Young Students Gain in Reading and Math After Years of Decline
Nine-year-olds across America are climbing back in reading and math, showing real progress after years of falling scores. New national test results reveal encouraging gains among younger students who missed the worst of pandemic disruptions.
America's youngest students are bouncing back. New federal test scores show 9-year-olds made solid gains in both reading and math between 2022 and 2025, reversing years of decline.
More than 30,000 students took the National Assessment of Educational Progress exams between October 2024 and March 2025. The results paint an encouraging picture for the nation's youngest learners.
"I think this is an optimistic release," said Matthew Soldner, acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics. What makes the news even better is that students across all performance levels improved, including those who were struggling most.
The timing may explain the turnaround. These 9-year-olds were only 4 when the pandemic started in 2020. They didn't begin school until after most places had returned to full-time, in-person instruction, meaning they didn't miss critical early lessons in literacy and math.
The results give researchers hope that the nation can rebuild learning losses that started even before COVID-19. Students who got consistent, in-person instruction from day one are proving that solid teaching works.
The Bright Side
While 13-year-olds still struggle with stagnant scores, the younger students show what's possible when kids get uninterrupted learning. Their progress demonstrates that the educational system can recover and that targeted support in early grades pays off.
The gains weren't limited to high performers. Lower-performing students also trended upward, showing that improvements reached kids who needed help most. This broad-based progress suggests that elementary schools are finding effective ways to reach all learners.
These young students represent a fresh start. They're building skills on a stronger foundation than the generation just ahead of them, who experienced school closures during critical learning years.
The comeback story of America's 9-year-olds proves that with the right support and consistent instruction, students can thrive.
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Based on reporting by Google News - Student Achievement
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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