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A new batch of student test scores indicate a slump in college and career readiness, as well as a decline in science knowledge. Both of those could have profound implications for the country鈥檚 economic future.

Average reading and math scores among 12th graders fell to their lowest levels on record in 2024, according to the latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often referred to as 鈥渢he nation鈥檚 report card.鈥� Meanwhile, eighth graders鈥� scores on a science test slipped as well.

Last year marked the first time those three assessments were given since the pandemic, providing a fresh 鈥� albeit sobering 鈥� look at ongoing learning struggles for U.S. schoolchildren. NAEP results released in January showed troubling declines in reading scores among fourth graders and eighth graders. On all three tests, scores for lower-performing students continued a downward trajectory and hit historic lows.

鈥淭his means students are taking their next steps in life with fewer skills and less knowledge in core academics than their predecessors a decade ago,鈥� says Lesley Muldoon, executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board. 鈥淎nd this is happening at a time when rapid advancements in technology and society demand more of future workers and citizens, not less.鈥�

The average math score for 12th graders 鈥� 147 on a 300-point scale 鈥� was the lowest since the assessment began in 2005. Only 22% of 12th graders solved math problems at a level deemed at or above proficiency in 2024. Meanwhile, 45% performed below the test鈥檚 most basic achievement level.

That drop was fueled by nearly across-the-board struggles. Scores for 12th graders performing in the 90th percentile 鈥� the highest-performing students 鈥� remained flat compared with 2019. Students in all other percentiles saw declines, widening the gap between the highest- and lowest-performing learners.

Similar trends emerged on the reading assessment. Twelfth graders鈥� average reading score 鈥� 283 on a 500-point scale 鈥� was the lowest in more than three decades.

Only 35% of high school seniors in 2024 were reading at or above the test鈥檚 proficient level, down from 37% in 2019. Some 32% lacked the reading skills required to perform at a basic level, such as drawing general conclusions from concepts presented explicitly in the text.

The scores suggest an increasing number of students will not be prepared for entry-level college coursework and, instead, might need to take remedial classes that could slow their pathway to a degree.

That could require a change in how education systems work together to best serve student needs, says Michelle Cant煤-Wilson, who sits on the board of trustees at San Jacinto College in Texas and is also a member of the National Assessment Governing Board. In Texas, a corequisite model has emerged that blends developmental and on-level instruction in credit-granting college courses.

鈥淲hen we say students might need remediation or developmental education, that鈥檚 of course certainly sobering, right?鈥� Ms.聽Cant煤-Wilson says. 鈥淎nd we need to think about why that鈥檚 happening, but in Texas, in particular, we鈥檙e also ensuring that the model works for students and their goals.鈥�

On the science front, eighth graders鈥� scores proved equally troublesome. The science assessment, also taken in 2024, measured students鈥� knowledge of physical science, life science, and earth and space science.

Eighth graders鈥� average science score declined four points since 2019 and fell to the same level recorded in 2009. The drop occurred across percentiles, meaning both higher- and lower-performing students are struggling in science.

Only 31% of eighth graders鈥� science scores placed them at the proficient or higher level. Thirty-eight percent of students, meanwhile, earned science scores below the test鈥檚 basic level.

And, after the science gender gap had essentially disappeared in 2019, the latest assessment shows girls falling behind boys once again.

鈥淲e certainly know that STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] has significant implications for national economic competitiveness and national security, and so we can鈥檛 not pay attention to these eighth grade science results,鈥� says Matthew Soldner, acting commissioner for the National Center for Education Statistics, which administers the NAEP tests.

The downward trajectory of science scores could reflect a post-pandemic emphasis on reading and math that cut into time for other content areas, says Christine Cunningham, senior vice president for STEM Learning at the Museum of Science in Boston and a member of the National Assessment Governing Board.

But Dr. Cunningham says student motivation is another concern. A survey given alongside the science assessment found that students鈥� interest in science has dropped since 2019, as did their participation in classroom activities promoting scientific inquiry.

鈥淚f we are serious about helping kids to learn science, we need to carve out the time for it,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e need to think about what experiences kids have that are motivating and meaningful.鈥�

Students do best, Dr. Cunningham says, when they have an interest in the topic and can find relevance within their own lives or the world around them. That could lead to integration with math and reading. An interesting science topic, for instance, might inspire children to read more about it.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to need to think carefully about how to do that going forward,鈥� she says.