The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” has released its 2024 assessment, revealing a troubling decline in reading proficiency among American students. The results show that reading scores have continued to plummet, marking a worrying trend that experts fear could have long-term consequences for students and the nation’s workforce.
Key Findings from the 2024 NAEP Report
🔹 Reading scores for both fourth- and eighth-grade students dropped by two points since 2022 and by five points since 2019.
🔹 Only 38% of eighth graders demonstrated proficiency in reading, meaning they have a solid grasp of the subject.
🔹 When factoring in students scoring at only a basic reading level, the total is 67%—the lowest percentage since testing began in 1992.
🔹 The decline was most pronounced among lower-performing students, with scores dropping significantly at the 10th, 25th, and 50th percentiles compared to 2022.
🔹 The report reaffirms that pandemic-era school closures had lasting negative effects on students’ academic performance.
The Pandemic’s Role in Declining Scores
All students tested in 2024 experienced at least part of their education during the COVID-19 pandemic, when extended school closures interrupted learning on an unprecedented scale.
- Teachers’ unions, including the National Education Association (NEA) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT), strongly advocated for keeping schools closed.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initially exempted schools from closures, but unions pressured officials to extend shutdowns.
- While schools received $190 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds, many districts remained closed far longer than necessary.
- Research from institutions like the University of Toronto (2021) and German researchers (2021, Frontiers in Psychology) found that closures disproportionately harmed younger students and low-income families, widening the achievement gap.
Beyond academics, the negative consequences of school closures included:
✅ Increased mental health issues (depression, anxiety, and suicide rates rose among students).
✅ Higher rates of obesity and other health complications.
✅ Weakened immune systems due to prolonged isolation.
Beyond the Pandemic: Other Factors Behind the Decline
While the pandemic played a significant role in learning loss, education experts say it is not the sole reason for the decline.
📉 Decreasing Interest in Reading
- NAEP Commissioner Peggy Carr noted a decline in student enthusiasm for reading, with fewer students reading for pleasure.
💻 Digital Distractions & Device-Based Reading
- More students are reading on digital devices, but the content they engage with is often less complex than traditional print materials.
✍️ Fewer Writing Assignments in Schools
- Teachers are assigning fewer essays and written responses, impacting students’ ability to analyze texts deeply.
📚 Widening Achievement Gaps
- Low-performing students are falling further behind, a trend that worsened during the pandemic.
What Experts and Lawmakers Are Saying
🔴 Harsh Warnings from Education Leaders
- Dan Goldhaber, a researcher at the American Institutes for Research, said: “I don’t think this is the canary in the coal mine. This is a flock of dead birds in the coal mine.”
- Martin West, vice chair of the NAEP governing board and professor at Harvard, warned: “A larger-than-in-recent-memory share of American students are failing to demonstrate even partial mastery of the skills educators have defined as important.”
🏛 Lawmakers Sound the Alarm
- Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, blamed the education system’s priorities: “This is clearly a reflection of the education bureaucracy continuing to focus on woke policies rather than helping students learn and grow.”
Conclusion: A Crisis in American Education
With reading proficiency at historic lows, experts warn that the future of millions of students is at risk. The continued decline in reading ability, critical thinking, and engagement with complex texts raises concerns about workforce readiness, economic mobility, and civic engagement in the coming decades.
🔹 Urgent action is needed to address learning loss, improve literacy programs, and refocus efforts on fundamental academic skills.
🔹 Without meaningful reform, generations of students could struggle to reach their full potential, leaving long-term consequences for the U.S. economy and society.
👉 What do you think? Should education policies shift away from social issues and back toward core academic skills? Let’s discuss. 👇
