The poor showing in the early grades triggered concern over the implementation of the Common Core Learning Standards, although the National Center for Educational Statistics, which administers the National Assessment of Educational Progress or NAEP, cautioned that a one-time decline is not a trend.

The city’s five-point drop in 4th-grade math was especially steep, although it reflected a general downturn in the nation and in New York State this year on the NAEP tests. In reading, however, national 4th-grade scores did not fall, while they were down two points in New York City and one point in New York State. [See chart below.]

Eighth-grade results were more encouraging for New York City, which bucked a declining trend in other large cities to show a one-point gain in math and a two-point gain in reading. [See chart below.]

NAEP is often called the “gold standard” in testing because there are no short-cut ways to cram or prep for the tests. “The disappointing NAEP results — particularly for our 4th-graders — are the result of bad state educational policies, including a focus on standardized testing rather than real learning,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew.

The implementation of the Common Core standards in New York State and New York City beginning in 2012 were marked by haste, missteps and confusion, especially in the early grades. Teachers were asked to teach to new tests they had not seen, mostly without curriculum aligned to the new standards. The standards for the early grades were developmentally inappropriate, according to many educators.

Results on the NAEP tests are broken out for 21 cities, including New York, under the Trial Urban District Assessment. New York City 4th-graders declined in math and reading in comparison with the other 20 large cities, while New York City 8th-graders did better.

The percentage of New York City students who scored at proficient or above in both 4th-grade math and reading was 26 percent, lower than students in Chicago and Washington, D.C. In grade 8, however, 27 percent of New York City students met proficiency standards in each subject, a higher percentage than in Chicago and Washington, D.C.

New national tests released on Oct. 28 showed a troubling drop in both math and reading scores for New York City 4th-graders, while 8th-graders notched modest gains.

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