U.S. High School Reading and Math Skills Continue to Decline: What It Means for Students

​Recent NAEP results highlight a continued decline in reading and math skills among U.S. high school students. While the data itself is not new, the long-term trend raises important questions about how students learn—and how they should prepare for increasingly demanding academic environments.

​Key Findings from NAEP 2024 (Released 2025)

According to a mid-2025 article, ​the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often referred to as the “Nation’s Report Card,” shows continued declines in student performance:

Reading

• Lowest scores since 1992
• Around 32% of 12th-grade students perform below the “basic” level

Math

• Lowest scores since 2005
• Around 45% below basic
• Only about one-third of students are considered ready for college-level math

​A Long-Term Trend, Not a Short-Term Drop

​This decline has been ongoing for more than a decade, with trends beginning before the pandemic. The gap between high- and low-performing students continues to widen, suggesting that learning differences are becoming more pronounced over time.

​Shifts in Learning Habits

The report also points to several contributing factors:

• Reduced exposure to long-form reading
• Increased fragmentation of learning content
• Shorter attention spans linked to digital habits
• Rising absenteeism

​Takeaway: Learning Demands Are Changing

As academic content becomes more complex, students are expected to:

• Read and process longer materials
• Organize and express ideas clearly
• Stay focused over extended periods

How students learn—and how consistently they build these habits—will increasingly shape their outcomes.

​At TrinityScholar, we support students in Grades 7–12 in building these core academic skills through:

• Academic reading and writing programs
• Structured critical thinking and discussion-based courses
• Test prep and skill-building aligned with long-term academic goals

👉 Explore our programs or speak with our team.