US students' reading and math scores fall to record lows

The academic performance of American high school students has continued to decline over the past decade and has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with 12th graders' scores falling to a 20-year low.

Some teachers commented that students today often only read a few books each year, instead of dozens like before, which causes persistent reading skills to not be trained - Photo: REUTERS

According to CNN on September 9, 32% of 12th graders in the US do not have "basic" reading comprehension skills, meaning they cannot find details in a text to understand its meaning.

The average score for this subject in 2024 was recorded as the lowest since the survey began in 1992.

In math, 42% of 12th graders scored below the “basic” level, the highest rate since 2005, meaning these students have not mastered skills such as using percentages to solve real-world problems.

Only 33% of 12th graders were considered academically ready for college-level math courses, down from 37% in 2019.

The survey results are based on reports from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), considered the "nation's report card" that accurately reflects the quality of learning.

This is the first time 12th graders have been tested in math and reading, and 8th graders in science , since the pandemic.

The survey results reflect downward trends across all grade levels and subjects compared with previous NAEP reports.

“Scores for our lowest-performing students are at record levels,” said Matthew Soldner, acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics. “These results call for focused and coordinated action to boost student learning.”

In addition, the achievement gap between the best and weakest students in the US has also increased, especially in eighth-grade science and twelfth-grade math, reflecting growing inequality in the US education system.

The gender gap in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) subjects also shows a problem, with girls' scores falling more sharply than boys'.

According to the New York Times , the decline in students' academic performance may be partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including illness, school closures and forced remote learning.

Experts say the lack of hands-on experience post-pandemic has exacerbated the decline in scientific skills, but data also shows that the decline began before 2020.

"It's not a given that without COVID-19, scores wouldn't have dropped. In fact, the decline was already being seen," said Christine Cunningham, senior vice president of STEM learning at the Boston Museum of Science.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/diem-so-doc-hieu-va-toan-cua-hoc-sinh-my-roi-xuong-muc-thap-ky-luc-20250910162200658.htm