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OPI reports strong NAEP averages; panel flags decline at lower percentiles
Summary
OPI told the Board of Public Education that Montana scored above the national average on NAEP grade 4 and 8 assessments, while higher performers improved and lower‑performing students fell, prompting board requests for gap breakdowns and intervention examples.
The Office of Public Instruction presented an assessment update on March 11 that included results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and state assessments.
OPI’s NAEP state coordinator told the board that Montana’s grade‑4 and grade‑8 math and reading results for 2024 were above national averages and that Montana compared favorably to other Western states. The presentation noted an apparent divergence in the distribution: higher performers’ scores rose while scores for lower performers declined — a trend OPI said is observable nationally as well.
“Grade 4 and 8 students performed above the national average in all subject areas,” the coordinator said. OPI said NAEP participation included roughly 1,700 students per grade sample and that results for science will be released later in the year.
Board members asked for more granular analysis. One member urged OPI to report how many students comprise declines in the bottom quartiles and to propose interventions and districts that have seen success. OPI staff said they would provide additional breakdowns, gap analysis (including for English language learners and students with disabilities) and follow‑up reporting to the board.
Separately, OPI assessment staff reported that Window 2 of the Montana state assessment (MAS) achieved 96–97 percent completion rates and that 68,000 hand‑scored performance tasks were delivered. Staff outlined plans for teacher professional learning on how to use MAS results and scheduled standard‑setting and policy‑descriptor workshops in late March and July.
What’s next: OPI will return with a gap analysis and more detail on bottom‑percentile movement and recommended interventions for districts and the board to consider.
