‘Nation’s Report Card’: U.S. students' reading and math scores at historic lows

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(The Center Square) – The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress report, often called the “Nation's Report Card,” shows that high school seniors' math and reading scores have reached record lows, continuing a downward spiral for students in America’s public schools. Results are based on tests taken in early 2024.

It is the first nation's report card released since the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a news release from the National Center for Education Statistics, the 2024 scores were examined alongside results from previous decades, revealing long-term trends:

• The grade 12 mathematics score in 2024 was lower than in 2005 with just 22% of seniors proficient in math – the lowest since the current assessment began.
• The grade 12 reading score in 2024 was lower than in 1992, with just 35% of high school seniors proficient in reading – the lowest score on record.

“These results are sobering,” NCES Acting Commissioner Matthew Soldner said. “Among our nation’s high school seniors, we’re now seeing a larger percentage of students scoring below the NAEP Basic achievement level in mathematics and reading than in any previous assessment.”

The report also included eighth-graders' science scores, which dropped below 2019 levels, erasing gains made in the years leading up to the pandemic.

The assessment measured students’ science knowledge and their ability to engage in scientific inquiry and conduct scientific investigations in real-world contexts. 

Only 31% of eighth-grade students are proficient in science.

“Layered on top of the eighth-grade NAEP scores we released earlier this year for mathematics and reading, the new science data clearly underscore ongoing struggles for students who are embarking on their high school careers,” Soldner remarked.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon was dismayed by the results.

“Today’s NAEP results confirm a devastating trend: American students are testing at historic lows across all of K-12,” she said in a news release. “At a critical juncture when students are about to graduate and enter the workforce, military, or higher education, nearly half of America’s high school seniors are testing at below basic levels in math and reading. Despite spending billions annually on numerous K-12 programs, the achievement gap is widening, and more high school seniors are performing below the basic benchmark in math and reading than ever before.”

How and where public money is paramount, she said.

“The lesson is clear. Success isn’t about how much money we spend, but who controls the money and where that money is invested,” McMahon continued. “That’s why President [Donald] Trump and I are committed to returning control of education to the states so they can innovate and meet each school and student’s unique needs.”

A news release from the Office of Communications at the White House indicates the results illustrate “why the Trump Administration is challenging the status quo that has failed our students for decades. Since 1979, the U.S. Department of Education has spent over $3 trillion and per-pupil spending has increased by more than 245% – with nothing to show for it.”

Vicky Murray is the director of the Education Center at the free-market Washington Policy Center think tank in Seattle.

“When students’ schools cannot get them back on track, parents should be empowered to move them to providers that can,” she wrote in a blog on the NAEP report results. “Additionally, programs like the proposed federal tax credit would allow taxpayers to make nonrefundable donations to nonprofits that award scholarships that cover education expenses such as tutoring, special education therapies, and after-school programs.”

The Center Square contacted the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for comment on the test results, including the performance of students in Washington state.

“Superintendent [Chris] Reykdal is holding a press conference tomorrow where he will review student performance data and share the 2025 state assessment results,” OSPI Chief Communications Officer Katy Payne said in an email.