WASHINGTON – Recent testing data from the federal government shows that younger students are making a comeback academically after the disruptions caused by the pandemic. However, the same cannot be said for older students, whose test scores have remained stagnant.
According to the latest tests, 9-year-olds have successfully bounced back to their pre-pandemic reading scores and have shown some improvement in math. Unfortunately, 13-year-olds have not experienced the same recovery; their average scores in both math and reading are still below where they were before the pandemic. In fact, the latest reading scores from 2024 are at a level that hasn’t changed since 1971.
Recommended Videos
Lesley Muldoon, executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board, highlights that the pandemic’s impact on education has been particularly challenging for older students. While schools have focused on improving instruction for younger children—especially through the “science of reading”—there is a pressing need to address the academic challenges faced by adolescents in middle school.
The 13-year-olds who participated in the recent assessment were likely in their early elementary years during the pandemic, which means they missed crucial learning opportunities. As they approach high school, many could still be struggling academically.
“These students are on the verge of high school now,” Muldoon said. “We need to act quickly to turn these trends around before it’s too late.”
Understanding the Assessment
This long-term trends assessment is conducted every four years and provides an overview of American students’ academic skills at ages 9 and 13. Approximately 31,000 students from both public and private schools took the test in the 2024-2025 school year. Unlike other standardized tests that update their content regularly, this assessment has remained largely unchanged since the 1970s.
Before the pandemic, American students’ academic performance was already declining, with test scores peaking around 2012 before starting to drop. Matthew Soldner, acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, emphasizes that this trend existed prior to COVID-19.
The results indicate that younger students are improving their foundational skills. For instance, 71% of 9-year-olds reached the benchmark in reading, and 84% did so in math—both slightly ahead of where they were in 2022. On the other hand, only 58% of teenagers met the benchmark in reading, while 70% did so in math, with no significant improvements noted since 2023.
The Decline in Reading for Pleasure
One concerning trend is that fewer students are reading for fun. Among 13-year-olds, only 14% reported reading for pleasure every day, a significant drop from 27% in 2012 and a peak of 37% in 1992. Even among 9-year-olds, the percentage dropped from 53% in 2012 to 37% today. This decline aligns with the increase in social media usage and screen time among students.
Despite these challenges, the recovery among younger students is seen as hopeful by experts. Soldner notes, “Almost 50 years of progress has been eliminated” for the older group, but there is still potential for improvement.
The 13-year-olds who took the latest test likely experienced their formative years during the pandemic, missing vital literacy and math skills that are crucial at this stage of education. In contrast, the 9-year-olds were entering kindergarten as schools reopened, allowing them to benefit from more typical in-person learning experiences.
Mark Miller, an eighth-grade math teacher and former member of the National Assessment Governing Board, reminds us that past data shows it’s possible to shift trends and improve student outcomes over time. “We have made progress in the past, from the early ’70s to 2012,” he stated. “Can it be done again? Absolutely.”
___
The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters, and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
