Pandemic Worsens Decade-Long Slide in U.S. High School Student Performance

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated a decade-long slide in high school students' academic performance across the United States. According to the latest results from the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), also known as the "nation's report card," 12th graders' scores in reading and math have dropped to their lowest level in more than 20 years.

The assessment also found that eighth-grade students have lost significant ground in science skills. The widening achievement gaps are particularly concerning, with the gap between the highest- and lowest-performing students in eighth-grade science reaching historic levels. This trend reflects growing inequality in the American school system.

Education experts warn that the declining scores are part of a longer-term issue in U.S. education that cannot be attributed solely to the pandemic and related disruptions. Factors such as increased screen time, shorter attention spans, and a shift in teaching methods that emphasize shorter texts over longer-form reading may also be contributing to the downward trend.

The results underscore the urgent need for "concerted and focused action to accelerate student learning," according to Matthew Soldner, the acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics. As students take their next steps in life, they are doing so with fewer skills and less knowledge in core academic areas than their predecessors a decade ago, at a time when society demands more of future workers and citizens.