Red states dominate the highest rankings in reading and math

In a national landscape where academic outcomes vary widely by region, an analysis of demographically-adjusted 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores shows that conservative-leaning or “red” states occupy many of the top positions in reading and math achievement.

The top performers share several characteristics. Many have implemented early literacy initiatives, structured reading instruction grounded in the science of reading, or statewide reforms aimed at reducing bureaucratic complexity in classrooms. Others emphasize consistent academic standards or data-driven intervention strategies that identify struggling students early.

With six out of the 10 top-ranked states on NAEP located in the south, the longstanding assumptions about which regions traditionally lead in educational outcomes are also being challenged.

States such as Mississippi, which has been widely studied for its dramatic improvement in early literacy scores over the past decade, demonstrate how targeted policymaking can yield measurable academic benefits. Similar reforms in other red states appear to be contributing to improved reading proficiency and stronger math foundations.

Rankings Based on Adjusted National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Scores for 2024

State4th Grade Math Rank4th Grade Reading Rank8th Grade Math Rank8th Grade Reading RankAverage Overall Rank
Mississippi1st1st1st4th1st
Louisiana4th2nd3rd2nd2nd
Massachusetts5th4th2nd1st3rd
Indiana7th5th5th6th4th
Texas3rd9th6th10th5th
Georgia10th12th9th3rd6th
South Carolina6th8th19th14th7th
Florida2nd3rd22nd22nd8th
Illinois25th20th4th5th9th
New Jersey20th16th9th8th10th
Connecticut15th13th18th9th11th
Kentucky9th6th28th12th12th
New York11th10th20th16th13th
Colorado23rd11th23rd7th14th
Nevada8th7th32nd18th15th
Pennsylvania17th21st16th16th16th
Ohio27th29th7th15th17th
Rhode Island14th14th36th18th18th
Utah24th22nd14th25th19th
North Carolina12th32nd9th32nd20th
California20th17th25th27th21st
Idaho19th28th21st26th22nd
Maryland33rd14th38th12th23rd
Wisconsin29th34th8th27th24th
Arkansas36th23rd28th11th25th
Virginia22nd25th27th36th26th
Washington32nd26th30th22nd27th
Minnesota26th39th15th31st28th
South Dakota34th37th13th27th29th
New Hampshire40th24th31st20th30th
Montana44th33rd17th21st31st
Alabama12th19th45th41st32nd
Wyoming16th18th42nd43rd33rd
Kansas29th29th25th38th34th
Oklahoma17th27th39th42nd35th
Tennessee29th35th32nd33rd36th
Nebraska34th44th9th40th37th
New Mexico37th29th37th30th38th
Iowa43rd38th39th24th39th
North Dakota39th43rd24th45th40th
Hawaii27th36th47th46th41st
Missouri41st40th43rd35th42nd
Michigan38th41st44th38th43rd
Vermont48th46th35th34th44th
Arizona46th48th34th36th45th
Maine47th47th41st44th46th
Delaware45th42nd48th48th47th
West Virginia41st45th50th50th48th
Alaska49th49th46th49th49th
Oregon50th50th49th47th50th
Source: The Urban Institute, 2024 Adjusted NAEP Scores

What about Minnesota?

At the same time, states once viewed as consistent academic leaders are losing ground. Minnesota — long regarded as a high-performing education state — drops significantly when NAEP test scores are adjusted for socioeconomic and demographic factors. The adjusted rankings highlight how Minnesota’s results, though often stronger in raw statewide averages, fall behind when comparing performance on an equalized basis with other states.

Minnesota ranks 39th in fourth-grade reading, 26th in fourth-grade math, 31st in eighth-grade reading, and 15th in eighth-grade math, for an overall ranking of 28th.

For Minnesota, the drop to 28th serves as a cautionary benchmark, suggesting that past strengths are no longer enough to keep pace with states pushing faster and harder on academic reform.

On one front, the Minnesota Legislature finally took notice. During the 2023 legislative session, the state overhauled its approach to literacy instruction through the Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act, known as the READ Act, with the goal of having every Minnesota child reading at or above grade level every year, beginning in kindergarten. To help accomplish this goal, it requires teacher preparation programs and districts to use evidence-based reading strategies in their instruction that include teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Statewide literacy screenings are also required to help identify students at risk of falling further behind.

There are, however, key provisions missing from Minnesota’s READ Act that are included in the reading laws of Mississippi and other states with strong literacy gains. One of the more challenging distinctions to discuss is retention, a topic I have written about many times. Mississippi holds students back in third grade if they can’t read at grade level, and pairs its retention requirements with strong interventions. The impact on the retained students has been positive.

It will take time to know if achievement improvements will result from Minnesota’s READ Act changes, as the law is still being implemented. Buy-in during this implementation phase among all who need to execute the reforms is essential. Having policy on the books is one thing, making sure it is carried out as intended is another.

Parents with students who can’t afford to fall behind another year in reading as they wait for curriculum choices to be made, re-training to finish, and full implementation should be empowered to access a school environment and educational services equipped to meet their learning needs today. With Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), Minnesota families could use the dollars allocated for their child’s education to cover pre-approved expenses such as tuition at another school, reading tutoring, and special education services, to name a few. It’s an opportunity to fully customize a child’s education and meet individual students where they are at right now because there are only so many years in their K-12 journey, and they can’t wait.

Gov. Tim Walz should also opt Minnesota in to the federal tax-credit scholarship provision that will take effect Jan. 1, 2027. This will give public school students the opportunity to use the scholarships to pay for reading tutoring and supplemental learning expenses. Not only does this help the student but it is helpful for teachers, as it sends students back into the classroom better prepared.

While no single factor fully explains the emerging landscape, the pattern is clear: Red states are increasingly dominating the highest national rankings in reading and math, while states like Minnesota are slipping in adjusted comparisons. As policymakers debate the next generation of education reforms, these shifts should shape discussions about what works — and what needs to change — in America’s classrooms.

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Tim WalzMinnesotaMinnesota LegislatureMississippiNational Assessment of Educational Progress