Report: Literacy Rates in the United States Have Declined Significantly in the Last 30 Years
America’s Literacy Crisis: A Decades-Long Decline
In recent decades, the United States has faced a growing challenge that threatens its economic future and social fabric: declining literacy rates. Once a leader in education, America now grapples with a troubling trend that spans generations and socioeconomic backgrounds.
1. Recent data shows a significant drop in reading scores among U.S. 13-year-olds, with scores falling to their lowest levels in decades. This decline has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. According to the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), less than 40% of students in public and non-public schools were reading at or above grade level. In large city public schools, this figure was below 30%