U.S. Student Test Scores Decline by Up to 9 Points, Fueling Education Concerns

A recent social media post by prominent education reform advocate Daniel Buck has highlighted a perceived disconnect between parental awareness and the declining state of local school districts, echoing broader national trends in student performance. Buck's tweet, shared on September 7, 2025, described his local district as experiencing "tanking test scores, regular fights, teachers quitting in droves, and both inappropriate and academically mediocre curriculum." He further expressed bewilderment at parents who still discuss "how great our schools are," questioning their level of awareness.

Daniel Buck, a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and director of the Conservative Education Reform Network (CERN), is a former teacher and assistant principal known for his advocacy of traditional education principles. His work often critiques progressive educational philosophies, emphasizing academic rigor, discipline, and a structured curriculum. In his book, "What Is Wrong with Our Schools?", Buck argues that "flawed ideas" and "incorrect first principles" are at the root of educational dysfunction, aligning with his recent observations on social media regarding curriculum quality.

His concerns align with recent national data indicating significant drops in student achievement. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called "The Nation's Report Card," average scores for 9-year-olds in 2022 declined by 5 points in reading and 7 points in mathematics compared to 2020. This represented the largest average score decline in reading since 1990 and the first ever in mathematics. Similarly, 13-year-olds saw average scores drop by 4 points in reading and 9 points in mathematics between the 2019-2020 and 2022-2023 school years, with U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona attributing these declines largely to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The observed declines were particularly pronounced among lower-performing students, exacerbating existing achievement gaps. While some recent data suggests modest recovery in math scores between 2022 and 2024, English Language Arts scores have shown no widespread evidence of recovery, with full academic recovery projected to take several more years. The issues of teacher retention and curriculum quality, as noted in Buck's tweet, are also critical components of the ongoing national dialogue on education, with many experts debating the most effective strategies to reverse these negative trends and ensure a robust educational future for students.