U.S. Students Fall Nearly Half a Grade in Reading as Only 5 States and D.C. Gain
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 13
U.S. Students Fall Nearly Half a Grade in Reading as Only 5 States and D.C. Gain
13 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 13
Only five states plus Washington, D.C., posted meaningful reading-score growth from 2022 to 2025, while U.S. students remain nearly half a grade level below pre-pandemic reading levels.
Researchers analyzing more than 5,000 districts in 38 states said the slide began well before COVID-19, with national reading scores falling since 2013 for eighth graders and 2015 for fourth graders.
Phonics-based "science of reading" policies, dyslexia screening and extra tutoring were common in stronger states such as Louisiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana, though similar reforms did not lift scores everywhere.
Math offered a brighter picture: almost every state improved from 2022 to 2025, absenteeism fell in most states, and districts such as Modesto and Detroit outpaced comparable systems through intensive support and attendance efforts.
Louisiana was the only state to beat its pre-pandemic reading average, underscoring researchers' view that the downturn can be reversed even after a decade of erosion.
As some states lead a reading revival, what are they doing that the rest of the country isn't?
If the 'science of reading' is the answer, why are some students still being left behind?
Is America's reading crisis a failure of instruction or a symptom of the smartphone era?
U.S. Student Reading Scores Hit Historic Lows (2022–2025): Causes, Consequences, and Urgent Solutions
Overview
Between 2022 and 2025, U.S. students have faced a significant and ongoing decline in reading achievement, as shown by the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Both 4th and 8th graders saw their reading scores drop by two points, continuing a downward trend that began before the COVID-19 pandemic and falling even lower than the historic lows of 2022. Despite $190 billion in federal emergency funding aimed at supporting research-backed interventions like summer school and tutoring, these efforts have not reversed the decline, highlighting the deep and persistent challenges in improving student reading outcomes.