America’s Literacy Crisis: Why the Latest NAEP Scores Demand Urgent Action
The latest NAEP results reveal a grim reality: America’s 12th graders are reading at their lowest levels in three decades. Nearly one-third lack basic literacy, and nearly half struggle with math. Female students are disproportionately impacted, and these declines started well before the pandemic. If students can’t read well enough to understand problems, STEM education — and workforce readiness — suffers. It’s time to rethink how we integrate literacy and STEM, invest in early interventions like tutoring, and inspire collective action before another generation slips further behind.