U.S. kids’ average reading skills again worsen, test shows

Reading comprehension scores for fourth graders and eighth graders fell an average of two points between 2022 and 2024, according to a report released Wednesday. Statistically low-performing eighth graders posted the worst scores in 30 years as measured by the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Meanwhile, the percentage of eighth graders who read below basic levels was the largest in the history of the test.

The data showed a widening gap between low and high-performing students as some children regained ground lost during the pandemic, while others were stagnant or fell further behind. Louisiana was the only state where fourth-graders surpassed pre-pandemic reading levels. The state requires teachers complete literacy training and provides a teacher-developed curriculum to strengthen students’ comprehension.

What about math scores? Overall, student achievement has remained below pre-pandemic levels and most of the gains were in mathematics, said National Center for Education Statistics Commissioner Peggy Carr. Fourth grade math students showed the greatest improvement from 2022-2024, while staying below pre-pandemic levels. Fourth grade students in the Northeast and South showed the most improvement. Nationwide, economically disadvantaged fourth graders increased their math scores by an average of three points. U.S. eighth grade scores did not change significantly.

How is the data collected? The NAEP has been administered since 1969 to assess how effective public and private schools are in teaching reading and math. The assessment is given every two years to a portion of fourth and eighth-grade students in every state. Scores hit a historic low in 2022, after students were forced out of in-person classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2024 assessment tested about 465,000 students between January and March of last year.

Dig deeper:Read Barton J. Gingerich’s opinion piece about why students at elite universities struggle with reading comprehension.