‘Accountability’: How 4 states delivered better schools amidst national decline in student scores

Test scores for America’s grade schools continue to show a dismal decline in basic reading and math skills, but four red states that were once seen as laggards are now bucking the nationwide trend.

According to the 2024 assessment by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, 12th graders tested in reading and math have shown a continuing decline since 1992. This report follows a 2020 study by the Department of Education that found that 54% of U.S. adults—130 million people—read at or below a sixth-grade level.