Math and reading tests plummet to lowest scores in decades for middle schoolers

New federal test scores outline a troubling new reality for US students.  

Math and reading performances for 13-year-olds plummeted to the lowest scores in decades.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress exam was given last fall. 

The results show the downturn in student performance since the height of the COVID pandemic. 

The exam also included a survey for students. 31% of kids reported that they never, or hardly ever, read for fun, compared to 22% in 2012.

Education professor at Brooklyn College, David Bloomfield says the news is upsetting but unfortunately not surprising.

Research has shown that most students, despite age, experienced academic struggles during the pandemic. 

But this particular age is critical in education. 

Bloomfield says middle schoolers are setting a foundation for their reading comprehension and that they should be able to read by this age.

Test results showed that while achievement declined across class, geography, and race, low-income students experienced the biggest drops in math. 

Still, some education experts say the test isn’t necessarily a fair representation of student knowledge because it rarely tests students on content, they’re taught in the classroom.