COSMIQ Research · Study #1
The Honesty Gap: The States Overstating How Their Kids Are Doing
Ask almost any state education department how its students are doing and you will hear encouraging news: most kids meeting the standard, proficiency ticking up, progress on track. Ask the National Assessment of Educational Progress — the federal "Nation's Report Card," the only test that holds every state to the same bar — and the answer is very different.
We compared what states told their own families on their 2023–2026 state assessments with what NAEP 2024 found in the same state, and ranked 38 jurisdictions (37 states and the District of Columbia) by the size of that gap. These are the jurisdictions for which we could build a comparable state-reported figure; 12 states are not covered at all (listed in the methodology below), so this is a ranking of the covered set, not of all 50 states. The result is a measure of how far each state's definition of "on grade level" has drifted from a common national benchmark — what education researchers have long called the honesty gap.
The headline: Virginia reports proficiency rates that run 46.4 percentage points ahead of its NAEP results — the largest gap among the 38 jurisdictions we could measure. Iowa (+45.6) and Florida (+37.6) are close behind. At the other end, Oklahoma (+7.9) tells parents a story closest to what the national test shows.
The 10 states overstating the most
Ranked by the average of the math and reading/ELA gaps (state-reported percent meeting the state's own bar, minus NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient, averaged across grades 4 and 8):
- Virginiasays 69.4% meet the bar in math · NAEP says 25.4% are proficient · +46.4 pt average gap
- Iowasays 70.6% meet the bar in math · NAEP says 27.0% are proficient · +45.6 pt average gap
- Floridasays 62.2% meet the bar in math · NAEP says 25.0% are proficient · +37.6 pt average gap
- Ohiosays 59.5% meet the bar in math · NAEP says 28.0% are proficient · +34.6 pt average gap
- North Carolinasays 56.2% meet the bar in math · NAEP says 27.0% are proficient · +29.0 pt average gap
- Nebraskasays 54.9% meet the bar in math · NAEP says 28.4% are proficient · +28.7 pt average gap
- South Carolinasays 43.9% meet the bar in math · NAEP says 24.7% are proficient · +27.7 pt average gap
- Mississippisays 54.5% meet the bar in math · NAEP says 24.4% are proficient · +27.3 pt average gap
- New Yorksays 53.4% meet the bar in math · NAEP says 23.5% are proficient · +26.0 pt average gap
- Texassays 44.5% meet the bar in math · NAEP says 25.8% are proficient · +25.7 pt average gap
A large gap does not mean a state's students are doing badly — or that its education department is lying. It means the bar that state calls "proficient" (or "passing," or "meeting standards") sits far below NAEP's. A parent in Virginia and a parent in Oklahoma hearing "your child is on grade level" are hearing two very different claims.
Full ranking — all 38 jurisdictions
