The reading abilities of US high school seniors have sunk to their lowest point in 30 years, according to new federal data. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, often referred to as the "nation's report card," found that about a third of 12th-graders tested in 2024 had the reading skills needed to function beyond high school. Math scores followed a similar trend, registering their weakest showing since 2005, with nearly half scoring below the basic level, per the New York Times.
These results, the first since the disruptions of the COVID pandemic, highlight lingering setbacks from an era of school closures and remote learning. The seniors included in the results were in eighth grade when the pandemic began, and many spent significant time in virtual classrooms. Still, experts note that the downward slides in reading and math performance began years before the coronavirus upended education.
While top performers have largely held steady over the decades, the steepest declines have been found among students already lagging behind, widening the achievement gap. "Scores for our lowest-performing students are at historic lows—continued declines that began more than a decade ago," says Matthew Soldner, acting director of the Education Department's Institute of Education Sciences, per NPR. "My predecessor warned of this trend, and her predecessor warned of this trend as well. And now I am warning you of this trend."
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Notably, declines cut across demographic lines, affecting students of all backgrounds. Some point to increased screen time, social media use, and video streaming as possible factors, alongside policy shifts that have reduced school accountability and shifted focus away from academic rigor. Efforts to boost early reading and broaden access to advanced math have yet to move the national needle.
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