The latest Nation’s Report Card reveals continuously declining reading, science and math scores for students entering and exiting high school. Government officials call academic achievement an “ongoing struggle” for students post-pandemic.
The results of the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, mark the first snapshot of academic proficiency since the pandemic. Eighth-grade average science scores fell for the first time since the assessment debuted in 2009.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the results further reinforce the Trump Administration’s aim to loosen federal control of education.
“Success isn’t about how much money we spend, but who controls the money and where that money is invested,” McMahon said in a statement. “That’s why President Trump and I are committed to returning control of education to the states so they can innovate and meet each school and students’ unique needs.”
Eighth-grade science
Thirty-one percent of eighth-graders performed at or above the NAEP Proficient achievement level in 2024, four percentage points lower than in 2019. Additionally, 38% performed below the NAEP Basic achievement level, five percentage points higher than in 2019.
Matthew Soldner, acting commissioner for the National Center for Education Statistics, said the fact that nearly 40% of eighth-graders scored below basic achievement levels reflects “ongoing struggles” for students preparing to enter high school.
As for 12th-graders, the findings are just as concerning to education leaders.
Twelfth-grade mathematics
The NAEP mathematics assessment tests students’ knowledge in four content areas: number properties and operations; measurement and geometry; data analysis, statistics and probability; and algebra.
Similar to eighth-grade science, the average score in 2024 was the lowest it had been since the assessment began in 2005. Between 2019 and 2024, scores declined for all but the highest-performing students at the 90th percentile.
Furthermore, the achievement gap between the highest- and lowest-performing students was larger in 2024 than in all previous assessments.
More specifically:
- 22% of twelfth-graders performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level in 2024, two percentage points lower than in 2019.
- 45% of twelfth-graders performed below the NAEP Basic achievement level, five percentage points higher than in both 2019 and 2005.
12th-grade reading
Finally, 2024’s report card measured students’ reading comprehension skills, particularly their ability to locate and recall information, interpret what they’ve read and critique what they’ve read.
Reading scores were also lower in 2024 than in all previous assessments, and only those who scored in the 90th percentile do not represent declines from 2019 to 2014.
Thirty-five percent of 12th-graders performed at or above NAEP Proficient in 2024, two percentage points lower than in 2019 and 5% lower than in 1992. Meanwhile, 32% of students performed below NAEP Basis in 2024, which was 2% higher than the 2019 figures and 12 % higher than in 1992.
NAEP estimates that 35% of twelfth-graders were academically prepared for college in terms of reading in 2024, down from 37% in 2019.
“Scores for our lowest-performing students are at historic lows—continued declines that began more than a decade ago,” Soldner told reporters. “My predecessor warned of this trend, and her predecessor warned of this trend as well. And now I am warning you of this trend.”
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