| # | State | State math % | NAEP math % | Math gap | State ELA % | NAEP reading % | Reading gap | Avg gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | 69.4 | 25.4 | +44.0 | 72.4 | 23.6 | +48.8 | +46.4 |
| 2 | Iowa | 70.6 | 27.0 | +43.6 | 73.1 | 25.4 | +47.7 | +45.6 |
| 3 | Florida | 62.2 | 25.0 | +37.2 | 61.2 | 23.2 | +38.0 | +37.6 |
| 4 | Ohio | 59.5 | 28.0 | +31.5 | 63.3 | 25.7 | +37.6 | +34.6 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 56.2 | 27.0 | +29.2 | 51.4 | 22.7 | +28.7 | +29.0 |
| 6 | Nebraska | 54.9 | 28.4 | +26.5 | 54.2 | 23.4 | +30.8 | +28.7 |
| 7 | South Carolina | 43.9 | 24.7 | +19.2 | 59.4 | 23.3 | +36.1 | +27.7 |
| 8 | Mississippi | 54.5 | 24.4 | +30.1 | 47.4 | 23.0 | +24.4 | +27.3 |
| 9 | New York | 53.4 | 23.5 | +29.9 | 45.8 | 23.7 | +22.1 | +26.0 |
| 10 | Texas | 44.5 | 25.8 | +18.7 | 54.2 | 21.5 | +32.7 | +25.7 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 53.6 | 29.2 | +24.4 | 52.3 | 25.8 | +26.5 | +25.5 |
| 12 | Idaho | 43.2 | 27.6 | +15.6 | 53.8 | 26.7 | +27.1 | +21.4 |
| 13 | California | 37.1 | 21.6 | +15.5 | 49.2 | 22.6 | +26.6 | +21.1 |
| 14 | Kentucky | 42.3 | 25.1 | +17.2 | 48.1 | 24.0 | +24.1 | +20.7 |
| 15 | Missouri | 43.0 | 24.1 | +18.9 | 44.2 | 22.4 | +21.8 | +20.4 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 43.3 | 26.4 | +16.9 | 49.8 | 25.8 | +24.0 | +20.4 |
| 17 | Washington | 39.7 | 24.9 | +14.8 | 50.3 | 24.6 | +25.7 | +20.3 |
| 18 | Nevada | 37.3 | 21.8 | +15.5 | 46.4 | 22.6 | +23.8 | +19.7 |
| 19 | Illinois | 37.3 | 25.4 | +11.9 | 51.9 | 24.7 | +27.2 | +19.5 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | 41.4 | 29.0 | +12.4 | 54.7 | 28.2 | +26.5 | +19.5 |
| 21 | New Jersey | 40.7 | 27.9 | +12.8 | 51.5 | 28.1 | +23.4 | +18.1 |
| 22 | Georgia | 43.3 | 23.8 | +19.5 | 39.8 | 24.6 | +15.2 | +17.3 |
| 23 | Delaware | 34.0 | 21.1 | +12.9 | 41.2 | 20.7 | +20.5 | +16.7 |
| 24 | North Dakota | 40.2 | 29.4 | +10.8 | 45.4 | 23.6 | +21.8 | +16.3 |
| 25 | Louisiana | 35.4 | 23.1 | +12.3 | 43.6 | 23.5 | +20.1 | +16.2 |
| 26 | Oregon | 31.6 | 21.3 | +10.3 | 43.1 | 21.8 | +21.3 | +15.8 |
| 27 | Arizona | 33.1 | 22.2 | +10.9 | 40.3 | 21.1 | +19.2 | +15.1 |
| 28 | Tennessee | 41.9 | 27.1 | +14.8 | 38.6 | 25.3 | +13.3 | +14.1 |
| 29 | Utah | 42.2 | 31.0 | +11.2 | 44.3 | 27.5 | +16.8 | +14.0 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | 26.8 | 17.4 | +9.4 | 37.3 | 19.2 | +18.1 | +13.8 |
| 31 | Alaska | 32.2 | 20.2 | +12.0 | 33.6 | 18.4 | +15.2 | +13.6 |
| 32 | Arkansas | 35.9 | 20.5 | +15.4 | 33.7 | 22.2 | +11.5 | +13.5 |
| 33 | Colorado | 35.6 | 27.3 | +8.3 | 44.4 | 27.7 | +16.7 | +12.5 |
| 34 | Indiana | 40.7 | 28.1 | +12.6 | 38.9 | 26.8 | +12.1 | +12.4 |
| 35 | Massachusetts | 40.3 | 30.4 | +9.9 | 41.1 | 29.5 | +11.6 | +10.8 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | 29.8 | 23.5 | +6.3 | 36.0 | 24.2 | +11.8 | +9.1 |
| 37 | Kansas | 31.4 | 25.9 | +5.5 | 33.4 | 22.9 | +10.5 | +8.0 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | 29.6 | 20.0 | +9.6 | 25.3 | 19.1 | +6.2 | +7.9 |
Download the full dataset (CSV)
State-by-state detail
Every figure below appears in the downloadable CSV. Click a state to expand its detail.
