The Nation’s Report Card shows troubling K-12 education trends

New data from the Nation’s Report Card reveals troubling trends: 12th-graders are performing worse in math and reading, and 8th-graders are falling behind in science, a continuation of some trends that started before the pandemic. The report from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that while top-performing students continue to excel, lower-performing students, the majority, are slipping even further behind. The report also highlights a rise in student absenteeism across the board.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon called the findings “devastating.” Some say cuts to jobs and programs at the Department of Education under her leadership won’t help, as President Donald Trump tasks her with dismantling the department altogether.

Why are student test scores falling? How much of the decline is due to the pandemic? What’s actually working in K-12 education—and how do we help more students succeed?

Guests:

Donna Cooper – Executive Director of Children First

Farah Jimenez – President and CEO of Philadelphia Education Fund