As a parent considering homeschooling, you’ve probably asked: “How do I know if my child is keeping up?” or “Will they meet the same standards as public school students?” These are fair questions, but they assume that public school standards are the best—or even a reliable—measure of success.
The latest 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results tell a different story. Despite record-breaking funding and ongoing policy shifts, public school students continue to struggle with stagnant or declining performance. Yet homeschooled students—without rigid government standards—consistently thrive.
So, the real question isn’t “Is my child keeping up?” but rather, “Is the public school system a standard worth following?” And if it isn’t, what does real learning look like?
At Portals, we believe education should be personal, engaging, and most importantly, Christ-centered—not dictated by shifting government benchmarks. Keep reading as we unpack the NAEP results and explore how homeschooling not only matches but often exceeds the expectations of a conventional classroom.
Public School Performance: A Concerning Trend
According to NAEP data, Minnesota’s fourth- and eighth-grade math scores showed slight improvements from 2022, but reading scores stagnated or declined. One glance shows these problems are not new ones.
Despite record levels of financial aid to counteract learning loss, public school students have not experienced significant academic recovery. Nationally, NAEP results show a continued decline in reading achievement, reinforcing concerns that post-pandemic education challenges extend beyond COVID-related disruptions.
*American Experiment chart 1/3/2025, Catrin Wigfall.
Yet the decline is on pace from results prior to COVID, suggesting that the problems in the government model grow much deeper than ‘disruptions’. Notice consistent trends in all areas prior to 2020.
Others suggest that the standards are not attainable, or that they are wishful thinking. Yet schools used to meet them with greater success.
So how do we answer the question, “Is my child keeping up?” when we aren’t sure that even government schooling “keeps up”. Further, why should parents be concerned at all about standards that don’t seem to be helping when systems are designed around them. If more money doesn’t help, more special education labels don’t help, more regulation doesn’t help, what does?
How Homeschool Students Compare
While NAEP does not directly assess homeschool students, multiple studies and standardized test results indicate that homeschooled students consistently outperform their public school peers. Research suggests that homeschoolers typically score 15 to 30 percentile points higher on standardized academic achievement tests in reading, math, and science. Simply put, look at the chart above and flip every line vertically.
The flexibility of homeschooling, individualized instruction, and parental involvement are often cited as key factors in this academic success. Homeschool or parent cooperative learning simply outperform “standards” programs without attending to the standards at all. It is a faithful saying that - simply reading a book improves reading scores. Yet ongoing testing, deconstructed literacy strategies, and more time on task - does not.
With the Minnesota Legislature’s READ Act requiring districts to transition to evidence-based reading instruction, and more testing to monitor reading skills, they continue to miss the point entirely. More legislation won’t improve reading either. Look for ongoing declining government scores, increasing pride in ‘standards’, and a lost generation of ignorant Americans.
Some say, In contrast to public schools, where curriculum changes and policy shifts take time to implement, homeschool education allows for immediate adaptation to students’ needs. Yet this presumes that government schools can’t change, yet we see significant changes (in the negative) happening fairly quickly in NAEP scores. They can and do change, just not for the better. This is the problem with assuming that standards are a measure of learning, or THE measure of learning - that we culturally forget that they have only existed for a few decades.
The Ongoing Debate
The stark contrast between public school and homeschool performance raises important questions about the best strategies for student success. Should public schools adopt more personalized, flexible learning models? Can they do so while still embracing standardized learning in any form? How can policymakers ensure that public education funding is yielding the intended results? Can they ensure anything from the halls of congress?
We ask slightly different questions, rooted in thousands of years of outstanding learning. Is the student engaged? Are they interested in subjects they see in the world around them? Are they connecting with family and friends fruitfully? And most important, are they learning and growing in their relationship with Jesus? If a parent can say ‘yes’ to these things, statistically, any measure of reading ability will be just fine.
At PortalsEDU.com, we believe these discussions are crucial to shaping the future of education. As public schools work to recover lost academic ground, the homeschool model provides valuable insights into what is possible when education is rigorous and playful.
We invite you to share your thoughts on these critical issues. How do you see the differences in public and homeschool education impacting student outcomes? Join the conversation at PortalsEDU.com.
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