American high-school seniors’ scores on major math and reading tests fell to their lowest levels on record, according to results released Tuesday by the U.S. Education Department.
Twelfth-graders’ average math score was the worst since the current test began in 2005, and reading was below any point since that assessment started in 1992. The share of 12th-graders who were proficient slid by 2 percentage points between 2019 and 2024—to 35% in reading and 22% in math.
There also were drops in the proportion of students who were able to reach at least a basic level of performance, a tier below proficiency.
The results are from tests that are part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, administered to tens of thousands of students in early 2024.
The declines deepen slides that began before the pandemic, and are the latest in a procession of gloomy data showing that U.S. students are learning less than several years ago.
Reading & Math scores for high school seniors in America have fallen to their lowest level on record w/ 68% achieving a "basic" level of performance in Reading & 55% in Math. The % of 12th-graders who were "proficient" also fell to record lows: 35% in Reading and 22% in Math. pic.twitter.com/DnRQ1SMwY6
— Charlie Bilello (@charliebilello) September 9, 2025