US high school students lose ground in maths and reading: Here’s why scores have hit a 20-year low

US high school students continue to experience declines in their academic performance, with the latest results showing reading and maths scores falling to their lowest point in over two decades. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the nation’s report card, 12th graders’ scores dropped significantly, continuing a yearslong downward trend.The assessment showed that eighth-grade students lost considerable ground in science. These results are the first for 12th-grade reading and maths and eighth-grade science since the Covid-19 pandemic began, highlighting an ongoing decline across multiple subjects and grade levels.Scores reveal historic lows and widening gapsThe average reading score for 12th graders in 2024 was the lowest recorded since NAEP began assessments in 1992. Thirty-two per cent of high school seniors scored below the “basic” level, meaning they struggled to locate details in texts needed to understand their meaning. In maths, the average score was the lowest since 2005, with 45 per cent of seniors performing below basic proficiency, the highest rate since that year. Only 33 per cent of students were deemed ready for college-level maths courses, down from 37 per cent in 2019.Eighth-grade science scores also declined, with the achievement gap between the highest- and lowest-performing students reaching a record high. This widening gap reflects growing inequality in US education, the assessment noted.Pandemic impact and deeper educational challengesWhile the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted schooling and contributed to declines, experts emphasised that the slide in scores began well before 2020. Christine Cunningham, senior vice president of STEM learning at the Museum of Science in Boston, told the outlet that “it would be incomplete to assume that if we hadn’t had Covid, the score would not have gone down.”Potential underlying factors include increased screen time among children, shorter attention spans, and a shift in reading habits. Carol Jago, associate director of the California Reading and Literature Project at UCLA, said that many schools now assign far fewer books than in previous decades. “To be a good reader, you have to have the stamina to stay on the page, even when the going gets tough,” she said, as reported by the Associated Press.Government response and political debateEducation Secretary Linda McMahon attributed the poor results to the current education system, stating that “despite spending billions annually on numerous K-12 programmes, the achievement gap is widening, and more high school seniors are performing below the basic benchmark in maths and reading than ever before,” the AP report noted. McMahon supported the Trump administration’s push to give states more control over education funding.However, House Democrats expressed concern that dismantling the Education Department would exacerbate these issues. Representative Bobby Scott of Virginia warned that eliminating the agency responsible for supporting public schools “will only deepen the achievement gaps identified by this assessment,” according to the Associated Press.Declining engagement and gender gapsThe assessment also highlighted a re-emergence of the gender gap in STEM subjects. Girls experienced a steeper decline in science scores compared to boys, reversing previous progress in closing this divide. Additionally, fewer eighth-grade students reported participating regularly in inquiry-based learning activities, which are considered important for understanding scientific concepts.Lesley Muldoon, executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board, said the results show students are “taking their next steps in life with fewer skills and less knowledge in core academics than their predecessors a decade ago,” as the AP reported.The latest NAEP results underline ongoing challenges in the US education system, with urgent calls for focused action to address the declines in student achievement.