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# Utah Test Scores Rise, but Math Proficiency Remains at 42.5%
- URL: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/state-news-utah-2026-09-15-b/
- Published: 2026-09-16T00:44:53.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-16T00:44:53.000Z
- Description: Utah’s 2025–26 statewide scores improved in English, math and science, with science reaching a record high, but fewer than half of tested students met proficiency standards in each core subject.
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: State News, Utah

Utah students posted statewide gains in English language arts, mathematics and science in 2025–26, but fewer than half met the proficiency standard in each subject. The results give schools a clearer measure of academic recovery while underscoring that improvement and proficiency are not the same thing.

In a [September 11 release](https://www.schools.utah.gov/publicrelations/%5Fpublicrelations%5F/%5F2026/USBENewsReleaseStatewideAssessmentsRecordHigh.pdf?ref=theamericanquorum.com), the Utah State Board of Education reported statewide proficiency of 45.4% in English language arts, 42.5% in mathematics and 49.8% in science. Compared with 2024–25, those figures increased 1.5 percentage points in English, 1.2 points in math and 2.6 points in science. Science surpassed the 2019 rate of 47%, while English and math remained below their 2019 levels of 46.8% and 44.6%, respectively.

The statewide totals combine several assessments and grade bands, so the underlying results matter. On RISE, given in grades three through eight, proficiency reached 45.3% in English, 45.4% in math and 52.3% in science. On Utah Aspire Plus in grades nine and 10, proficiency was 46.7% in English, 34.5% in math and 44.6% in science. The state’s [assessment directory](https://schools.utah.gov/assessment/assessments/index.php?ref=theamericanquorum.com) explains that RISE and Utah Aspire Plus are separate parts of a broader testing system, rather than interchangeable measures.

That distinction is particularly important in math. The overall improvement is encouraging, but the 34.5% high-school rate points to a sharper challenge for older students than the combined statewide number shows. Families and educators should also avoid reading a proficiency percentage as a graduation rate or as a judgment about an individual child. It represents the share of tested students who met the state standard on a specific assessment.

Utah also reported early-literacy and numeracy benchmarks outside the three core statewide percentages. Reading benchmark attainment in kindergarten through third grade was 70.6%, while early numeracy was 65.1%. Separately, 62.3% of students taking the ACT achieved a composite score of at least 18\. Those measures use different tests and thresholds, so they provide context but should not be combined with RISE or Aspire Plus results.

## How families can use the results

The state’s [public Data Gateway](https://datagateway.schools.utah.gov/Assessment/StudentProficiency/2025/StudentProficiencyPublic?ref=theamericanquorum.com) allows users to move beyond the statewide averages and examine 2025–26 proficiency results for the state, districts and schools. That is the practical next step for families: compare a local school’s subject and grade-level trends over several years, then ask educators what curriculum, tutoring or intervention changes are planned.

USBE says its assessment system is intended to provide measurable information about students’ core knowledge and skills and to support decisions about policy, programs and curriculum. Its [assessment and accountability overview](https://schools.utah.gov/assessment/index.php?ref=theamericanquorum.com) emphasizes accurate, understandable reporting for educators, families and policymakers.

The 2025–26 results therefore support two conclusions at once. Utah’s recovery accelerated, and science reached a statewide high. But with statewide proficiency still below 50% in all three subjects—and high-school math substantially lower—the results remain a starting point for targeted action, not a declaration that the academic recovery is complete.