Catholic Elementary Schools Lead Public Schools 61-0 in Reading and Math

Terence P. Jeffrey on Feb 5, 2025

The National Center for Education Statistics last week released the results for the National Assessment of Educational Progress tests taken last year by students in the fourth and eighth grades.

They showed that Catholic schools have continued their winning streak over public schools.

In reading, Catholic-school fourth graders earned an average score of 230 (out of 500), while public-school fourth graders had an average of 214. At the same time, Catholic-school eighth graders beat public-school eighth graders 277 to 257 in reading.

In mathematics, Catholic-school fourth graders beat public-school fourth graders 247 to 237. Catholic-school eighth graders beat public school eight graders 293 to 272.

Since 1990, there have been 16 years when fourth graders took the NAEP reading test. In every one of those 16 years, Catholic-school fourth graders earned an average score that beat the average score earned by public-school fourth graders. During that same period, there were 15 years when eighth graders took the reading test. In every one of those years, Catholic-school eighth graders earned an average score that beat public-school eighth graders.

The same pattern held for the mathematics test. There were 15 years when fourth graders took it, and 15 years when eighth graders took it. In each one of those years, Catholic-school fourth and eighth graders earned average scores that beat public-school fourth and eighth graders.

That adds up to a 61-0 winning streak for the Catholic schools.

This losing streak for the public schools is not the result of government spending too little money on them.

In 2024, the Census Bureau published data on how much the largest public-school systems spent per pupil. "Among the 100 largest school systems (by enrollment), New York City School District in New York ($35,914) spent the most per pupil in FY 2022, followed by Washington Schools in the District of Columbia ($27,425)," the bureau said.

What did the New York City School District get for spending $35,914 per pupil?

In 2024, public-school fourth graders in New York City had an average score of 209 on the NAEP reading test, which was below the 214 average score for public-school fourth graders nationwide and the 230 average score for Catholic-school fourth graders nationwide.

Only 28% of public-school fourth graders in New York City were rated as proficient or better in reading.

Among eighth graders in New York City's public schools, the average reading score was 254 -- below the 257 scored by public-school eighth graders nationwide and the 277 scored by Catholic-school eighth graders.

Only 29% of public-school eighth graders in New York City were rated proficient or better in reading.

In math, New York City public-school fourth graders had an average of 230. That was below the 237 scored by public-school fourth graders nationwide and the 247 scored by Catholic-school fourth graders.

Only 33% of New York City public-school fourth graders were proficient or better in math.

Among New York City public-school eighth graders, the average score on the math test was 267 -- below the average of 272 scored by public-school eighth graders nationwide and the 293 scored by Catholic-school eighth graders.

Only 23% of eighth graders in New York City public schools were proficient or better in math.

In the District of Columbia in 2024, public-school fourth graders had an average score of 216 in reading, which was slightly better than the average of 214 for public-school fourth graders nationwide - but below the average score of 230 for Catholics schools.

Eighth graders in D.C. public schools had an average reading score of 252, which was below both the average of 257 scored by public-school students nationwide and the 277 scored by Catholic-school students.

In math, fourth graders in D.C. public schools had an average score of 234 - below the nationwide public-school average of 237 and the Catholic-school average of 247. Eighth graders in D.C. public schools had an average score of 260 in math, which was also behind the nationwide public-school average of 272 and the Catholic-school average of 293.

According to the New York City public schools, its fiscal 2025 budget anticipates spending $40 billion -- with $2.2 billion coming from the federal government.

In fiscal 2022, according to NCES, the public schools in the District of Columbia received $388.61 million in revenues from the federal government. The public schools in the state of New York received $6.179 billion in revenues from the federal government.

Taxpayers in Alaska, Arizona and South Dakota are helping to fund the public schools in New York and D.C.

The Republican platform that President Donald Trump ran on states: "Republicans believe families should be empowered to choose the best Education for their children. We support Universal School Choice in every State in America."

The next bill the Republican-controlled Congress passes to fund the Department of Education should include a provision requiring every school district taking federal money to give every parent a voucher equal to the per pupil expenditures in that district. Parents, as this column has advocated before, should then be allowed to use that voucher to cover the costs of sending their child to any school private or public, secular or religious.

To find out more about Terence P. Jeffrey and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators webpage at www.creators.com.

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