#1 Virginia+46.4 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 69.4% | 25.4% | +44.0 |
| Reading / ELA | 72.4% | 23.6% | +48.8 |
State side: Standards of Learning (SOL), spring 2023 (SY 2022–23), Virginia Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 131 districts (1,260,290 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 30.4%, G8 20.4%; reading G4 22.0%, G8 25.3%.
#2 Iowa+45.6 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 70.6% | 27.0% | +43.6 |
| Reading / ELA | 73.1% | 25.4% | +47.7 |
State side: ISASP, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Iowa Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 318 districts (508,165 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 31.8%, G8 22.1%; reading G4 22.4%, G8 28.4%.
#3 Florida+37.6 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 62.2% | 25.0% | +37.2 |
| Reading / ELA | 61.2% | 23.2% | +38.0 |
State side: FAST, spring 2026 (SY 2025–26), Florida Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 73 districts (2,857,677 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 33.6%, G8 16.3%; reading G4 23.6%, G8 22.9%.
#4 Ohio+34.6 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 59.5% | 28.0% | +31.5 |
| Reading / ELA | 63.3% | 25.7% | +37.6 |
State side: Ohio State Tests, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Ohio Department of Education & Workforce. Enrollment-weighted average across 606 districts (1,528,154 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 33.6%, G8 22.3%; reading G4 24.2%, G8 27.3%.
#5 North Carolina+29.0 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 56.2% | 27.0% | +29.2 |
| Reading / ELA | 51.4% | 22.7% | +28.7 |
State side: EOG, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), NC Department of Public Instruction. Enrollment-weighted average across 115 districts (1,400,671 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 32.0%, G8 22.1%; reading G4 21.6%, G8 23.9%.
#6 Nebraska+28.7 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 54.9% | 28.4% | +26.5 |
| Reading / ELA | 54.2% | 23.4% | +30.8 |
State side: NSCAS, spring 2024 (SY 2023–24), Nebraska Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 207 districts (319,372 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 32.4%, G8 24.4%; reading G4 21.7%, G8 25.0%.
#7 South Carolina+27.7 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 43.9% | 24.7% | +19.2 |
| Reading / ELA | 59.4% | 23.3% | +36.1 |
State side: SC READY, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), South Carolina Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 74 districts (784,789 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 31.5%, G8 17.9%; reading G4 23.3%, G8 23.3%.
#8 Mississippi+27.3 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 54.5% | 24.4% | +30.1 |
| Reading / ELA | 47.4% | 23.0% | +24.4 |
State side: MAAP, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Mississippi Department of Education. Official statewide topline published by the Mississippi Department of Education.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 32.2%, G8 16.6%; reading G4 25.2%, G8 20.9%.
#9 New York+26.0 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 53.4% | 23.5% | +29.9 |
| Reading / ELA | 45.8% | 23.7% | +22.1 |
State side: Grades 3-8 State Assessment, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), New York State Education Department. Enrollment-weighted average across 567 districts (1,825,074 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 28.5%, G8 18.5%; reading G4 21.7%, G8 25.7%.
#10 Texas+25.7 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 44.5% | 25.8% | +18.7 |
| Reading / ELA | 54.2% | 21.5% | +32.7 |
State side: STAAR, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Texas Education Agency. Enrollment-weighted average across 1,199 districts (5,513,262 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 34.0%, G8 17.7%; reading G4 21.0%, G8 22.0%.
#11 Wisconsin+25.5 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 53.6% | 29.2% | +24.4 |
| Reading / ELA | 52.3% | 25.8% | +26.5 |
State side: Forward Exam, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Wisconsin DPI. Enrollment-weighted average across 410 districts (800,422 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 31.8%, G8 26.6%; reading G4 23.4%, G8 28.2%.
