Students' reading scores fell to 1992 levels, and math scores dropped by the largest amount ever recorded, according to new test results out Monday — laying bare the pandemic's devastating toll on the nation's students.
Zoom out: No state posted improvements in math, per the results, known as the Nation's Report Card.
Between the lines: Math scores declined among eighth-graders across racial and ethnic groups and among lower- and higher- achieving students alike, per the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results.
- The average math score for eighth graders dropped 8 points from 2019 — and was lower than all previous tests since 2003.
The bottom line: "If this is not a wake-up call for us to double down our efforts and improve education, ... then I don’t know what will," Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said.
Go deeper... National test scores fall to lowest levels in decades
