America’s students are still struggling to recover in reading. The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress found that average fourth- and eighth-grade reading scores were lower than in 2022. That is a national warning. It is also a test for Democratic governors, mayors, and school leaders who have spent years telling families their systems are working.
One score does not explain why a child is falling behind. It does not prove that a party caused the decline or that every school is failing. But it is a common yardstick. When the numbers move down, leaders should explain what happened and what they are changing.
The reading results are not a talking point
NAEP is often called the Nation’s Report Card. The federal assessment tests samples of students across states using a common framework. In 2024, the national average reading scores in grades 4 and 8 were below their 2022 results. Grade 12 reading was also lower than in 2019, the last time that grade was assessed. These are not state report-card grades, and NAEP does not tell us every detail of a classroom. It does offer a way to compare performance over time.
The results are not neatly divided by party. Some states with Democratic leadership had declines; states with Republican leadership also saw weak results. Some states improved in certain grades or subjects. That is why it would be dishonest to say that Democrats alone caused a national decline. The fair criticism is narrower: Democratic leaders in places where scores fell cannot blame the other party, the pandemic, or students’ backgrounds forever. They govern many of the systems that have to respond.
Reading matters because it sits underneath nearly every subject. A student who cannot read well may struggle to follow a science lesson, understand a history source, or solve a word problem in math. By middle school, falling behind can make every class harder. The earlier a school finds the problem, the more time it has to help.
A decline needs a clear explanation
School leaders often point to COVID disruptions, teacher shortages, attendance, screen time, or family stress. Those factors may matter. The question is what the district is doing now. Are students screened early for reading trouble? Are teachers using proven lessons that build sound, vocabulary, fluency, and understanding? Are struggling children getting extra time with trained teachers? Are schools telling parents plainly when a child is behind?
There is no single program that fixes every school. But leaders should be able to name the methods they use, show how they track progress, and explain when they will change course. If a district’s reading scores fall for several years and the public hears only that everything is complex, families have every right to ask for better answers.
Democratic officials often speak about equity, inclusion, and opportunity. Those ideas should include the plainest promise of all: every child should learn to read well. A child who gets a diploma without those skills has not received equal opportunity. Schools should be judged by whether students learn, not by how reassuring the press release sounds.
“Standards are lower” needs proof, too
Families hear claims that state standards are being lowered. Sometimes a state changes a test or the score needed to pass. Sometimes it changes its curriculum or how it reports proficiency. But NAEP scores measure student performance, not whether a state has formally lowered its standards. The two things should not be mixed up.
State proficiency labels are also hard to compare across state lines. The NAEP has documented that state tests and NAEP differ in purpose and design. A student labeled “proficient” in one state may not be at the same level as a student with that label elsewhere. If a governor wants to claim that local standards are strong, parents should see the actual expectations, the test results, and the reading level students are expected to reach.
That is where political accountability matters. Democrats should not use a high graduation rate as proof that students are ready if reading outcomes are weak. Republicans should not use NAEP as a weapon while ignoring poor results in states they lead. The numbers belong to families. They deserve a full explanation, not selective celebration.
What parents should be able to see
Federal law requires states to publish school report cards with information on performance and other measures. Those reports can help parents compare results, but the information should be easy to find and simple to understand. A useful report tells a family what students know, how results changed, and which groups are being left behind.
Families can start with three questions. First, what reading test does the school use, and how does the child’s result compare with grade-level expectations? Second, if a child is behind, what extra help will begin and how will the school measure progress? Third, when will the school contact the family again? These are fair questions. They are not a political attack on teachers.
Parents should also read more than one measure. Attendance, staffing, class size, and growth can help explain a score. But none should replace the most basic question: can students read? An honest school system will share both good news and bad news.
The next report card should show a plan
Democratic school leaders can answer the NAEP warning by publishing a reading recovery plan with simple goals and public check-ins. It should explain how schools identify children who need support, what instruction they receive, and what happens if results do not improve. The plan should include teachers and parents, not only central-office staff.
The 2024 results do not support a party-line story where only blue states are struggling. They do support a serious argument about accountability. Where Democrats control state or local education systems, they should stop presenting criticism as an attack on public schools and show families the work. Public schools belong to the public.
For parents comparing policy options, our guide to Tennessee’s education freedom scholarships explains one debate over school choice. Whatever option a family prefers, every school should be held to clear academic expectations and honest reporting.