After years of mounting concern, the latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) have confirmed what many educators and policymakers feared: American high school seniors are struggling with reading and math at levels not seen in decades. Released on September 9, 2025, the so-called Nation’s Report Card paints a sobering picture of academic achievement across the country, with scores dropping to historic lows and gaps between top and bottom performers widening alarmingly.
The NAEP, widely regarded as the gold standard for measuring student achievement, tested thousands of students nationwide in early 2024. The results? Only 35% of high school seniors demonstrated proficiency in reading, the lowest proportion since the assessment began in 1992, according to The New York Post. The outlook for math was even grimmer: a mere 22% of 12th-graders reached proficiency, marking the lowest level since the current math framework was introduced in 2005.
“American students are testing at historic lows across all of K-12,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated, as reported by Nexstar Media. “Nearly half of America’s high school seniors are testing at below basic levels in math and reading.” The average 12th-grade reading score dropped three points from 2019 to 2024, while math saw a similar three-point decline. For students in the 10th and 25th percentiles, scores hit their lowest point on record.
But the challenges aren’t confined to seniors. Fourth-graders’ average math scores fell three points compared to pre-pandemic levels, and eighth-graders experienced an eight-point drop in math and a five-point drop in reading since 2019. Science scores also took a hit: 38% of eighth-graders scored below “basic,” raising alarms about their grasp of fundamental scientific concepts.
“These results are sobering,” said Matthew Soldner, acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, in a statement quoted by Business Insider. “The drop in overall scores coincides with significant declines in achievement among our lowest-performing students, continuing a downward trend that began even before the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Indeed, the data shows that the achievement gap—the gulf between the highest and lowest performers—has grown wider. Scores fell across all but the top 10% of students, with the lowest performers seeing the steepest declines. In reading, 32% of seniors scored below the NAEP “basic” level, up from 20% in 1992. In math, 45% of 12th-graders failed to reach the basic benchmark, compared to 40% in 2005.
Chronic absenteeism appears to be exacerbating the problem. In 2024, nearly one-third (31%) of high school seniors reported missing three or more days of school in the month before testing—a 26% jump from 2019. The pandemic’s disruptions, including school closures and remote learning, have clearly left their mark, but experts caution that the downward trend started well before COVID-19 entered the picture.
“Looking at these NAEP assessments, we see a clear story that tells us students need more support to thrive in school and succeed across core subjects and across grades,” said Beverly Perdue, former North Carolina governor and chair of the National Assessment Governing Board, as reported by Nexstar Media. “If policymakers and education leaders fail to act now, students—and employers—will feel the impact of declining skills and knowledge gaps as the global workforce becomes more and more competitive.”
What’s behind the slide? The causes are complex and multifaceted. While the pandemic’s impact is undeniable, experts point to other factors as well. Increased screen time, shorter attention spans, and a shift in English instruction toward shorter texts have all played a role. Carol Jago, associate director of the California Reading and Literature Project at UCLA, told The Associated Press that the move away from reading full-length books has eroded students’ reading stamina. “To be a good reader, you have to have the stamina to stay on the page, even when the going gets tough,” Jago explained. “You have to build those muscles, and we’re not building those muscles in kids.”
Meanwhile, only 33% of seniors are considered college-ready in math and 35% in reading, both down since 2019. Lesley Muldoon, executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board, warned that “these students are taking their next steps in life with fewer skills and less knowledge in core academics than their predecessors a decade ago.” As she pointed out, this comes at a time when society and the workforce are demanding more, not less, from young people.
The NAEP results have reignited debate over education policy at the federal and state levels. Secretary McMahon has been vocal in her support for shifting more control over education spending to the states. “The lesson is clear. Success isn’t about how much money we spend, but who controls the money and where that money is invested,” she said. “That’s why President Trump and I are committed to returning control of education to the states so they can innovate and meet each school and students’ unique needs.”
This approach has its critics, however. Some worry that reducing federal oversight could worsen disparities between states and districts, especially as the Trump administration moves to streamline the Department of Education. According to Business Insider, recent Supreme Court decisions have allowed the department to cut half its staff and cancel state-level NAEP assessments through 2032, raising questions about the future of national education data collection.
Lawmakers from both parties have expressed alarm. House Education Committee Chairman Tim Walberg noted, “Low academic skills don’t just hurt grades; they weaken our economy, workforce, and national security. Without strong foundations in these core subjects, America’s freedom and economic competitiveness will be in jeopardy.” Senator Bill Cassidy, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, echoed the concern, warning, “We are at risk of having an entire generation of children fail to become productive adults if classroom proficiency does not improve.”
In response to the crisis, the Trump administration is preparing to release a “tool kit” of resources for educators, covering strategies for reading, artificial intelligence, and more. States like New York are also experimenting with policies such as banning cellphones in classrooms to help students focus on lessons.
Despite the grim numbers, some see this moment as a call to action. “Scores for our lowest-performing students are at historic lows,” Soldner emphasized. “These results should galvanize all of us to take concerted and focused action to accelerate student learning.”
As the dust settles from the latest NAEP release, one thing is clear: the challenges facing America’s schools are deepening. Whether through new policies, teaching strategies, or shifts in governance, the urgent need for solutions has never been more apparent. The future of an entire generation—and perhaps the nation’s standing in the world—may well depend on how leaders respond to this wake-up call.
