US Test Scores: Teens Stagnate, Younger Improve

New federal testing data reveals a widening academic recovery gap between younger and older students in the United States, with nine-year-olds largely rebounding to pre-pandemic performance levels while 13-year-olds continue to stagnate. The results, released on June 10, show average scores for both age groups remain below pre-COVID benchmarks, but the trajectory for each is starkly different.

The data comes from the long-term trends assessment of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, often called the Nation's Report Card. The test, which has been administered since the 1970s, provides a snapshot of skills for students aged 9 and 13. Roughly 31,000 students in public and private schools took the assessment during the 2024-2025 school year.

For nine-year-olds, average reading scores have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, and math scores have shown modest gains. Seventy-one percent of nine-year-olds met the benchmark skill level in reading, and 84 percent did so in math, representing improvements over 2022 results. In contrast, 13-year-olds saw no statistically significant improvement. Their average reading score has slid back to the level recorded when the test began...