#12 Idaho+21.4 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 43.2% | 27.6% | +15.6 |
| Reading / ELA | 53.8% | 26.7% | +27.1 |
State side: ISAT, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Idaho State Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 168 districts (314,522 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 31.4%, G8 23.8%; reading G4 24.3%, G8 29.1%.
#13 California+21.1 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 37.1% | 21.6% | +15.5 |
| Reading / ELA | 49.2% | 22.6% | +26.6 |
State side: CAASPP (Smarter Balanced), spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), California Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 965 districts (5,294,577 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 26.5%, G8 16.6%; reading G4 21.3%, G8 23.9%.
#14 Kentucky+20.7 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 42.3% | 25.1% | +17.2 |
| Reading / ELA | 48.1% | 24.0% | +24.1 |
State side: KSA, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Kentucky Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 172 districts (659,891 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 32.0%, G8 18.1%; reading G4 23.0%, G8 24.9%.
#15 Missouri+20.4 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 43.0% | 24.1% | +18.9 |
| Reading / ELA | 44.2% | 22.4% | +21.8 |
State side: MAP, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Missouri DESE. Enrollment-weighted average across 538 districts (890,019 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 30.0%, G8 18.1%; reading G4 20.8%, G8 24.0%.
#16 Pennsylvania+20.4 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 43.3% | 26.4% | +16.9 |
| Reading / ELA | 49.8% | 25.8% | +24.0 |
State side: PSSA, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Pennsylvania Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 499 districts (1,512,380 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 31.5%, G8 21.3%; reading G4 24.8%, G8 26.8%.
#17 Washington+20.3 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 39.7% | 24.9% | +14.8 |
| Reading / ELA | 50.3% | 24.6% | +25.7 |
State side: Smarter Balanced, spring 2024 (SY 2023–24), Washington OSPI. Enrollment-weighted average across 288 districts (1,087,041 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 29.8%, G8 19.9%; reading G4 22.8%, G8 26.3%.
#18 Nevada+19.7 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 37.3% | 21.8% | +15.5 |
| Reading / ELA | 46.4% | 22.6% | +23.8 |
State side: Smarter Balanced (NSPF), spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Nevada Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 17 districts (488,750 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 28.5%, G8 15.0%; reading G4 22.6%, G8 22.7%.
#19 Illinois+19.5 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 37.3% | 25.4% | +11.9 |
| Reading / ELA | 51.9% | 24.7% | +27.2 |
State side: IAR, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Illinois State Board of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 753 districts (1,605,609 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 29.4%, G8 21.4%; reading G4 21.3%, G8 28.2%.
#20 New Hampshire+19.5 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 41.4% | 29.0% | +12.4 |
| Reading / ELA | 54.7% | 28.2% | +26.5 |
State side: NH SAS, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), New Hampshire Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 182 districts (167,242 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 33.5%, G8 24.5%; reading G4 26.3%, G8 30.0%.
#21 New Jersey+18.1 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 40.7% | 27.9% | +12.8 |
| Reading / ELA | 51.5% | 28.1% | +23.4 |
State side: NJSLA, spring 2024 (SY 2023–24), New Jersey Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 645 districts (1,381,582 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 32.6%, G8 23.2%; reading G4 25.0%, G8 31.3%.
#22 Georgia+17.3 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 43.3% | 23.8% | +19.5 |
| Reading / ELA | 39.8% | 24.6% | +15.2 |
State side: Georgia Milestones EOG, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Georgia Governor's Office of Student Achievement. Enrollment-weighted average across 220 districts (1,742,607 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 29.9%, G8 17.7%; reading G4 21.9%, G8 27.3%.
#23 Delaware+16.7 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 34.0% | 21.1% | +12.9 |
| Reading / ELA | 41.2% | 20.7% | +20.5 |
State side: DeSSA (Smarter Balanced), spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Delaware Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 33 districts (131,509 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 26.9%, G8 15.3%; reading G4 20.0%, G8 21.3%.
