Reading and Math Scores Drop Among High School Seniors
Recent testing reveals a concerning trend in American education: high school seniors have recorded their lowest reading scores since 1992 on national assessments. This alarming decline coincides with a similar downward trajectory in math performance. Education experts point to two primary culprits behind these troubling results: the increasing prevalence of screen time in teenagers’ lives and the unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As digital devices have become ubiquitous in young people’s daily routines, traditional reading habits have diminished, affecting comprehension skills and engagement with longer texts. The pandemic further exacerbated these challenges, creating learning gaps that many students have struggled to overcome despite returning to in-person instruction.
The reading score decline represents more than just numbers on a page; it reflects a fundamental shift in how today’s teenagers interact with information and develop critical thinking skills. When students read less frequently or engage primarily with fragmented, short-form content online, they miss opportunities to develop the sustained focus and analytical abilities that come from regular engagement with books and longer texts. This generation of seniors experienced their formative high school years during extraordinary circumstances, with remote learning environments that often couldn’t replicate the quality of in-person instruction. The isolation and technological dependence of pandemic schooling may have accelerated existing trends away from deep reading practices, creating a perfect storm for literacy challenges.
Mathematics performance has followed a similar downward pattern, suggesting that the factors affecting student achievement extend beyond subject-specific issues to broader educational and developmental concerns. Math requires focused attention, consistent practice, and conceptual understanding—qualities that can be undermined by fragmented learning experiences and excessive screen time devoted to non-educational content. The pandemic’s disruption of normal instructional patterns created gaps in mathematical knowledge that proved difficult to address, especially for concepts that build sequentially upon previous learning. As seniors struggled to maintain academic momentum through shifting educational models, their foundation in both reading and mathematical reasoning suffered consequences that standardized tests have now brought into sharp focus.
The implications of these declining scores extend far beyond graduation ceremonies. Today’s seniors are entering a workforce and higher education landscape that demands strong literacy and quantitative reasoning skills. Their ability to interpret complex information, think critically about diverse perspectives, and apply mathematical concepts to real-world problems will influence their career opportunities and civic participation. The reading and math deficiencies reflected in these test results may create ripple effects throughout society, potentially affecting everything from workforce readiness to informed democratic engagement. Educational institutions now face the challenge of addressing these gaps while preparing students for an increasingly complex information environment.
Educators, policymakers, and parents are searching for effective interventions to reverse these troubling trends. Some schools have implemented targeted reading programs that emphasize sustained engagement with texts, while others are exploring ways to use technology more intentionally as a learning tool rather than a distraction. Math instruction is being reimagined with approaches that build stronger conceptual foundations and address pandemic-related learning gaps. The most promising solutions recognize that screen time itself isn’t inherently problematic—rather, it’s how digital tools are used and whether they complement or replace deeper learning experiences. Creating educational environments that encourage focus, critical thinking, and meaningful engagement with content remains essential, regardless of whether that content appears on screens or pages.
As we consider these challenges, it’s important to recognize the resilience and adaptability today’s seniors have demonstrated throughout their high school years. They navigated unprecedented educational disruptions while continuing to learn and grow, often developing new technological skills and self-direction capabilities along the way. The test scores, while concerning, represent just one measure of their development during an extraordinary period. Moving forward, educational approaches that balance technological fluency with deep learning experiences will be crucial for reversing these trends. By understanding the complex factors behind these declining scores—from screen habits to pandemic disruptions—educators and families can work together to create learning environments that foster the reading and mathematical thinking skills essential for success in an increasingly complex world.
