1 of 2 | On Tuesday, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon (pictured Aug. 26 in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, D.C.) said if America is to remain globally competitive then U.S. students “must be able to read proficiently, think critically and graduate equipped to solve complex problems.” Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo
A new report card shows that math and reading scores of U.S. high schoolers has dropped to its lowest recorded level in decades.
The National Assessment of Education Progress’ annual “Nation’s Report Card” also showed that science scores among eighth graders fell 4 points since 2019. The three-point drop for math and reading proficiency in American 12th graders fell in the same time period to its lowest since 1992.
It showed 32% of students scored below “basic” level at its lowest since 2005, 45% of 12th graders at the same level and 38% of 8th graders below basic, suggesting an inability to remember basic science facts.
On Tuesday, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon called it a “bleak” trend in a video posted to social media.
“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,” McMahon acknowledged.
It represented the first post-COVID-19 pandemic results for the academic groups in NAEP tests administered every two years since 1969.
NAEP’s 2018 report card indicated little gain and that eighth-grader math scores were flat but gained 1 point in reading for an average score of 267 out of a possible 500, according to pre-pandemic data.
Its research for the national assessment in 2022 showed a continued struggle in the shadow of virtual learning.
Expanded options for students in schooling have been a tenet to Trump administration education policy, and now a small number of education advocates claim the new trove of NAEP results make the case for wider government support in school choice.
“The kids are not all right, and this year’s scores prove it yet again,” Tommy Schultz, CEO of the American Federation for Children, said in a statement urging the nation’s governors to adopt a federal school choice tax credit and, he added, “inject desperately needed accountability into this system as soon as possible.”
McMahon was in Detroit on Monday to make the case for turning the responsibility of education over to the states.
The NAEP scores are “a tragic reminder of what happens when we fail to put students first,” U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., said Tuesday on X about McMahon’s visit to Michigan.
“By returning education to the states, we can empower parents and local communities and ensure every child gains the skills necessary to succeed,” added Walberg, chair of the House Committee on Education & Workforce.
On Tuesday, the National Association of Secondary School Principals said the results should remind the public that test scores are “just one measures of success.”
“Students need more mental health supports, educators need resources and schools need safe environments to thrive,” the principal association posted on X.
But McMahon added how if America is to remain globally competitive then students “must be able to read proficiently, think critically and graduate equipped to solve complex problems.”
