Vicki Murray of the Washington Policy Center believes the crisis demands immediate action
Vicki Murray
Washington Policy Center
The latest Nation’s Report Card results for 8th grade science along with 12th grade math and reading were released on September 9, 2025. This is the first time since 2019 results for these grade levels and subjects were released–and the news isn’t good.
Student Performance Continues Alarming Decline
These 2024 NAEP results continue the troubling pattern of stagnating student achievement in core subjects, following similar declines shown in reading and math results for fourth and eighth graders released earlier this year.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, is the country’s longest-running common measure of student academic performance across various grades and subjects (see also here).
Historic Lows in Math, Reading, and Science Scores
Nationwide, student performance is the same or lower than it was when each assessment was first administered (also available here):
8th Grade Science (2024): No measurable difference from 2009 baseline scores
- Current results: grade 8 science performance remains flat
12th Grade Mathematics (2024): 3-point decline since 2005
- Grade 12 mathematics scores hit new lows
12th Grade Reading (2024): 10-point drop since 1992
- Grade 12 reading shows devastating long-term decline
Proficiency Rates Reveal Education Crisis
The percentages of students scoring at or above proficient levels paint a concerning picture of American education performance:
- 31% of 8th grade students meet proficiency in science
- 22% of 12th grade students achieve proficiency in mathematics
- 35% of 12th grade students reach proficiency in reading
Acting Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, Matthew Soldner, highlighted “significant declines in achievement” among the lowest-performing students, predating even the COVID-19 pandemic. A record-high percentage of the Class of 2024 scored at “below basic” levels in both math and reading compared to all previous assessments.
Education Secretary Calls for State Control
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon responded to the results, stating: “Today’s NAEP results confirm a devastating trend: American students are testing at historic lows across all of K-12.” Secretary McMahon emphasized that nearly half of high school seniors test at below basic levels in math and reading “at a critical juncture when students are about to graduate and enter the workforce, military, or higher education.”
Educational Options for Academic Recovery
The crisis demands immediate action. With roughly two-thirds of students failing to reach proficiency in core subjects, particularly those approaching high school graduation, systemic change is essential. When traditional schools cannot help students catch up, parents need educational options that can deliver results.
Programs like the first-ever federal tax credit would allow taxpayers to make nonrefundable donations to nonprofits that award scholarships that cover education expenses such as tutoring, special education therapies, and after- school programs.
Scores for our lowest-performing students are at historic lows,” as Commissioner Soldner concluded, “These results should galvanize all of us to take concerted and focused action to accelerate student learning.”
Vicki Murray is a Paul W. Locker Research Fellow for Education at the Washington Policy Center.
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