#24 North Dakota+16.3 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 40.2% | 29.4% | +10.8 |
| Reading / ELA | 45.4% | 23.6% | +21.8 |
State side: NDSA, spring 2024 (SY 2023–24), North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. Enrollment-weighted average across 161 districts (118,123 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 34.7%, G8 24.1%; reading G4 23.7%, G8 23.4%.
#25 Louisiana+16.2 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 35.4% | 23.1% | +12.3 |
| Reading / ELA | 43.6% | 23.5% | +20.1 |
State side: LEAP, spring 2026 (SY 2025–26), Louisiana Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 69 districts (638,579 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 29.7%, G8 16.4%; reading G4 22.4%, G8 24.6%.
#26 Oregon+15.8 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 31.6% | 21.3% | +10.3 |
| Reading / ELA | 43.1% | 21.8% | +21.3 |
State side: OSAS (Smarter Balanced), spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Oregon Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 183 districts (551,438 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 24.8%, G8 17.7%; reading G4 19.5%, G8 24.2%.
#27 Arizona+15.1 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 33.1% | 22.2% | +10.9 |
| Reading / ELA | 40.3% | 21.1% | +19.2 |
State side: AASA, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Arizona Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 495 districts (1,111,220 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 26.5%, G8 18.0%; reading G4 18.9%, G8 23.2%.
#28 Tennessee+14.1 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 41.9% | 27.1% | +14.8 |
| Reading / ELA | 38.6% | 25.3% | +13.3 |
State side: TCAP, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Tennessee Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 144 districts (1,005,071 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 32.5%, G8 21.6%; reading G4 23.0%, G8 27.5%.
#29 Utah+14.0 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 42.2% | 31.0% | +11.2 |
| Reading / ELA | 44.3% | 27.5% | +16.8 |
State side: RISE/Utah Aspire Plus, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Utah State Board of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 143 districts (688,704 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 35.1%, G8 26.8%; reading G4 26.3%, G8 28.7%.
#30 District of Columbia+13.8 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 26.8% | 17.4% | +9.4 |
| Reading / ELA | 37.3% | 19.2% | +18.1 |
State side: DC CAPE, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). Enrollment-weighted average across 48 districts (87,972 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 22.2%, G8 12.5%; reading G4 18.6%, G8 19.8%.
#31 Alaska+13.6 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 32.2% | 20.2% | +12.0 |
| Reading / ELA | 33.6% | 18.4% | +15.2 |
State side: AK STAR, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. Enrollment-weighted average across 53 districts (130,694 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 24.0%, G8 16.5%; reading G4 16.9%, G8 20.0%.
#32 Arkansas+13.5 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 35.9% | 20.5% | +15.4 |
| Reading / ELA | 33.7% | 22.2% | +11.5 |
State side: ATLAS, spring 2024 (SY 2023–24), Arkansas DESE. Enrollment-weighted average across 250 districts (491,687 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 25.6%, G8 15.4%; reading G4 21.2%, G8 23.2%.
#33 Colorado+12.5 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 35.6% | 27.3% | +8.3 |
| Reading / ELA | 44.4% | 27.7% | +16.7 |
State side: CMAS, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Colorado Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 165 districts (811,941 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 31.9%, G8 22.7%; reading G4 24.7%, G8 30.7%.
#34 Indiana+12.4 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 40.7% | 28.1% | +12.6 |
| Reading / ELA | 38.9% | 26.8% | +12.1 |
State side: ILEARN, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Indiana Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 377 districts (1,023,631 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 33.1%, G8 23.0%; reading G4 24.5%, G8 29.1%.
#35 Massachusetts+10.8 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 40.3% | 30.4% | +9.9 |
| Reading / ELA | 41.1% | 29.5% | +11.6 |
State side: MCAS, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Massachusetts DESE. Enrollment-weighted average across 349 districts (881,829 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 36.5%, G8 24.4%; reading G4 25.8%, G8 33.3%.
