US sees record low in reading and math scores among high school seniors
The United States is seeing a stark decline in mathematics and reading scores of high school seniors, according to a recent national assessment.
Results from the country’s National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed that just 35 per cent of high school seniors were proficient in reading, the lowest score since the assessment began in 1992, the New York Post reported. Meanwhile, just 22 per cent of 12th graders achieved proficiency in mathematics.
“American students are testing at historic lows across all of K-12,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon was quoted as saying by the New York Post.
“Nearly half of America’s high school seniors are testing at below basic levels in math and reading,” she continued. “The achievement gap is widening, and more high school seniors are performing below the basic benchmark in math and reading.”
Alongside the low proficiency levels, 32 per cent of seniors in high school reportedly achieved reading scores below the NAEP “basic” level, an increase from 20 per cent in 1992. Compared to 40 per cent in 2005, 45 per cent of 12th-grade students failed the “basic” criteria on the maths test.
The assessment also highlighted that 31 per cent of 12th-graders acknowledged missing three or more days of school in the month before taking the test, a 26 per cent increase from 2019.
