US test scores reach all time low
14 hours ago
- #education
- #NAEP
- #COVID-19 impact
- US high school seniors' proficiency in reading and math hits historic lows, with only 35% proficient in reading and 22% in math.
- The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows significant declines in scores since the COVID-19 pandemic, with widening achievement gaps.
- Average scores for 12th-grade math and reading dropped by three points from 2019, with even steeper declines among younger students.
- Nearly half of high school seniors perform below basic levels in math and reading, with 45% failing to meet the basic benchmark in math.
- The gap between the highest and lowest-performing students is growing, with scores dropping for all except those in the 90th percentile and above.
- 31% of 12th-graders missed three or more days of school in the month before testing, a 26% increase from 2019.
- Education officials warn that low academic skills threaten the economy, workforce, and national security, risking an entire generation's productivity.
- Efforts to address the crisis include a 'tool kit' for educators and state-level bans on cellphones in classrooms to improve focus.