Nation’s Report Card Shows Drop in Reading, Math, and Science Scores

September 10, 2025

The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results show significant academic declines among U.S. students, with twelfth-graders performing worse in both reading and mathematics compared to 2019, and eighth-graders showing deterioration in science scores. Reading scores for high school seniors have dropped three points since 2019 and ten points since 1992, with only the highest-performing students maintaining their levels. Mathematics and science results mirror this downward trend, with increasing percentages of students falling below basic proficiency levels across all subjects.

Who is affected

U.S. twelfth-grade students (reading and mathematics performance)
U.S. eighth-grade students (science performance)
African American students (disproportionately represented among lower performers)
Students in lower percentiles (showing larger declines)
Educators, policymakers, and researchers (who use this data)

What action is being taken

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is conducting assessments of tens of thousands of students nationwide
NAEP is collecting additional data through student questionnaires about learning opportunities, absenteeism, and engagement
NAEP officials are analyzing this supplemental data to help explain the observed trends

Why it matters

The declining scores indicate a troubling regression in U.S. educational achievement
The percentage of students performing below basic levels has increased across subjects
Long-standing achievement gaps between African American students and their White and Asian peers persist
NAEP results serve as the largest continuing and nationally representative measure of U.S. student achievement
The findings provide crucial indicators of student performance and widening learning gaps for educators and policymakers

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint