The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) ran the NAEP long‑term trend reading and math tests for 13‑year‑olds during the fall of the 2022–23 school year. Scores dipped 4 points in reading and 9 points in mathematics versus the 2019–20 assessment, echoing a broader decline over the past decade. This marks a back‑to‑back fall in performance across the nation.

Examining percentiles reveals uneven damage. Lower‑performing students lost 6–7 points in reading and 12–14 in math, while middle and higher groups slipped 3–4 and 6–8 points, respectively. The gap between the lowest 10th percentile and the top 90th widened, hinting at growing inequality in early‑grade learning, especially among students from underserved regions and low‑income families.

State‑level data show a nationwide trend. Reading scores fell for both male and female cohorts, and for students eligible and ineligible for the National School Lunch Program. Mathematics saw drops across all racial groups, with Black students lagging 13 points behind White peers, expanding the existing achievement gap underscoring the need for targeted curriculum reforms and investment.

Survey responses from the same cohort linked attendance to performance. Students reporting five or more absences per month rose sharply, doubling since 2020. The data suggest that chronic absenteeism, coupled with declining instructional quality, may drive the observed score deficits. Addressing these factors could stabilize or reverse the trend by implementing comprehensive support systems and data‑driven interventions across.