The latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicate that America’s children are still struggling with reading skills following the COVID-19 pandemic, and there has been minimal improvement in math skills. These findings highlight ongoing challenges in the U.S. education system, such as pandemic-related school closures, a youth mental health crisis, and high rates of chronic absenteeism. The results also point to increasing inequality, with higher-performing students beginning to recover while lower-performing students continue to lag behind.
Administered every two years, this assessment is a key indicator of academic progress in the U.S. The most recent exam, conducted in early 2024, tested fourth- and eighth-grade students across all states in math and reading. Peggy Carr, the commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, expressed concern over the results, stating that the progress needed to recover from pandemic-related setbacks is not being achieved.
