The U.S. Is in a 'Learning Recession.' Is NCLB's End to Blame?

Why Student Test Scores Have Seen a Decade-Long Drop Across the U.S.

A student walks down a hallway as several signs indicating students are taking STAAR exams are displayed at Arnold Elementary School in San Antonio on April 2, 2026. —Sam Owens—San Antonio Express-News/Getty ImagesOver the past ten-plus years, American students’ academic achievement has experienced a concerning decline. Test scores for students in grades K through 12 are lower than they were a decade ago in school districts across the U.S., acco…

Students Facing 'Reading Recession' in US

Researchers warn that the US is experiencing a reading recession—a slide predating the pandemic's disruptions in schooling. Scholars at Harvard, Stanford, and Dartmouth analyzed state test scores from third to eighth grade for over 5,000 school districts in 38 states, allowing comparisons across school districts and states in...

The U.S. Is in a 'Learning Recession.' Is NCLB's End to Blame?

“Our challenge didn’t start or end with the pandemic,” said one of the authors of a new report.

Florida students rank last in reading scores amid ‘learning recession,' report says

A new report says the country is in a “learning recession,” and the biggest fall in scores has happened in Florida.

Us Math/Reading Scores Continue 13-Year Decline. Researchers Blame Reduced Testing and Social Media

Test scores "are lower than they were a decade ago in school districts across the U.S.," reports Times magazine, citing new data released Wednesday by Stanford researchers. "Reading scores were down roughly 0.6 grades in 2025 compared to 2015, and math scores were down about 0.4 grades. This means that students were 60% of one school year behind where their peers were in reading a decade earlier and 40% of one school year behind in math." But S…

Students' Average Test Scores Are Declining For Grades 3 Through 8 — According To New Report, Here's What Is Partially To Blame

A new report is shedding light on a “learning recession” in U.S. schools that started in 2013. The report, titled “From Learning Recession to Learning Recovery: Understanding the Sources of U.S. K-12 Improvement,” was led by researchers at Harvard University, Stanford University, and Dartmouth College. In 2022, the researchers created the Education Recovery Scorecard, which was designed to “track the pace of post-pandemic recovery in local commu…