High school students' scores fall in reading and math

A decade-long slide in high school students’ performance in reading and math persisted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 12th graders’ scores dropping to their lowest level in more than 20 years. That's according to results released Tuesday from an exam known as the nation’s report card. Eighth-grade students also lost significant ground in science skills, according to the results from the National Assessment of Education Progress. The assessments were the first since the pandemic for eighth graders in science and 12th graders in reading and math. They reflect a downward drift across grade levels and subject areas in previous releases from NAEP.