The reading and test scores for American 12th graders have hit a 20 year low, new analysis has found.
This is despite the fact that the United States spends more on education than most countries. New York City is currently poised to spend up to $42,000 per student this school year.
The closure of schools during Covid can be blamed in part for this, but there has to be more to the story than that.
NBC News in Chicago reported:
Nationwide test scores show U.S. high school students falling behind in math and reading
A decade-long slide in high schoolers’ reading and math performance persisted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 12th graders’ scores dropping to their lowest level in more than 20 years, according to results released Tuesday from an exam known as the nation’s report card.
Eighth-grade students also lost significant ground in science skills, according to the results from the National Assessment of Education Progress.
The assessments were the first since the pandemic for eighth graders in science and 12th graders in reading and math. They reflect a downward drift across grade levels and subject areas in previous releases from NAEP, which is considered one of the best gauges of the academic progress of U.S. schools.
“Scores for our lowest-performing students are at historic lows,” said Matthew Soldner, the acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics. “These results should galvanize all of us to take concerted and focused action to accelerate student learning.”
Trump’s Education Secretary Linda McMahon spoke about this recently and explained that this is one of the reasons why the Trump administration wants to return education authority to the states, so that parents and local communities can get more involved in fixing the problem.
Today’s @NAEP_NCES 12th grade math and reading and 8th grade science scores confirm a devastating trend: American students are testing at historic lows.
Nearly HALF of America’s high school seniors are testing at below basic levels in math and reading. The status quo is… pic.twitter.com/FMxGX5cu66
— Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) September 9, 2025
When cities and states are spending tens of thousands of dollars per student and getting these kinds of results, parents who are also the taxpayers supporting these schools, have every right to be outraged. School choice must be an option.
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