Adolescent Scores Decline
Federal data shows 9-year-olds rebound in reading and math, but 13-year-olds' scores stagnate post-pandemic
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New federal test results show a split story in American schools. Nine-year-olds have bounced back to pre-pandemic reading scores, but 13-year-olds remain stuck — their math scores still 10 points below 2020 levels, according to National Center for Education Statistics.
Matthew Soldner, acting commissioner of the NCES, said the results wipe out nearly 50 years of academic progress for older students. "This should serve as a catalyst for change," he said. The data comes from the Nation's Report Card — a federal test given since the early 1970s — released on June 10, 2026, NCES reported.
Younger Students Rebound, Older Students Left Behind
Nine-year-olds gained 4 points in both reading and math since 2022. Their average reading score hit 218 — back to pre-pandemic levels. Math reached 238, still 4 points short of 2020, but a clear improvement. The biggest gains came from struggling students: kids in the bottom 10% jumped 9 points in reading, School Library Journal reported.
Thirteen-year-olds told a different story. Their average reading score stayed flat at 256 — barely above the 1971 baseline. Math held at 270, still 10 points below the 240 recorded before the pandemic. Lesley Muldoon of the National Assessment Governing Board warned that teens are "heading toward high school without the necessary skills," according to Education Week.
Science of Reading Helped Young Kids — But Skipped Middle School
Experts point to the "science of reading" movement as a key driver for younger gains. Since 2022, at least 37 states have passed laws requiring phonics-based reading instruction. These laws targeted kindergarten through third grade — the same age group now showing improvement, NPR reported.
Middle school never got the same attention. While elementary schools overhauled how they teach reading, middle school curricula stayed largely the same. Muldoon said educators must now "focus more intensely on adolescent learners." Researchers say a research-based overhaul of middle school instruction — similar to what happened in elementary schools — is urgently needed.
Pandemic Timing Explains the Age Gap
Today's 9-year-olds were about four years old when COVID-19 hit in 2020. Most entered kindergarten after schools had reopened. They largely avoided the "Zoom school" years that disrupted early learning for older kids, according to NPR.
Today's 13-year-olds were in third or fourth grade during the shutdowns — a critical window for building reading and math foundations. Stanford researcher Sean Reardon found that national scores had already started falling in 2013, years before COVID. The pandemic then accelerated that existing slide for older students, walb.com reported.
Teen Reading Habits Collapse as Stakes Rise
The numbers on teen reading habits are stark. Only 14% of 13-year-olds say they read for fun "almost every day" — down from 27% in 2012. Nine-year-olds are also reading less for fun: 37% read daily, compared to 42% in 2020, according to Dallas Express.
The long-term cost could be enormous. Stanford economist Eric Hanushek estimates that restoring scores to 2013 levels would raise the average student's lifetime earnings by 8%. Research in Arizona projects that persistent learning loss could mean 18,000 fewer high school graduates by 2032 — and a $2.1 billion social cost tied to higher crime rates, the Hechinger Report found.
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