evidence: Nation’s Report Card Shows Texas is Recovering from the Pandemic in Reading, Much Work Remains in Math 2022 results for the US show broad learning declines, with Texas doing better than most. [...] Texas’s NAEP results show that students in the Lone Star State have shown more progress than most in their academic recovery. Texas’s rank improved in both fourth and eighth grade reading, and in eighth grade math. In fourth grade math, Texas students performed better (239) than the national average (235) and exceptionally well when compared to their peers, with African American, Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged students ranking 1st, 4th, 2nd, and 6th in the U.S. African American students also rank 1st in math in eighth grade. Improvements in Texas’s rank in reading for its students was also notable. In particular, the performance of students with disabilities jumped from 34th to 17th in fourth grade reading and from 48th to 14th in eighth grade reading. [...] "Results from the 2022 Nation’s Report Card highlight the hard work of Texas teachers and students. While we are largely recovering from the effects of the pandemic in reading, much work remains in math," said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. "Thanks to policies enacted by Governor Abbott and legislature, Texas is recovering from the educational impacts of the pandemic faster than most states, and we will continue to remain focused on meeting the needs of every Texas student."