Summary
The latest Nation's Report Card reveals that science, math, and reading scores for U.S. students have declined since 2019. The report comes after significant budget cuts to the U.S. Education Department, which resulted in reduced assessments and fewer staff. The data highlights ongoing concerns about declining performance among students, particularly those who score lowest.
Key Facts
- The Nation's Report Card showed that 8th-grade science scores fell by 4 points since 2019.
- For 12th-graders, math and reading scores dropped by 3 points in the same period.
- Recent budget cuts to the U.S. Education Department led to staff reductions at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).
- Several national and state assessments were canceled, including some planned for 12th-graders.
- NAEP, a key tool for these assessments, tests a large sample of students and releases data every two years for 4th and 8th grades, and every four years for 12th graders.
- Since 1992, 12th-grade reading scores are now 10 points lower on average.
- Almost one-third of 12th-graders reported missing three or more school days in the month before the 2024 assessment.
- The results indicate a trend of declining scores among the lowest-performing students.
