Decline in STEM Skills among American Students Reaches Record Low
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) recently released science scores for eighth graders and math scores for 12th graders in 2024, painting a disconcerting picture of the state of American education.
According to the data, scores for black students in eighth-grade science were higher in 2015 and 2019 compared to 2024. This downward trend was also evident for black 12th graders, with 70% scoring below basic in 2024, compared to 66% in 2019 and 64% in 2015.
Similarly, the scores for Hispanic students in eighth-grade science were higher in 2015 and 2019 compared to 2024. The situation was equally grim for 12th graders, with 61% scoring below basic in 2024, compared to 54% in 2019 and 53% in 2015.
The scores for students with disabilities in eighth-grade science remained unchanged from 2015 to 2024, with nearly two-thirds scoring below basic. This percentage was roughly the same as in 2019 but slightly lower than the 77% in 2015.
In the 12th-grade math test, results are equally dismal, with 45% of all American 12th graders being below basic, up from 40% in 2019 and 38% in 2015.
The uncomfortable truth, as observed by economist Rick Hanushek, is that the mostly downward trends of student performance have continued for over a decade. He recently stated that the pandemic did not break American education, it was already broken.
If these mostly downward trends continue, most Americans may not have the skills necessary to participate in a tech-based economy, which could be a disaster for the US economy, national security, and students, especially those who have already been left behind.
However, there are signs of hope. The Trump administration is pushing to return education to the states, where it constitutionally belongs and where experimentation at the local level can identify programs and policies that work. The administration aims to elevate best practices discovered at the state level and provide resources to help other states implement the same programs, modified to fit local contexts.
Despite the challenges, it is clear that drastic changes are needed in our system of education if we are serious about educating students to their fullest potential. The search results do not provide specific information about which U.S. states or regions have made the greatest improvements in STEM achievement based on NAEP results in recent years. However, it is a call to action for educators, policymakers, and parents to work together to find solutions and reverse these concerning trends.
Read also:
- Alcohol and Hormones - A Delicate Equilibrium Prone to Disruption
- Latest Principal Information Bureau Announcements on 12-09-2025
- Guidelines for resuming operations: Strategies for hotels to utilize their resources beneficially during the ongoing lockdown period
- Struggling Japanese women try to find a footing in the male-dominated realm of Japanese sumo wrestling
