The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress NAEP results dropped today and there’s no sugar coating it, the public school system gets a great big F in educating our students.
NAEP stands for the National Assessment of Educational Progress. It is often called “the Nation’s Report Card.” This is the federal government’s main tool for measuring how well America’s public school students are learning in core subjects. The tests are given to representative samples of students in public schools across the country. NAEP does not rank individual schools, but it does track nationwide performance over time and across states, giving a clear picture of whether public schools are improving or failing.
The 2024 tests, administered Jan–Mar 2024 and released Sept 9 2025, show only 22% of seniors are proficient in math and 35% in reading. Meanwhile 45% scored below basic in math and roughly 32% below basic in reading.
Eighth grade science is just as bad. Scores sank to the lowest since 2009 and the performance gap between top and bottom students is the widest ever recorded.
Officials did not mince words. Lesley Muldoon warned, “Students are taking their next steps in life with fewer skills and less knowledge in core academics than their predecessors a decade ago.” Matthew Soldner added, “Scores for our lowest performing students are at historic lows, now I am warning you about this trend.”
The Trump Administration seized on the numbers. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said, “These results confirm a devastating trend, that is why President Trump and I are committed to returning control of education to the states so they can innovate and meet each school and students unique needs.”
Trying to find something positive, the only glimmer is that top performers held steady and there is some recovery in early grade math. That is it.
