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How U.S. Students Perform at Basic Math and Reading
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The quality of education in the U.S. has been a subject of debate for decades.
During his campaign for the White House, President Trump repeatedly cited education rankings to justify dismantling the federal Department of Education. He claimed that U.S. schools are “ranked 40 out of 40” in educational outcomes compared to other countries, while the U.S. “ranked No. 1 in cost per pupil.”
According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), U.S. students perform above average in science and reading but slightly below average in math.
In this graphic, we show how Grade 8 students perform in reading and math in 2024, based on data from The Nation’s Report Card.
U.S. Student Performance
Only 3-4% of students have achieved advanced reading skills, such as synthesizing information with supporting evidence from related texts.
Meanwhile, seven in 10 students can determine the main idea using explicit text features but struggle to evaluate an author’s use of evidence.
| 2024 | Below Basic | Basic | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 33% | 37% | 26% | 4% |
| Math | 39% | 33% | 20% | 8% |
According to The Nation’s Report Card, only 38% of students can easily apply the Pythagorean Theorem to solve problems.
As DOGE and the federal government continue to look at enhancing efficiency, it will be interesting to see how changes cascade onto students. Could eliminating bureaucracy help education systems thrive? Or will cuts make it harder for students to succeed at math and reading?
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How much does each U.S. state spend on education? Check out this map for a quick overview.
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