US Children Fall Further Behind in Reading on National Exam
Nation’s Report Card Reveals Continued Decline in Reading Skills
America’s children have continued to lose ground on reading skills in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and have made little improvement in math, according to the latest results of an exam known as the nation’s report card.
The findings are yet another setback for U.S. schools and reflect the myriad challenges that have upended education, from pandemic school closures to a youth mental health crisis and high rates of chronic absenteeism. The national exam results also show growing inequality: While the highest-performing students have started to regain lost ground, lower-performing students are falling further behind.
Growing numbers of students lack basic reading skills
The average math score for eighth grade students was unchanged from 2022, while reading scores fell 2 points at both grade levels. One-third of eighth grade students scored below “basic” in reading, more than ever in the history of the assessment.
Students are considered below basic if they are missing fundamental skills. For example, eighth grade students who scored below basic in reading were typically unable to make a simple inference about a character’s motivation after reading a short story, and some were unable to identify that the word “industrious” means “to be hard working.”
The drop in scores continues a post-pandemic slide
The latest setbacks follow a historic backslide in 2022. In that year’s exam, student achievement fell across both subjects and grade levels, in some cases by unprecedented levels.
This round of testing again featured students whose lives were disrupted by the pandemic. When COVID hit in 2020, the fourth graders were in kindergarten, and the eighth graders were in fourth grade.
Republican lawmakers cast blame on Biden administration
The U.S. Education Department said the results are “heartbreaking” and reflect an education system that is failing students despite billions of dollars in annual funding and more than $190 billion in federal pandemic relief.
“Change must happen, and it must happen now,” the department said in a statement.
Conclusion
The latest results of the nation’s report card paint a concerning picture of the state of education in the United States. While there are some bright spots, such as the improvement in fourth-grade math in some states, the overall trend is one of decline. It is clear that more needs to be done to support students and help them catch up on lost ground.
FAQs
Q: What is the nation’s report card?
A: The nation’s report card is an exam that tests the reading and math skills of fourth and eighth grade students in the United States.
Q: What are the results of the latest report card?
A: The latest results show a continued decline in reading skills and little improvement in math.
Q: Why are the results concerning?
A: The results are concerning because they indicate that many students are falling further behind in reading and math, and that the education system is not making progress in addressing these issues.
Q: What can be done to improve the results?
A: There are many factors that contribute to the decline in reading skills, including poverty, lack of access to quality education, and lack of support for students. To improve the results, we need to address these underlying issues and provide more support for students and teachers.
