What’s going on: Who among us hasn’t pulled the ‘ol “I don’t test well” when SAT scores come up in conversation? Apparently, almost no one does these days — especially the kids. New test score data from Stanford University found that US students are performing worse than they were 10 years ago. Reading scores are down in 83% of school districts since then, while math performance has fallen in 70%. The trend is happening across America regardless of factors like income and race. Red states, blue states, suburbs, cities — everybody is in their flop era (except, perhaps, for families who can pay for fancy private schools and tutors). And before you ask, no, it’s not just about COVID-era learning losses. This data shows that the decline started pre-2020, and the pandemic was just a continuation of a decade-long “learning recession.”
What the F is happening?: Experts say there’s no one reason for the decline, but it does line up with the rollback of No Child Left Behind, the rise of smartphones and social media, AI schools, vouchers, and COVID-19. The recent dismantling of the Department of Education likely won’t help. One rare bright spot is Mississippi, which in recent years has jumped into the top 10 states for reading levels among fourth graders. This is thanks to investments in early childhood education, teacher development, and a “science of reading” model. Dozens of states are now following Mississippi’s lead.
