Oregon Students Outpace All U.S. States in Academic Growth from Elementary to Middle School
Research by the online tutoring marketplace Wiingy on improvements in US elementary and middle school students indicates that Oregon students improve the most between elementary and middle school, with the highest overall academic achievement and reading score improvements.
Oregon Learners Improve More Than Any Other State
Analyzing the data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to see which states had the best academic improvement as students progressed from elementary to middle school, the Wiingy analysis looked at the percentage change in math and reading scores from grade four to grade eight in each state.
These scores were averaged to create an overall academic growth score.
Oregon’s academic growth was rated #1 in the US, with a 20.1% increase in NAEP scores between grades four and eight. At the same time, Students in Southern states like Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi showed the lowest overall improvement among the top ten states.
The average reading score for Oregon’s fourth graders was 206.97, which rose to an average of 254.83 by the eighth grade. Oregon’s academic growth was:
- Math score improvement: 17,2%
- Reading score improvement: 23,1%
- Average academic improvement (aggregate): 20.1%
Wisconsin saw the biggest improvement in the US for math, going from a score of 239.25 in the fourth grade to 282.65 by the eighth grade, an improvement of 18.1%—a massive 85% increase compared to Florida, the state with the least math progress.
The top 10 US states with the most academic improvement were:
| Rank | State | Math score improvement | Reading score improvement | Average academic improvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | 17.2% | 23.1% | 20.1% |
| 2 | Illinois | 17.5% | 22.1% | 19.8% |
| 3 | Alaska | 16.9% | 22.3% | 19.6% |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 18.1% | 20.8% | 19.5% |
| 5 | Maine | 16.9% | 21.7% | 19.3% |
| 6 | South Dakota | 17.2% | 21.4% | 19.3% |
| 7 | Minnesota | 17.2% | 21.3% | 19.2% |
| 8 | Nebraska | 17.5% | 21.0% | 19.2% |
| 9 | Vermont | 17.4% | 21.0% | 19.2% |
| 10 | Arizona | 16.0% | 22.2% | 19.1% |
Asit Biswal, CEO of Wiingy, highlighted that the growth between grades four and eight gives insight into how well our educational systems sustain progress through critical developmental years.
The data revealed regional disparities within the education system. Biswal said, “A state might have high overall scores but show less improvement between grades, which could indicate a need for attention to middle school years.”
Florida, for example, spent just $11,773, which is almost 25% less than the national average of $15,633. Biswal suggested this could be part of why growth is smaller in the state.
He also noted that some states with lower initial fourth-grade scores, like Alaska and Arizona, showed remarkable growth, suggesting effective interventions during these formative years that other states could learn from.