from low-income backgrounds  

• Among 13-year-olds, just 45% of Black students met the benchmark for foundational reading skills, versus 58% of all students 

• While 70% of 13-year-old students demonstrated foundational skills in math, that’s true for just 50% of Black students, 57% of Latino students, and 56% of students from low-income backgrounds 

“We should be talking about what resources and investments are needed to sustain and scale up that progress to ensure that every child is a confident, joyful, and capable reader and mathematician and on a clear pathway to success after high school. Instead, leaders in Congress and the Trump administration are ginning up the culture wars, cutting important federal funding, attacking local efforts to support students of color, and promoting a costly illusion in the form of school vouchers.  

“It’s time to turn our focus to what works to improve outcomes: well-funded public schools, evidence-backed literacy and math instruction, high-quality educators, and a safe and supportive school environment. Our children deserve nothing less.”   

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About EdTrust 

EdTrust is committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the American education system. Through our research and advocacy, EdTrust improves equity in education from preschool through college, engages diverse communities dedicated to education equity and justice, and increases political and public will to build an education system where students will thrive.