The math and reading performance of 13-year-olds in the United States
has hit the lowest level in decades, according to test scores released
today from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the gold-
standard federal exam.

The last time math performance was this low for 13-year-olds was in
1990. In reading, 2004.

Performance has fallen significantly since the 2019-2020 school year,
when the coronavirus pandemic wrought havoc on the nation�s education
system. But the downward trends reported today began years before the
health crisis, raising questions about a decade of disappointing
results for American students.

The federal standardized test, known as NAEP, was given last fall, and
focused on basic skills. The 13-year-olds scored an average of 256 out
of 500 in reading, and 271 out of 500 in math, down from average scores
of 260 in reading and 280 in math three years ago.

Achievement declined across lines of race, class and geography. But in
math, especially, vulnerable children � including Black, Native
American and low-income students � experienced bigger drops.

A large body of research shows that most American children experienced
academic struggles during the pandemic. It has also been clear that
low-income students of color were most heavily affected by school
closures and remote learning, which in some districts lasted more than
a year.

The latest NAEP results are the federal government�s final major
release of data on pandemic learning loss. The scores add to educators�
understanding of the challenges that lie ahead for children of
different ages and demographic groups.

The 13-year-olds who took this version of the NAEP exam last fall were
10 years old � and in fourth or fifth grade � when the pandemic began.
Many were old enough to participate in remote learning without minute-
to-minute adult assistance, as younger children often needed.

But the ages of 10 to 13 are also a crucial period for mastering
foundational skills, from multiplication to recognizing a character�s
feelings in a short narrative passage.

�The bottom line � these results show that there are troubling gaps in
the basic skills of these students,� said Peggy Carr, commissioner of
the National Center for Education Statistics, which gives the NAEP
exam. �This is a huge-scale challenge that faces the nation.�

In the highly decentralized American education system, NAEP is one of
the few consistent tests given across states lines over many years,
making the results easily comparable.

Scores on the exam do not result in any rewards or punishments for
students, teachers or schools, making them especially useful for
research purposes, since there are fewer incentives to cheat or teach
to the test.

Still, some education experts believe there is too much focus on NAEP.
They point out that the content of the exams, in many cases, has little
overlap with the material that is actually taught in classrooms across
the country.

A student survey given alongside the test turned up other interesting
results that will keep educators buzzing. The percentage of 13-year-
olds enrolled in algebra has declined to 24 percent from 34 percent in
2012. In some districts and states, notably California, there has been
a push to equalize math education by placing fewer eighth graders into
advanced math.

The percentage of 13-year-olds who reported reading for fun has also
declined. Last fall, 31 percent said they �never or hardly ever� read
for fun, compared to 22 percent in 2012.

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Let's go Brandon!