Teens' reading and math scores have stagnated, US test results show

By — Annie Ma, Associated Press Annie Ma, Associated Press By — Sharon Lurye, Associated Press Sharon Lurye, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/teens-reading-and-math-scores-have-stagnated-us-test-results-show Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Teens' reading and math scores have stagnated, US test results show Education Jun 10, 2026 4:54 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Younger students have regained ground academically after the pandemic's disruptions while older students' test scores continue to stagnate, according to the latest testing data released Wednesday by the federal government. Nine-year-olds rebounded to pre-pandemic reading scores and saw some recovery in math, according to data from a test taken regularly in the United States since the 1970s. The same recovery has not emerged for 13-year-olds, whose average scores in math and reading remain below pre-pandemic averages. In fact, the latest reading scores, from teenagers who took the test in 2024, are essentially the same level as they were when the test started in 1971. WATCH: What's caused reading scores to drop to worst point in decades? Education expert weighs in Since the pandemic, schools and state policymakers have focused on overhauling instruction for elementary students, especially in implementing the "science of reading," which teaches kids to read by understanding how letters form sounds. But recent test scores show educators should also focus more intensely on adolescent learners and turning around academic outcomes in middle school, said Lesley Muldoon, executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board. Indeed, the 13-year-olds who took the national test experienced the pandemic's disruption during formative elementary years of schooling. In a few years, they will have graduated — and they may still be behind. "The 13-year-olds who took this assessment last year are headed to high school now or are already enrolled," she said. "Schools won't have them much longer. We can't hesitate or wait if we're going to turn these trends around." What the test measures Typically given every four years, the long-term trends assessment offers a snapshot into the academic skills of American students at ages 9 and 13. Roughly 31,000 students in public and private schools sat for the test in the 2024-2025 school year. Unlike the main Nation's Report Card test for fourth and eighth graders, which is updated regularly with new skills to reflect changing curricula, the long-term test has stayed largely the same since the 1970s. American students' academic achievement was already declining when the pandemic hit. Test scores peaked around 2012, then started to fall, said Matthew Soldner, acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics. "We can clearly see that this isn't just a pandemic story," Soldner said. READ MORE: The pandemic disrupted young children's early s