Kerby Anderson

America keeps spending more and more money on public education. And all those tax dollars don’t seem to make a difference. Schools keep flunking.

The National Assessment for Educational Progress is often referred to as “America’s Report Card.” But this isn’t a report card you would want to show anyone. The latest report shows that fourth and eighth grade reading scores declined by two points on average since 2022. Even more concerning is the fact that a third (33%) of eighth graders scored below “basic” on the reading exam. That is a record low. Math scores for eighth graders were eight points lower than in 2019.

Also, concerning was evidence that the achievement gap has increased. High math performers in both grades scored better last year while low performers did worse or the same. Test scores for students scoring in the upper percentiles in reading improved since 1992, but they declined for students in the lower percentiles.

The reasons for this decline don’t take an expert. But the Wall Street Journal editors quoted an education expert at Harvard who talked about three problems: “student mental-health problems, less test-based accountability and increasing screen time.”

The head of a teacher’s union suggested that schools need smaller class sizes, good ventilation, and 21^st-century technology. The editors responded, “Sorry, children aren’t doing worse because of bad air filters or old computers. They scored better without 21st-century technology.”

Public schools are flunking. That’s why educational choice is a hot topic today in many states so that parents can take their tax dollars to better schools. And that’s why more parents are looking at private schools, Christian schools, and homeschooling.