U.S. High Schoolers Falling Behind: Scores Hit 20-Year Low
New test results show U.S. high school students are struggling with core skills, raising concerns about the country’s educational and economic future.
Scores for 12th graders in reading and math have dropped to their lowest levels in more than two decades. The drop continues a decade-long decline that accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called the nation’s report card.
Eighth graders also showed significant losses in science, with the latest assessments marking the first tests since the pandemic for these grades and subjects. The results reflect a broader downward trend across grade levels and subject areas.
“Scores for our lowest-performing students are at historic lows,” said Matthew Soldner, acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics. “These results should galvanize all of us to take concerted and focused action to accelerate student learning.”
While the pandemic contributed heavily to the drop in achievement, experts say the decline is part of a longer trend. Contributing factors may include increased screen time, shorter attention spans, and reduced exposure to longer-form reading.
Carol Jago, associate director of the California Reading and Literature Project at UCLA, noted that English instruction has shifted toward shorter texts and excerpts. “Twenty years ago, my students would read 20 books a year,” she said. “Now, some classes assign just three.”