US public school test scores continue to decline post-pandemic

(The Center Square) – Academic achievement in U.S. public schools continues to fall behind pre-pandemic levels, with national test data showing a persistent decline in math and reading scores years after COVID-19. Test results from the National Center for Education Statistics show that average scores on 12th-grade math and reading assessments dropped three points from 2019. Among fourth graders, average math scores were also three points lower than before the pandemic, while eighth graders saw math scores decline by eight points over five years. Reading scores for fourth and eighth graders dropped five points between 2019 and 2024. With this overall decline, students are performing below basic proficiency levels. Thirty-two percent of high school seniors scored below the National Assessment of Education Progress basic level in reading, up from 20% in 1992. In math, 45% of 12th graders fell below the basic benchmark, compared to 40% in 2005. In September 2022, former Commissioner Peggy