New Nation’s Report Card Reveals Trends of U.S. Schools Post-Pandemic

Nearly five years after COVID-19 disrupted education, the Nation’s Report Card provides a mixed outlook on student achievement.

Math scores show modest recovery, with fourth-graders making slight gains since 2022, though still below pre-pandemic levels. Alabama was the only state where fourth-graders outperformed 2019 scores. However, a troubling trend emerged in eighth-grade math, where higher-performing students improved, while lower-performing students fell further behind, widening the achievement gap.

Reading scores present a more alarming picture. Fourth- and eighth-graders performed worse in 2024 than in 2022, continuing a downward trend that began in 2015. Eighth-graders’ scores were at their lowest in 30 years, with more students struggling than ever before.

The report also highlights the strong connection between socioeconomic status and academic performance, with wealthier students performing significantly better. Additionally, chronic absenteeism remains a major barrier to learning.

While federal pandemic aid contributed to modest academic gains, the data underscores the need for sustained intervention to close learning gaps and improve literacy nationwide.

Source: NPR