The latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are sobering. Reading and math scores for high school seniors have dropped to their lowest levels in more than 20 years. In 2024, only 22% of twelfth graders were proficient in math, and just 35% in reading—both down from 2019. Nearly half of seniors scored below the “basic” level in math, while a third fell below basic in reading. Among eighth graders, science scores also declined. And while all groups saw setbacks, the sharpest drops came among the lowest-performing students, deepening long-standing inequities.
We cannot dismiss this as a “pandemic problem.” While COVID-19 accelerated the decline, the downward trend began well before 2020. What the pandemic did was expose long-standing weaknesses: uneven instruction, inequitable resources, and a reluctance to adopt practices we know actually work.
That distinction matters because it tells us what must come next. Short-term recovery efforts won’t be enough. We need sustained, systemic change.
First, early literacy has to become a national priority. States that have embraced the science of reading and invested in teacher training are beginning to show progress. Others must follow suit. Quickly. Math demands the same urgency, with coherent curricula, strong instructional materials, and intensive, comprehensive support for struggling learners.
Second, equity must guide resource allocation. The lowest-performing students have lost the most ground, and many come from communities that have been historically underfunded. High-dosage tutoring, extended learning time, and wraparound supports should not be optional add-ons; they should be central strategies for accelerating learning.
Third, we must acknowledge a hard truth: schools cannot regain lost ground if instructional time is crowded out by competing priorities. The reality is that students who are multiple grade levels behind in reading or math need more time on task—more focused lessons, more practice, more direct instruction. The post-pandemic school environment has been focused on a wide variety of targets, with many of them categorized as non-academic. At a moment when proficiency rates are at historic lows, academics must return to the center of the school day.
Finally, none of this is possible without investing in teachers. Professional learning, high-quality curriculum, and adequate planning time are essential if we expect educators to deliver the kind of instruction that raises performance. Teacher support is not a side issue—it is the most important driver of student success. Furthermore, we need to ensure their voice is heard during discussion of school reform, not CEOs of tech companies clamoring for more AI and screen time. Artificial intelligence might be a big part of the future of learning, but it won’t matter if less than half of our students are proficient in English and Math. Investing in teachers will be the catalyst to get learning outcomes back on track. We need more content experts to enter the profession. AI can spit out information, but it can’t make our students understand it at a deep level.
The NAEP scores are not just numbers on a chart. They are a reflection of whether our education system is preparing students for the demands of college, work, and their future life. Right now, the answer is clear: we are not.
Leaders at every level—federal, state, and district—must treat this as more than another cycle of disappointing news. These results are an alarm. The question is whether we will hit the snooze button and let this downward trend continue, or finally confront the challenges with the urgency they demand.
The Principal’s Desk, Assistant Principal’s Desk, and The School Counselor’s Desk was founded by Dr. David Franklin. Dr. Franklin is an award winning school administrator, education professor, curriculum designer, published author and presenter at national and international education conferences. He is also the co-author of “Can Every School Succeed” and the #1 Amazon Best Seller in Education Administration: “Advice From The Principal’s Desk”.
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