NAEP Shows 9-Year-Olds Regain Reading Ground as 13-Year-Olds Post 0 Recovery
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 10
NAEP Shows 9-Year-Olds Regain Reading Ground as 13-Year-Olds Post 0 Recovery
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 10
Summary
About 15,000 students in each age group took the federal NAEP exam in late 2024 and early 2025, and the results show 9-year-olds have climbed back to pre-pandemic reading levels.
Reading gains for younger students mark the clearest rebound since 2022, while their math scores are improving but have not fully returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Thirteen-year-olds showed no comparable recovery, leaving students whose elementary years were disrupted by Covid still lagging on the national assessment.
Scores also remain below early-2010s highs overall, underscoring experts' view that the latest rebound is limited and the longer-term picture for U.S. achievement is still weak.
As AI transforms jobs, are America's declining math skills creating a generation that will be unemployable?
Why do students in Asia excel at math while American scores fall, and is a 'growth mindset' the secret?
If post-pandemic funds failed to fix the learning recession, what fundamental changes to schooling are actually required?
US Student Achievement in Crisis: 2025/2026 NAEP Data Reveal Persistent Declines, Widening Gaps, and Urgent Need for Reform
Overview
Recent data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows early signs of recovery from COVID-era learning loss, especially among 9-year-old students who improved by 4 points since 2022. This progress is notable because it was mainly driven by struggling students, marking their first major improvement in years. However, these gains are set against a longer-term decline in student achievement that began before the pandemic, with NAEP math and reading scores peaking around 2012-2013 and then falling. This highlights both the challenges and the hope for recovery in US education.