America’s Education Crisis Deepens: High School Students Fall Behind in Math and Reading

America’s youth are falling behind—again. According to the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), the so-called nation’s report card, 12th graders have hit their lowest scores in more than two decades in both math and reading. This alarming trend did not start with the COVID-19 pandemic; instead, it reflects a chronic erosion of academic standards that threatens America’s future prosperity. Why Is American Education Losing Ground While the World Advances? For years, hardworking American families have entrusted public schools to prepare their children for a competitive world. Yet today, nearly half of high school seniors score below “basic” proficiency in...