
The latest “Nation’s Report Card” reveals a stark reality: American students continue to struggle academically in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, with test scores remaining below pre-pandemic levels.
The damage done by COVID seemingly never ends…
At a Glance
- One-third of eighth-grade students scored below “basic” in reading, marking the worst performance in the test’s history
- Fourth graders dropped three points in math and five in reading since 2019
- Eighth graders dropped eight points in math and five in reading since 2019
- The gap between high and low performers is widening, with lower-achieving students experiencing more learning loss
- Despite $190 billion in federal pandemic funds, most students have not recovered from learning losses
Persistent Academic Struggles
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), commonly known as the Nation’s Report Card, has painted a bleak picture of the state of American education. The latest results show that students across the country are still grappling with the academic setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with test scores remaining stubbornly below pre-pandemic levels.
The data reveals significant drops in both math and reading scores since 2019. Fourth-grade students saw a decline of three points in math and five points in reading, while eighth-graders experienced even steeper drops of eight points in math and five points in reading. These figures underscore the severity of the learning loss that has occurred and the challenges educators face in helping students catch up.
One of the most concerning trends highlighted by the report is the growing disparity between high and low-achieving students. Lower-performing students, who were already struggling before the pandemic, have fallen even further behind their peers. This widening gap threatens to exacerbate existing educational inequalities and poses a significant challenge for policymakers and educators alike.
“Overall, student achievement has not returned to pre-pandemic performance. Where there are signs of recovery, they are mostly in math and largely driven by higher-performing students. Lower-performing students are struggling, especially in reading,” NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr said.
The U.S. Department of Education has described the results as “heartbreaking,” acknowledging the failure to recover from pandemic-related learning loss despite significant federal investment. The education system’s continued underperformance, even after receiving approximately $190 billion in federal pandemic funds, raises serious questions about the effectiveness of current strategies and the need for comprehensive reform.
Bright Spots and State Efforts
While the overall picture is grim, there are some bright spots. A slight improvement was noted in fourth-grade math scores compared to 2022, with 15 states and jurisdictions and 14 urban districts showing increases. Colorado, for example, has seen significant improvements in math after targeting federal funds to areas needing improvement.
“Well, there were some — there are some bright lights, and we always try to learn from the bright lights. Louisiana was another bright light of significant increases,” Gov. Jared Polis said.
However, these isolated improvements are not enough to offset the broader trend of academic decline. The NAEP results indicate that most students have not recovered from pandemic-related learning loss, with one-third of eighth-grade students scoring below the “basic” level in reading—the worst performance in the test’s history.
The persistently low test scores have sparked a renewed call for educational reform. Critics argue that extended school closures and a shift in educational focus have exacerbated the decline in academic performance. There is a growing consensus on the need to refocus on core academic subjects and implement strategic reforms to address the current crisis.
Remember when they told us they’d “build back better”? Well, they failed. So now let’s see how Trump does it.