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

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.

It will take time to know if improvements will result from these changes, as the law is still being implemented. It will also be important that there is buy-in during this implementation phase among all who need to execute the reforms. Having good 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 already 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.