- Reading skills for eighth-graders hit their lowest level since testing began in 1992. Levels for fourth-graders were also near record lows as educators struggle to keep students engaged in a post-pandemic world.
The post-COVID report card for students is not one that will make anyone proud.
The reading skills of children continue to slide, with just 67% of students in eighth grade scoring at or above a basic level in 2024. Among fourth-graders, the number of students hitting that level was just 60%, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The declines have been ongoing since before the pandemic and are widespread across a number of demographics. Lower reading levels often result in students being less likely to graduate from high school and less able to assume advanced jobs when they enter the workforce. They are also more likely to commit crimes and be jailed as adults.
In both cases, the reading scores were lower than in the first year of testing, in 1992. And in the case of eighth-graders, it was the lowest score ever recorded. (Scores were down last year and in 2023 as well.)
Math scores for the test, from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, were slightly higher among fourth-graders, but remained flat for eighth-graders. In both cases, the scores were much lower than where they stood before the pandemic, but are still noticeably higher than they were when testing began.
The test scores come out as the Trump administration has discussed eliminating the Department of Education altogether. They also follow a series of post-pandemic challenges, ranging from frequent absences to increased violence in schools to the near constant distraction of cell phones and social media.