Five Facts on the State of Education in the US
Three years on from the start of the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, it’s clear the kids aren’t all right, at least when it comes to school performance. American students’ performance in primary and secondary (K-12) education has taken a beating, with test scores suffering from some of the biggest drops in decades.
Here are Five Facts on the current state of American education.
1. This year, math scores among the nation’s 13-year-olds experienced the largest year-over-year drop since at least 1973.
According to a report by National Assessment of Educational Progress, math scores among the nation's 13-year-olds had the largest year-over-year drop since federal tracking began in 1973. Reading scores also decreased by 4 points between 2020 and 2023, while math scores fell by 9 points during the same period. While much has been said of the negative impact of remote learning on student performance, it’s not the only factor; data shows that scores have been on a downward trend since 2012.
2. As of 2018, America spent the fifth-most on primary and secondary education per student among developed countries in the OECD.
The National Center for Education Statistics reported that year that “the United States spent $14,400 per full-time-equivalent (FTE) student on elementary and secondary education, which was 34 percent higher than the average of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries of $10,800.” And spending is only increasing: the U.S. Census Bureau reported that in 2021, public school spending per pupil across the country increased for the 10th year in a row.
3. The U.S. ranks 31st out of 78 countries in math scores, 13th in reading scores, and 18th in science scores.
Despite having one of the best-surveyed education systems globally, U.S students consistently score lower in math and science than their peers in many other countries. As of 2018, China sits at atop of the list in all three categories.
4. The national public high school graduation rate is approximately 87%.
The state with the highest average student graduation rate is Connecticut, with a 92% average graduation rate, while the District of Columbia has the lowest rate, with a 72% average graduation rate. The US has a relatively high rate of high school graduation among OECD countries.
5. Fifty-five percent of Americans are unhappy with the state of education.
A Gallup poll found that 55% of Americans were dissatisfied with the quality of K-12 education in the United States as of 2022, the highest level of dissatisfaction Gallup has recorded since 2000. It’s not surprising, then, that a 2021 survey by the National School Boards Action Center, which found that 59% of voters support increased funding and resources for public education.
No Labels is an organization of Democrats, Republicans, and independents working to bring American leaders together to solve problems.
