According to the nation’s report card, math and reading scores among 13-year-old students in the United States have reached their lowest levels in decades. The results, which were released on Wednesday, reveal a significant decline in math scores, marking the largest drop ever recorded. These findings highlight the lasting impact of the pandemic on education, with previous assessments already indicating the extent of learning loss. Despite the return to in-person classes for most students over two years ago, there are still concerning indications of decreased academic achievement. Peggy G. Carr, the commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, expressed disappointment that the expected signs of academic recovery have not materialized.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) conducted a test among a national sample of 13-year-old students, revealing significant declines in math and reading scores. Between 2020 and 2023, average math scores dropped by 9 points, while reading scores fell by 4 points. The test was administered to 8,700 students in each subject from October to December of the previous year.
These findings echo the setbacks observed in the previous year when NAEP released results indicating the pandemic’s impact on fourth- and eighth-grade students across the country.
Prior to the pandemic, math and reading scores had already been declining, but the latest results showcase a steep drop that erases the progress made in the years leading up to 2012. Math scores, which have been measured since 1973, have now reached their lowest levels since 1990, while reading scores are at their lowest since 2004.
Of particular concern to officials is the significant decrease observed among the lowest-performing students. While students at all achievement levels experienced declines, those who were already struggling saw decreases of 12 to 14 points, compared to the 6 to 8 point drops among stronger students, as indicated by the results.
The impact of the pandemic on student performance varied across different racial and ethnic groups. While students from almost every race and ethnicity experienced declines in math scores, the most significant drops were observed among American Indian students, with a decline of 20 points, and Black students, with a decline of 13 points. In comparison, white students saw a decline of 6 points, while Asian students maintained their scores without a significant change.
Despite the substantial investments made by schools across the United States to support student recovery, the setbacks caused by the pandemic continue to persist. In 2021, the federal government allocated unprecedented funds to schools, enabling them to expand initiatives such as tutoring, summer classes, and other educational recovery efforts. However, the latest results indicate that these interventions have not yet fully reversed the negative effects on student achievement caused by the pandemic.
According to Peggy G. Carr, the commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, the struggles of the nation’s 13-year-olds, who were 10 when the pandemic began, continue to persist. Carr emphasizes the importance of perseverance, stating that there is still a long road ahead in terms of academic recovery.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona acknowledges that the results confirm the Biden administration’s understanding of the devastating impact the pandemic would have on student learning nationwide. Cardona believes that it will take years of effort and investment to reverse the damage caused by the pandemic, as well as to address the 11-year decline in student performance that preceded it. However, he finds encouragement in the positive signs of improvement seen in some states, where math and reading assessments have returned to pre-pandemic levels.
The exam administered to students aimed to evaluate fundamental skills in math and reading. The students were presented with passages to read and asked to identify the main idea or locate specific information. In math, they were tasked with performing basic multiplication and tackling elementary geometry, such as calculating the area of a square. Most of the questions were in multiple-choice format.
Regarding reading habits, the test results revealed a concerning decline. A lower percentage of students than ever reported reading for pleasure every day, with only 14% engaging in daily reading for enjoyment, compared to 27% in 2012. Additionally, almost one-third of students stated that they never or hardly ever read for fun, increasing from 22% in 2012. Daily reading for pleasure has been associated with better social and academic outcomes.
Furthermore, the test uncovered a troubling increase in student absenteeism. The proportion of students missing five or more days of school in a month has doubled since 2020, reaching 10% this year. The results indicate that students with fewer missed days had higher average scores in both reading and math.