Struggling Achievements of American High School Pupils in Math and Literature, Marking a Persistent Years-Long Deterioration
In a recent report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), it has been revealed that student achievement in the United States has seen a significant decline across various subjects, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The assessments, which were the first since the pandemic for eighth graders in science and 12th graders in reading and math, have shown a dip in scores in these areas. High schoolers' reading and math scores dropped to their lowest level in more than 20 years, according to the report.
Moreover, the average score in high school reading in 2024 is the lowest in the history of the assessment, which began in 1992. Similarly, the average score in high school math in 2024 is the lowest since 2005.
Thirty-two percent of high school seniors scored below "basic" in reading, meaning they were not able to find details in a text to help them understand its meaning. Forty-five percent of high school seniors scored below "basic" achievement in math, the highest percentage since 2005.
Eighth-grade students also experienced a significant decline in science skills, with the gap between the highest- and lowest-performing students being the widest ever among this age group. The achievement gap widened also in 12th grade math.
The report also highlights a concerning trend in the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses. Girls saw a steeper decline in scores compared to boys, with the gender gap in these subjects re-emerging.
Inquiry-based learning activities, which encourage students to explore and discover information on their own, have seen a shrinking percentage of eighth grade students participating regularly in the classroom. This could potentially be a contributing factor to the decline in student achievement.
The Trump administration has proposed giving states more control of education spending due to the widening achievement gap and more high school seniors performing below the basic benchmark in math and reading.
It's important to note that declines across subjects began well before schools closed in 2020, suggesting that the pandemic may have exacerbated existing issues rather than causing them.
The NAEP's definition of "proficient" is based on what researchers believe students should be able to achieve by the end of high school. With these standards in mind, only 33% of high school seniors were considered academically prepared for college-level math courses, a decline from 37% in 2019.
High school students are now assigned fewer books compared to 20 years ago, and the dip in reading scores is associated with a shift in how English and language arts are taught, with an emphasis on short texts and book excerpts.
The report serves as a call to action for educators, policymakers, and parents to address the declining student achievement and work towards improving educational outcomes for all students.
