REPORT: Illiteracy is Skyrocketing in Government-Run Schools

An illiterate population is being created—record numbers of American students fall below basic reading levels.

Newly released 2024 testing results confirm students' concerning decline in government-run schools. Yet Democrats continue to call for increased school funding rather than providing economically disadvantaged children options to escape failing public schools.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) regularly reports on math and reading scores for 4th and 8th grade public school students. NAEP's 2024 results paint a bleak picture for American students who continue to fall behind other developed nations. The number of 8th graders reading below a basic level is the largest in the history of NAEP testing. Globally, 15-year-old American students rank an abysmal 34th in math and 9th in reading literacy.

40 percent of 4th graders and 33 percent of 8th graders scored below a basic reading level. Scores for 8th grade students declined 5 points in reading from 2019 to 2024.

24 percent of 4th graders and 39 percent of 8th graders scored below a basic math level. Scores for 8th grade students declined 9 points in math from 2019–2024.

Only two states had any significant increases in either subject: 4th grade math students in Alabama increased their score by 7 points and 4th graders in Louisiana increased their reading scores by 6 points.

The only private schools scored in 2024 were Catholic schools, whose performance in grade 8 math increased by 5 points over 5 years.

Testing results are clear: the current public-school model must be fixed—and fast.

(Read more: Virginia Democrats Vote to Eliminate Religious Freedom to Homeschool)

Stop the Insanity

Continuing the same failed education policies and practices in America harms not only students but also the nation's future. Record spending dumped into public schools by the U.S. Department of Education has failed to produce any benefits—but it has increased the national debt and produced an uneducated citizenry.

Chronic absenteeism, student discipline problems, teacher shortages, political agendas, and lower grading standards are all contributing to America's education decline. The NAEP report showed 29 percent of 8th graders and 30 percent of 4th graders had high absenteeism rates. This problem was undoubtedly exacerbated by the COVID school closures—families got used to their kids being home. Dropping standards may be the biggest cause of the academic decline.

Across the nation, high school graduation rates have increased—yet academic achievement is deteriorating. New policies across the education establishment, such as no-point deductions for work turned in late or no-zeros for work not done, only set students up for failure.

Grades are artificially inflated to make it appear students are performing at higher levels, but when put to the test they're failing to meet even basic proficiency levels.

Without the NAEP tests, Americans wouldn't know how widespread this total failure is in our public schools. It's time to take a different approach to how students are educated and end the failure of government schools.

(Related: Cultural Marxism Caused the School-to-Prison Pipeline)

Victoria Manning is a Senior Investigative Researcher for Restoration News specializing in education freedom, abortion, and immigration, and the author of Behind the Wall of Government Schools. Victoria served 8 years as an elected school board member with a master’s degree in law. She also brings the perspective of a military spouse and mother to her reporting.

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