Twelfth-Grade Math and Reading Scores in U.S. Hit New Low
10th September 2025
American high-school seniors’ scores on major math and reading tests fell to their lowest levels on record, according to results released Tuesday by the U.S. Education Department.
Twelfth-graders’ average math score was the worst since the current test began in 2005, and reading was below any point since that assessment started in 1992. The share of 12th-graders who were proficient slid by 2 percentage points between 2019 and 2024—to 35% in reading and 22% in math.
There also were drops in the proportion of students who were able to reach at least a basic level of performance, a tier below proficiency.
The results are from tests that are part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, administered to tens of thousands of students in early 2024.