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Washington's eighth-grade math scores fell below their 2003 level

NAEP grade 8 mathematics average scale scores for Washington and the nation's public schools, for the years printed in NCES state snapshot reports.

Credit: FactHub; data: National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP state snapshot reports

Node: chart:wa-naep-grade8-math-trend:1

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Line chart of NAEP grade 8 math average scores. Washington: 281 in 2003, 290 in 2013, 287 in 2015, 289 in 2017, 286 in 2019, 276 in 2022 and 274 in 2024. Nation (public): 276, 281, 282, 281, 273 and 272 for 2003, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2024.

Hover over the chart or focus a point to inspect its values.

Washington's eighth-grade math average rose from 281 in 2003 to a high of 290 in 2013, then fell to 274 in 2024, below where it started. The national public average followed a similar path, from 276 to 272, so Washington stayed slightly above the nation but its lead narrowed from 5 points to 2.

What this chart asks

Have Washington's eighth-grade math scores risen along with school spending?

Why it is shown this way

  • Two lines compare Washington with the nation over the same years.
  • A quantitative year axis keeps the uneven gaps between assessment years honest.
  • The y axis does not start at zero, so the drop looks larger than it would on the full 0-500 scale; the scores are printed in the summary.

Chart annotations

These markers provide relevant context for interpreting the chart. Their timing or position does not, by itself, establish causation.

Axis does not start at zero
Value: 290

The scale runs 0-500; the visible range is narrowed to show change.

Why this is marked: Discloses the truncated axis wherever the chart is used.

Data and accessibility

Download chart data · Open accessible table · Download PNG · Download SVG

Dataset wa-k12-spending-outcomes, analysis naep-g8-math-trend

Sources

This chart draws on the sources of the dataset versions it visualizes.

Washington K-12 spending and outcomes: per-pupil spending, Kids Count rank, NAEP math

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. School System Current Spending Per Pupil by Region: Fiscal Year 2024 (2024 Annual Survey of School System Finances) Primary statistical source for per-pupil spending values

    Retrieved October 14, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

    Archived copy captured October 14, 2026

  2. U.S. Census Bureau, Public School Spending Per Pupil Reaches Historic High in 2024 (CB26-TPS.29, May 7, 2026) Primary source for national average ($17,619) and District of Columbia value

    Retrieved October 14, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

    Archived copy captured October 14, 2026

  3. CRBC News (republishing Business Insider), School Spending 2024: How Much Each U.S. State Spends Per Public School Student (Ranked), June 11, 2026 Secondary source used only to pair each Census value with its state; every value cross-checked against the Census chart

    Retrieved October 14, 2026. All rights reserved (linked, not redistributed). Not redistributed; facts only

    Archived copy captured October 14, 2026

  4. Washington State Standard via Seattle's Child, WA is stuck mid-pack in national education ranking (June 2025) News report of Kids Count 2025 Data Book; source for 'ten years ago, Washington was 20th'

    Retrieved October 14, 2026. All rights reserved (linked, not redistributed). Not redistributed; facts only

    Archived copy captured October 14, 2026

  5. Seattle's Child, KIDS COUNT 2024: WA must do better for kids News summary of the 2024 Kids Count Data Book (education rank 26th)

    Retrieved October 14, 2026. All rights reserved (linked, not redistributed). Not redistributed; facts only

    Archived copy captured October 14, 2026

  6. Seattle's Child, 2025 KIDS COUNT: Washington state's education rankings decline News summary of the 2025 Kids Count Data Book (education rank fell from 26th to 27th; four indicator values)

    Retrieved October 14, 2026. All rights reserved (linked, not redistributed). Not redistributed; facts only

    Archived copy captured October 14, 2026

  7. Washington State Standard via Seattle's Child, 2026 KIDS COUNT Spotlight: Big drop in WA education ranking News report of the 2026 Kids Count Data Book (education rank fell from 27th to 31st)

    Retrieved October 14, 2026. All rights reserved (linked, not redistributed). Not redistributed; facts only

  8. NCES, 2024 Mathematics State Snapshot Report, Washington Grade 8 Primary source for 2003, 2022, 2024 scores

    Retrieved October 14, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

    Archived copy captured October 14, 2026

  9. NCES, 2019 Mathematics State Snapshot Report, Washington Grade 8 Primary source for 2017 and 2019 scores

    Retrieved October 14, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

    Archived copy captured October 14, 2026

  10. NCES, 2015 Mathematics State Snapshot Report, Washington Grade 8 Primary source for 2013 and 2015 scores

    Retrieved October 14, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

    Archived copy captured October 14, 2026

Limitations

  • Y axis truncated (does not start at zero).
  • 2005-2011 omitted, and the 2013 national value is missing, so the national line skips 2013.
  • Scores carry sampling error; small gaps may not be statistically significant.
  • Post-2019 declines are national and coincide with the pandemic.

Articles and datasets using this chart

Version details

The exact citing versions, and the version of this chart each cites.

  • Article wa-school-spending-results — version 3 (published) cites version 1
  • Article wa-school-spending-results — version 2 (published) cites version 1