#36 Rhode Island+9.1 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 29.8% | 23.5% | +6.3 |
| Reading / ELA | 36.0% | 24.2% | +11.8 |
State side: RICAS/SAT, spring 2025 (SY 2024–25), Rhode Island Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 64 districts (137,449 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 29.3%, G8 17.8%; reading G4 22.7%, G8 25.7%.
#37 Kansas+8.0 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 31.4% | 25.9% | +5.5 |
| Reading / ELA | 33.4% | 22.9% | +10.5 |
State side: Kansas Assessment Program, spring 2024 (SY 2023–24), Kansas State Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 288 districts (487,764 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 31.9%, G8 19.9%; reading G4 22.6%, G8 23.3%.
#38 Oklahoma+7.9 pts
| State-reported | NAEP 2024 (avg G4/G8) | Gap | |
| Math | 29.6% | 20.0% | +9.6 |
| Reading / ELA | 25.3% | 19.1% | +6.2 |
State side: OSTP, spring 2026 (SY 2025–26), Oklahoma State Department of Education. Enrollment-weighted average across 276 districts (615,970 students) with published results.
NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient: math G4 25.9%, G8 14.2%; reading G4 18.9%, G8 19.2%.
Vermontnot ranked
Vermont has published district assessment results in our database, but the districts reporting them lack the enrollment figures needed for a weighted state average, so it is excluded from the ranking. Its NAEP 2024 results: math G4 29.3%, G8 21.9%; reading G4 22.7%, G8 26.7%.
Methodology — read this before quoting the numbers
This comparison is directionally meaningful but not apples-to-apples, and we want readers to understand exactly where it bends:
- State-reported side. For each state we computed an enrollment-weighted average of district-level "percent proficient / meeting standards" results published by that state's education agency, across the districts in our database that report both a result and enrollment (district counts and enrollment covered are in the CSV). One exception: for Mississippi, the district-level figures available to us reflect MAAP pass rates (Level 3 and above) rather than the state's headline proficiency measure, so we substituted the official statewide percent scoring Proficient or Advanced (Levels 4–5) from the Mississippi Department of Education's 2025 MAAP results file. Vermont is excluded from the ranking for missing enrollment weights.
- Coverage — 12 states are not included. This study covers the 39 jurisdictions for which our warehouse holds district-level results with the enrollment figures needed for a weighted state average (38 ranked, plus Vermont covered but unranked). Alabama, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming are not covered at all because we have no comparable state-reported result for them, so the ranking — including the "largest gap" finding — describes only the covered set, not all 50 states.
- Mixed assessment years. State results span spring 2023 through spring 2026 (most are spring 2025); each state's year is listed in the table detail and the CSV. Virginia's figures are the oldest (2022–23 SOL).
- All-grades aggregate vs NAEP's grade 4/8 samples. State percentages aggregate every tested grade (typically 3–8 plus end-of-course exams); NAEP tests representative samples in grades 4 and 8 only. We average NAEP's grade 4 and grade 8 results per subject.
- "Proficient" means different things. Each state sets its own cut scores and labels — "proficient," "meets standards," "passing," "on grade level." NAEP Proficient is a deliberately demanding benchmark; many psychometricians consider NAEP Basic closer to grade-level performance. That is precisely the point of this study: the same word describes very different bars. The gap measures that distance; it does not measure cheating.
- Sources. State side: district results published by each state's education agency (agency and assessment named per state in the CSV), aggregated in the COSMIQ school-data warehouse. NAEP side: NAEP 2024 percent at/above Proficient, mathematics and reading, grades 4 and 8, retrieved from the NAEP Data Service API.
Disclosure
This study was produced by COSMIQ (getcosmiq.app), a free AI tutoring platform founded by the author. COSMIQ's product helps families see how their kids are actually doing — an interest we are disclosing, not hiding. The analysis, code, and full dataset are published above so anyone can check our arithmetic.
About the author
Dr. Matthew Lynch is a former K-12 teacher, professor of education, and dean of a college of education. He writes about education research, policy, and practice.