Ohio students' reading skills are dropping
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If you're reading this, congratulations. A new report shows U.S. students had record-low reading comprehension scores last year.
- It's a learning loss trend exacerbated by the pandemic, according to the national education report.
Why it matters: Students across age groups demonstrated continued declines in reading comprehension, despite efforts to reverse the slip. Gaps between high- and low-achieving students have also widened.
- The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called the Nation's Report Card, is administered under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Education.
What they're saying: "Not only did most students not recover from pandemic-related learning loss, but those students who were the most behind and needed the most support have fallen even further behind," the U.S. Department of Education said in a statement.
By the numbers: The average reading score for fourth and eighth graders nationwide in 2024 was two points lower than in 2022 and five points lower than 2019.
Zoom in: Ohio fourth graders' and eighth graders' average reading scores were slightly above the national averages, but still well below 2019 scores, according to the report.
- Among fourth graders, the average score was three points lower in 2024 than in 2022 and six points lower than in 2019.
- Among eighth graders, the average score was two points lower than in 2022 and seven lower than in 2019.