Overview

• The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress shows reading scores for fourth and eighth graders have fallen to their lowest levels in decades, with eighth-grade scores at their lowest since 1992.
• Experts attribute the decline partly to the effects of pandemic-related school closures, which disrupted learning and widened achievement gaps, particularly among lower-performing students.
• Despite $189.5 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds for education, recovery efforts have failed to reverse the downward trend in student performance.
• Critics, including former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, argue for a 'total reset' of the education system, citing the Department of Education's inability to address long-standing issues effectively.
• The results have reignited debates on school choice, federal versus state control of education, and the role of standardized testing in shaping student outcomes.