Federal cuts are set to result in a slimmer Nation's Report Card, confirming education and assessment experts’ fears that the assessment would be trimmed — and despite officials' assurances that the congressionally mandated test would be preserved.

As part of the Trump administration's efforts to downsize the government, the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress, voted on April 21 to cut assessments in various subjects over the next eight years. 

Among those cuts: state-level reading and math for 12th graders that were scheduled for 2032 and the national long-term trend assessment that was set for 2029, which comes on the heels of the 2025 long-term trend assessment’s cancellation earlier this year. 

The next long-term trend assessment is scheduled for 2033. 

A handful of other voluntary assessments were cut, mainly for 8th and 12th graders, including writing. Some exams in the Trial Urban District Assessment program, a part of NAEP meant to measure the performance of the nation’s urban school districts, also found themselves on the chopping block. 

“Only NAEP provides us with a nationally representative, long-term measure of student achievement, and the assessment schedule enables policymakers and educators to plan for, and act on, critical data about U.S. students,” said Beverly Perdue, chair of the NAGB and former governor of North Carolina, in an April 21 statement. 

“Today’s actions reflect what assessments the Governing Board believes are most valuable to stakeholders and can be best assessed by NAEP at this time, given the imperative for cost efficiencies.”

The cuts were meant to preserve mandated assessments — such as the 2026 NAEP exams for math and reading, which remain scheduled as planned — while trimming based on "budgetary realities," said Martin West, vice chair of the board.

“We also acted with the clear goal to protect NAEP’s overall quality and validity," said West, an academic dean at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and member of the Massachusetts State Board of Education.

Quality and validity of the assessment were among the top concerns of employees fired from the National Center for Education Statistics in March Those former staff members said they ensured the assessment results met high standards despite being administered through contracts. 

Earlier this month, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the 2026 assessment for math, reading, history and civics would continue as planned and that NCES is preparing for the 2025-26 cycle now. The assessment will be administered between Jan. 26 and March 20, 2026, according to a letter McMahon sent to states. 

McMahon said the test "continues to provide invaluable data on learning across the U.S." 

However, NAGB’s move to reduce voluntary assessments follows concerns that the cuts will lead to a “barebones” Nation's Report Card.

"The Governing Board revised the assessment schedule due to the U.S. Department of Education's stated need to find efficiencies in all Departmental activities, including NAEP," an April 21 update from the NAGB said, adding that the decision will "streamline future voluntary assessments" to be administered between 2028 and 2032. 

A comparison of the 2023 schedule and the one approved last week shows the following items have been cut: 

• 2028: Science for 4th graders on the national level and for 8th graders participating in TUDA.
• 2029: Long-term trend assessment.
• 2030: U.S. history for 12th graders on the national level and for 8th graders on the state level.
• 2032: Reading and math for 12th graders on the state level. Science for 12th graders on the national level and for 8th graders participating in TUDA. Writing for 4th, 8th and 12th grades on the national level.